Caracas - The Public Prosecutor''s Office is investigating citizens appointed as ambassadors and directors of Petroleos de Venezuela''s (PDVSA) subsidiary in the United States, Citgo, by the self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido.

The investigations involve officials appointed without legal basis and outside the Constitution by the President of the National Assembly (Parliament in contempt), recognized by the United States and other countries as interim president of the nation, an action which Caracas calls a developing coup de état.

The Attorney General, Tareck William Saab, stated Thursday that the authorities' actions are aimed at maintaining the stability of the country, the constitutional order and the integrity of the institutions in the face of what he considered an attempt to assault all the powers of the nation.

Saab stressed these appointments lack legal clue or office, in a copy of the actions of the National Assembly in contempt adopting regulations without legal consequence aimed at disturbing Venezuelan peace.

The Head of the Public Prosecutor's Office indicated that the illegally appointed accepted 'the designation by a non competent body to make such decisions'.

He specified that MP Guaido tries to satisfy the U.S. government's interests and generate destabilization and violence in the nation, and stressed that the only directors legitimately appointed in PDVSA are those recognized by the Bolivarian Executive and the laws of the Republic.

At the same time as the investigations, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declared null and void the designation of a new board of directors for Petroleos de Venezuela and Citgo - a company seized by the U.S. government - due to the usurpation of functions of Venezuela's president.

The highest judicial body decreed precautionary measures for the persons appointed by Guaido, who incurred in usurping functions and other crimes of public action sanctioned in the Venezuelan criminal justice system, relating to corruption, organized crime and terrorism.

He also urged the Executive Branch and PDVSA to take the necessary measures to protect oil activity and to guarantee all operations related to its activity, including its products and derivatives trading.

The Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly denounced that the political and economic aggressions perpetrated by Washington against the country are aimed at appropriating the country's energy resources.