Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro closer to temporary rule by decree

CARACAS, Venezuela, March 12 (UPI) -- Venezuela's Congress has approved legislation at the request of President Nicolas Maduro to grant him expanded presidential powers for six months.

Maduro would be allowed to enact laws without consulting the National Assembly. The legislation has been dubbed by Venezuelan media as the "Anti-Imperialist Law." A second reading of the law is scheduled for Sunday.

"I want to thank the National Assembly for accepting this official visit... to deliver directly... this constitutional application for a special powers law to give me sufficient powers to defend the peace, sovereignty and the full development of Venezuela, as it faces the threat of the United States government," Maduro said to Congress on Tuesday.

All 99 members of Maduro's party and allies voted in support of the law and all 65 opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote in protest.

The law would allow Maduro to combat perceived threats from other nations, direct military interventions and protect against apparent threats on Venezuela's economy.

The legislation comes as a reaction to U.S. President Barack Obama's new sanctions against the Venezuelan government.

Obama imposed new sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials Monday and declared the country's situation a "threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

He signed an executive order declaring a national emergency to protect human rights and democratic institutions in Venezuela and to protect the U.S. financial system from illicit capital flows from the country.

Maduro recently announced Venezuela's own sanctions against the United States, requiring that U.S. diplomats in Venezuela be reduced from about 100 to 17, the same number Venezuela has in the United States.