Mike Pompeo asked the Maduro regime for the "immediate release" of Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the National Assembly of Venezuela

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday demanded the "immediate release" of the first vice-president of the Venezuelan National Assembly (NA, parliament), the opposition Edgar Zambrano, calling his detention " illegal. "

"Zambrano must be released immediately"said Pompeo in a statement.

"It is an attack on the independence of the democratically elected legislature in the country and is one of the regime's incessant attacks (by Venezuelan President Nicolás). Maduro overcoming differences and free debate in Venezuela ", he added.

The US Foreign Minister said that Zambrano's "arbitrary arrest" is "an unacceptable and illegal act that again reflects the repression of the former regime of Maduro"that the United States no longer recognizes as legitimate.

"This badault on the National Assembly should serve as a warning to the region and to the world that the dictatorship is not interested in constitutional solutions to the problems of the Venezuelan people", stressed Pompeo.

His statement comes a day after the US virtual embbady in Caracas warned on Twitter that there would be "consequences" if the Venezuelan authorities did not release Zambrano.

This deputy was arrested Wednesday, just hours after the withdrawal of the jurisdiction of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) chavis, after the Supreme appointed him as one of the leaders of the military uprising who had failed on April 30th. of Parliament, Juan Guaidó.

A few minutes earlier, Zambrano, a member of the party Acción Democrática (AD), had warned that he was in his vehicle and that he was surrounded by intelligence officials (Sebin) who towed his vehicle for l & # 39; stop.

His family and supporters have denounced Thursday that the MP remains incommunicado and does not know in what state he is, almost 24 hours after his capture.

Venezuela has experienced a spike in political tension since last January, when Maduro He swore a new 6-year term that does not recognize the opposition and a part of the international community and, in response, Guaidó was proclaimed interim president of the country, after which he was recognized as such by more from 50 countries in the United States.