A/HRC/45/CRP.11 voters participated.175 After independent monitors reported fraud, Mr. Falcón called for new elections.176 Various States said the elections had not met international standards.177 99. Within this period, there were several renewed attempts by political dissidents allegedly to oust the Maduro Government. Numerous members of the armed forces were arrested in connection with “Operation Armageddon,” an alleged coup attempt, which was to coincide with President Maduro’s election for a second Presidential term. On 4 August 2018, State television showed images of two drones exploding near the stage where President Maduro and other high-level officials were watching a military parade, injuring at least seven members of the military.178 100. Protests continued throughout 2018. The Venezuelan Observatory for Social Conflict recorded 12,715 across the country.179 According to the organization, 89 per cent of protests were motivated by demands for economic and social rights, including access to food, basic services, labour rights and social security.180 E. January 2019-Present: President Maduro’s Second Term 101. The year 2019 started with early attempts to block Nicolás Maduro from assuming the presidency. On the first day of its new legislative period, 4 January, the National Assembly passed a resolution formally declaring that President Maduro had usurped power, due to the alleged illegitimacy of the May 2018 elections.181 The resolution stated that all decisions of the executive would be ineffective and that the National Assembly would initiate measures for a temporary transfer of powers from the executive to the legislature, until a new president could be elected in a free and transparent process.182 102. On 10 January 2019, President Maduro was sworn in as President. Soon thereafter, on 21 January, the Supreme Court declared invalid all acts of the National Assembly since 2016, including the election of its directorates for the years 2017 (Julio Borges), 2018 (Omar Barboza) and 2019 (Juan Guaidó), arguing continued contempt of the Court’s 2016 judgment.183 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 24 See National Electoral Council, CNE emite segundo boletín con resultados de la elección presidencial, 21 May 2018, available at: http://www.cne.gov.ve/web/sala_prensa/noticia_detallada.php?id=3716. See 2013 participation levels: http://www.cne.gob.ve/resultado_presidencial_2013/r/1/reg_000000.html?. See YouTube Video, VPItv, Venezuela - Pronunciamiento de Henri Falcón antes de los resultados de las presidenciales, 21 May 2018, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-YVM5BVinU. See Statement by Chair of G20 on electoral process in Venezuela, 21 May 2018, available at: https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relationsrelations_internationales/latin_america-amerique_latine/2018-05-21-multilateralmultilaterales.aspx?lang=eng; Statement of the European Union, Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the presidential and regional elections in Venezuela, 22 May 2018, available at: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/05/22/declarationby-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-eu-on-the-presidential-and-regional-elections-invenezuela/. See New York Times, How the Drone Attack on Maduro Unfolded in Venezuela | NYT - Visual Investigations, 12 August 2018, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFNCqCwVzo According to the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, there were 12,715 protests in 2018, the second highest number since 2014. See Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, Conflictividad social en Venezuela en 2018, available at: http://www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve/tendencias-dela-conflictividad/conflictividad-social-en-venezuela-2018. Ibid. See National Assembly, Agreement on the Declaration of Usurpation of the Presidency of the Republic by Nicolás Maduro Moros and the Reestablishment of the Validity of the Constitution, 4 January 2019, available at: http://www.asambleanacional.gob.ve/actos/detalle/acuerdo-sobre-ladeclaratoria-de-usurpacionde-la-presidencia-de-la-republica-por-parte-de-nicolas-maduro-moros-y-elrestablecimiento-de-la-vigenciade-la-constitucion-331. Ibid. Judgment No. 3 of 21 January 2019, available at: https://www.accesoalajusticia.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/01/SC-3-21-01-2019.pdf. See also NTN24 Venezuela, TSJ no reconoce mandato de Guaidó en la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, 21 January 2019, available at: