CARACAS: Venezuelan intelligence officials on Tuesday arrested two judges the opposition-run parliament had appointed to the supreme court, highlighting a fight between President Nicolas Maduro’s government and a nascent “parallel” state in the making.

The detention of judges Jesus Rojas Torres and Zuleima Gonzalez happened in the eastern state of Anzoategui, the National Assembly said on Twitter.

Their arrests brought to three the number of opposition-named judges being held, following the arrest on Saturday of another, Angel Zerpa.

A military tribunal on Monday ordered Zerpa be imprisoned, according to a rights group, Foro Penal, and an opposition leader, Henrique Capriles.

Prosecutors have petitioned for his release.

They were among 33 judges the opposition-led chamber last week named to the supreme court, creating a parallel body to the high court whose members have shown systematic loyalty to Maduro.

The supreme court and Maduro’s government have said those involved in the parallel court were committing “incitement to subversion.”

On Sunday, Maduro vowed that the opposition’s judges would be arrested “one by one” and their assets frozen.

The wrestle over the legitimacy of the supreme court judges comes as Maduro presses on with a bid to have the constitution rewritten.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017