Spain may shut borders to Venezuelan president's associates over 'tyrannical', 'illegal' and 'anti-democratic' constituent assembly

The European Union has already declared it does not formally recognise the constituent assembly as legally valid.

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy says: “I have just spoken with Alfonso Dastis [his foreign affairs minister] because, logically, this is a subject which worries us all, as democrats, but we are particularly concerned about the people of Spain due to our close cultural and historic ties with Venezuela and the high number of Spanish nationals living there.

“I already sent out instructions on Sunday for a press release to be issued stating that Spain would not recognise in any way, shape or form this constituent assembly, which is illegal, anti-democratic and a botched job.”

Rajoy says he has also spoken with the EU's head of diplomatic affairs, Federica Mogherini, and with the foreign affairs minister in Perú who is calling a meeting with his counterparts in every other Latin American country 'to see what steps will be taken against the government of Venezuela'.

“We're not going to leave them to their fate for a single moment,” said Rajoy, “because the 21^st century is not about people returning to the tyrannical form of ruling seen in past periods in history.”

The photograph shows a demonstrator on a street in Venezuela.

So far, 121 of them have been killed in public protests in the country.