CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is celebrating the first anniversary of his disputed re-election amid a growing humanitarian crisis and political upheaval.

Maduro on Monday tweeted that the May 20, 2018, election, was a "victory" for Venezuelans, though the opposition and many countries have derided it as unfair,.

The government staged a rally on the anniversary, and members of a loyalist assembly delivered speeches. The assembly rivals the opposition-controlled congress, headed by Juan Guaidó, that says Maduro has steered Venezuela toward authoritarian rule and ruined the economy.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela in a bid to unseat Maduro, compounding the problems of the country's deteriorating oil industry. Maduro says Guaidó is a pawn in a U.S. coup plot.