Authorities hold 2 judges appointed by Venezuelan opposition

CARACAS – The Associated Press

Venezuela’s intelligence agency detained two more judges on July 25 that the government-stacked Supreme Court had threatened with arrest after they were appointed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

Jesus Rojas Torres and Zuleima Gonzalez were taken into custody by SEBIN agents in Anzoategui, a state in northeastern Venezuela, the National Assembly announced on its Twitter account.

The magistrates are among 33 judges the National Assembly appointed on July 21 to replace the current Supreme Court.

The troubled nation’s highest court quickly declared the appointments unconstitutional and said the judges would be illegally usurping power and betraying the nation if they fulfilled their new posts.

Angel Zerpa - another of the new magistrates - was detained on July 22.

The Supreme Court has been at the center of nearly four months of political unrest in Venezuela.