President Nicolas Maduro was seeking special decree powers from Venezuela’s parliament on Tuesday in response to new U.S. sanctions, drawing opposition protests of a power-grab. If as expected the government-controlled National Assembly approves his request for an “Enabling Law”, it would be the second time the 52-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez has gained these expanded powers since winning election in 2013. “I’m going to ask for an anti-imperialist Enabling Law … to preserve the nation’s peace, integrity and sovereignty,” Maduro said in a speech late on Monday night, without specifying further what decrees he might use it for. Opposition leaders slammed Maduro, saying he was using the worst flare-up with Washington of his nearly two-year rule to justify autocratic governance, sidetrack parliament and distract attention from Venezuela’s grave economic crisis. “Nicolas, are you requesting the Enabling Law to make soap, nappies and medicines appear, to lower […]