Top diplomats from 12 countries in the Americas on Tuesday slammed Venezuela's government for breaking democratic rule, and said they would not recognize a new assembly seen as a power grab by President Nicolas Maduro.

Peru's Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna read out a statement from the group at its meeting in Lima, voicing its "condemnation of the break in democratic rule in Venezuela," where the "Constituent Assembly," full of supporters of Maduro, has been given wide-ranging powers.

The nations will also not recognize decisions coming from the new assembly, according to the joint statement from the dozen countries, which included Latin American heavyweights Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, as well as Canada.

source: AFP