NATIONAL Assembly president Diosdado Cabello announced on Tuesday that he would sue several opposition news outlets for linking him to the drug trade.

Several titles published stories in January claiming that his bodyguard had defected to the US to testify that Mr Cabello headed a drug ring of political and military officials.

Mr Cabello has denied any ties to the drug trade and called the accusations slander orchestrated by the right wing.

He revealed his plans through his Twitter account, making clear that he would sue the major Venezuelan titles El Nacional and Tal Cual, popular Caracas-based news site La Patilla and the Spanish newspaper ABC, which first published the report.

El Nacional managing editor Miguel Otero said that the newspaper would not change its editorial stance as a result.