The European Union is criticizing the removal of Venezuela's public prosecutor by a newly installed constitutional assembly with nearly unlimited authority to govern.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's office said Monday that the assembly's actions and removal of Luisa Ortega Diaz "have further weakened the prospects for a peaceful return to the democratic order."
A statement said that these actions have "increased the polarization of an already divided society."
The EU is calling on President Nicolas Maduro to free all political prisoners and ensure the respect of human rights and the rule of law.
Ortega Diaz is a longtime government loyalist turned critic of Maduro. She has refused to recognize the assembly's vote Saturday to remove her from office.
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