On Wednesday the Supreme Court seized power from the National Assembly, allowing it to write laws itself. Colombia called back its ambassador on Friday for consultations. They also urged the military, the traditional arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela, to break its silence and defend the constitution drafted by late President Hugo Chavez to which it swore allegiance.
Throughout Friday, pockets of protesters in oil-rich Venezuela blocked roads, unfurled banners and chanted slogans against Maduro's unpopular government, including "Freedom!" and "No To Dictatorship!" The ruling spurred anti-government protests on Friday and clashes between demonstrators and the National Guard outside the Supreme Court building.
We call for the government of Venezuela to permit the democratically-elected National Assembly to perform its constitutional functions, hold elections as soon as possible, and immediately release all political prisoners. "We can not, in any way, accept invitations in which those who made a coup d'etat attempt to fix a crisis which they created", he said.
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro called for the regional organisation's permanent council to hold crisis talks on the situation. A few arrests took place and some journalists covering the demonstration had their cameras taken before the group reassembled elsewhere in the capital.
Amid the turmoil, the normally ever-present Maduro was conspicuously silent until late Friday.
"Venezuela repudiates this onslaught by intolerant, right-wing and pro-imperialist governments in Latin America under the orders of the US State Department", the foreign ministry said in a statement. He reiterated the call for Venezuelans to take to the streets today in protest.
"This clearly destroys the most important pillar of any democracy, which is popular representation", Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said.
President Nicolas Maduro said the conflict between the Supreme Court and the legislature had been resolved.
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"It's time to mobilize!" student David Pernia, 29, said in western San Cristobal city, adding Venezuelans were fed up with autocratic rule and economic hardship.
"Venezuelan citizens have the right to participate in public affairs through their freely chosen representatives, as set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights*, which Venezuela has ratified".
Rather than removing the lawmakers to swiftly remedy the stalemate - which has led the Supreme Court to declare all National Assembly decisions null for months - since taking sweeping control of the Assembly in December 2015, the majority opposition parliament has largely focused on attempts to remove Maduro from office.
National Assembly President Julio Borges rips Supreme Court documents ruling that it can take over responsibilities assigned to congress, during a press conference at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Ma.
Venezuela's Supreme Court has reversed its move to strip congress of its legislative powers.
However, the new ruling maintains the power for the Executive to create joint ventures without authorization from the legislature, as part of Maduro's emergency powers that have been in force in the country since previous year.
Germany accused Mr Maduro of holding the country's population as "hostages" in his battle with parliament, with government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Friday urging the country to "return to democratic principles and the separation of powers".
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