What Happened Venezuela’s Supreme Court on April 1 reportedly called on the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) to strip Juan Guaido of the parliamentary immunity he's been granted as the head of the National Assembly. Per the Venezuelan Constitution, the process of removing parliamentary immunity can be done only by the legislature. However, President Nicolas Maduro's government does not recognize the opposition-controlled National Assembly and has instead handed over its legislative powers to the ANC, a ruling pro-Maduro body established in 2017. Why It Matters Stripping Guaido of his legal immunity would signal that the Venezuelan government is moving to justify the opposition leader's eventual arrest. Such an arrest would likely fuel larger demonstrations across the country in the short-term. It also has the potential to accelerate any plans among dissident military members to overthrow Maduro's government — that is, if such plots even exist.