The Venezuelan National Assembly has passed a law granting President Nicolas Maduro the ability to rule by decree in response to what his government considers U.S. aggression. The opposition sees it as a power grab and distraction from the problems plaguing Venezuela.

The national assembly approved the Anti-imperialist Enabling Law on Sunday, giving President Maduro the power to rule by decree without the approval of the legislature, according to the BBC. The vote comes after the U.S. levied more sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials.

The law grants these powers to President Maduro until Dec. 31.

Leading the legislative body, national assembly president Diosdado Cabello announced the passing of the bill to the boisterous applause of the majority socialist party.

“This honorable National Assembly sanctions the law that authorizes the president of the republic to rule by decree with rank, courage and strength of the law concerning the assurance of reinforcing the right of sovereignty, the protection of the Venezuelan people, and the constitutional order of the nation,” Cabello said.

Thousands of government supporters marched in support of the president, brandishing signs reading: “Yankees go home!” The government believes the U.S. is interfering in Venezuelan affairs.

"They may have the power of the dollar and the power of the media, but we [have] something they don't have: the power of integrity," said President Maduro, according to the BBC. "This legislation gives me the power to defend peace and sovereignty."

Cabello called the U.S. actions against Venezuela, including labeling it a security threat, “an act of aggression against all free countries in the world who are not willing to accept American imperialism."

The opposition holds a different view. They see the national assembly’s actions as a ploy to continue President Maduro's power and distract the populace from issues that remain unaddressed like violence and the plummeting economy.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles took to Twitter to criticize the laws and pointed out that two previous enabling laws had not helped resolve the nation’s problems.

“They passed an emergency enabling law for after the rains and people in need remain,” he wrote. “Another one to end corruption and now there’s more corruption than ever!”

The first of the enabling laws mentioned was passed in late 2010 after heavy rains left many homeless in Venezuela and gave then President Hugo Chavez control over infrastructure and transportation.

The second law mentioned was passed in 2013 and gave President Maduro control over the economy to stamp out corruption.

However, the accusations of a power grab continue from the opposition. Romer Rubio, another opposition politician, asks why the president needs sweeping powers if he has control of the assembly.

Rubio hints at the possibility that the ruling PSUV may lose in the upcoming 2015 elections, diminishing President Maduro’s power. According to Reuters, his rating tittered at around 24 percent in December and has not risen since then.

In a blog post, Capriles writes that this law a tool to distract the people from the problems Venezuela faces and will do nothing to remedy them.

"This new Enabling Law will not supply hospitals," he writes. "It will not reopent the 44 percent of surgeries that are now closed. It will not sow the millions of acres of unproductive land."

He calls for Venezuelans to stand united and "end the corrupt leadership" in power.