by Our Foreign Desk

PRESIDENT Nicolas Maduro appealed to Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Assembly at the weekend to work with him to rebuild the economy and safeguard peace, “not senseless violence that could lead anywhere.”

His state of the union speech was the first since the right-wing opposition scored a landslide victory in last month’s elections to the assembly.

Before addressing MPs, the socialist president declared an economic emergency due to “catastrophic” inflation and growth figures.

He arrived at the assembly building to be greeted by hundreds of supporters who cheered him as he entered.

The president told the National Assembly that the neoliberal economic model favoured by the opposition would destroy everything built by the revolution led by late president Hugo Chavez.

“What we want for the year 2016 is that our country enters down a path of development and economic growth that generates wealth and employment,” he insisted.

His economic emergency decree, valid for two months, makes resources from the 05 financial year available to assign extra funds to health, education, food and housing, will design and implement measures to prevent tax evasion and authorises the executive to address the causes of the current situation.

Assembly president Henry Ramos of the MUD opposition coalition lectured Mr Maduro on his government’s shortcomings, gesticulating with his finger inches from his head.

He claimed the president and Mr Chavez were responsible for the economic crisis.

“If you don’t want to hear this, close your ears or leave,” he taunted Mr Maduro.