The Bolivarian Revolution refers to a left-wing populism social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who founded the Fifth Republic Movement in 1997 and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela in 2007. The "Bolivarian Revolution" is named after Simón Bolívar, an early 19th-century Venezuelan and Latin American revolutionary leader, prominent in the Spanish American wars of independence in achieving the independence of most of northern South America from Spanish rule. According to Chávez and other supporters, the "Bolivarian Revolution" seeks to build a mass movement to implement Bolivarianism—popular democracy, economic independence, equitable distribution of revenues, and an end to political corruption—in Venezuela.
Bolivarian government: 1999–present
Venezuela
Venezuela | Bolivarian government: 1999–present
The Bolivarian government The Bolivarian government Hugo Chávez led the government from 1999 to 2013. Hugo Chávez's government.
what is the symbol of flag of ecuador?
user
It consists of horizontal bands of yellow (double width), blue and red.
assistant
who designed it?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
does it resemble any other flag?
user
Yes, Colombia and Venezuela
assistant
which pledge is related to it?
user
Juramento a la Bandera
assistant
does the above latter country face any kind of shortage?
user
Yes, products like milk, various meats, basic necessities etc.
assistant
is any rights suspended over there?
user
Yes, constitutional rights.
assistant
why?
user
The approval of the extension of States of emergency corresponds to the National Assembly.
assistant
which government is in power here during 1999 and onwards?
user
Over 40 countries stated that they would not recognize the National Constituent Assembly. The European Union and the Holy See have also not recognized the legitimacy of the assembly. Following the establishment of the ANC, Argentina, Colombia, France, Peru, and the United States have characterized the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela as a dictatorship. President Nicolás Maduro's allies such as Bolivia, Cuba, China, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria discouraged foreign intervention in Venezuelan politics and congratulated the president and recognized the results of the election.
2017 Constituent National Assembly | Recognition
They interpret Bolívar's ideas from a populist perspective, using socialist rhetoric.
Venezuela | Bolivarian government: 1999–present
It added new environmental protections, and increased requirements for government transparency. It increased the presidential term from five to six years, allowed people to recall presidents by referendum, and added a new presidential two-term limit. It converted the bicameral legislature which consisted of a Congress with both a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies into a unicameral one that consisted only of a National Assembly. As a part of the new constitution, the country, which was then officially known as the Republic of Venezuela, was renamed the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela) at Chávez's request, thereby reflecting the government's ideology of Bolivarianism.
1999 Constituent National Assembly | Setting up the assembly
This ended the Punto Fijo Pact and ushered in the present-day Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
1999 Constituent National Assembly | Introduction
Under the new Bolivarian 1999 Constitution, the legislative branch of Government in Venezuela is represented by a unicameral National Assembly. The Assembly is made up of 165 deputies "(diputados)", who are elected by "universal, direct, personal, and secret" vote on a national party-list proportional representation system. In addition, three deputies are returned on a state-by-state basis, and three seats were reserved for representatives of Venezuela's indigenous peoples. All deputies serve five-year terms. In 1999 a two-term limit of six years each was established for the President of Venezuela.
Elections in Venezuela | 1990–1999: Later constitutions
Under the current Bolivarian 1999 Constitution, the legislative branch of Government in Venezuela is represented by a unicameral National Assembly. The Assembly is made up of 165 deputies "(diputados)", who are elected by "universal, direct, personal, and secret" vote on a national party-list proportional representation system. In addition, three deputies are returned on a state-by-state basis, and three seats are reserved for representatives of Venezuela's indigenous peoples. All deputies serve five-year terms and must appoint a replacement "(suplente)" to stand in for them during periods of incapacity or absence (Art. 186). Under the 1999 constitution deputies could be reelected on up to two terms (Art.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | Structure and powers
Since 15 March 2013, the remains of former president Hugo Chávez now rest in the Museum of the Bolivarian Revolution (Cuartel 4 de febrero), also known as the "Montaña Barracks", the very spot where the coup attempt of 1992 was launched.
23 de Enero | Bolivarian government
In 2016, a state of economic emergency was declared by current President Nicolás Maduro. Sanctions, low currency rates, food scarcity, diminished oil prices and strives for power within the government lead to intense anti-government protests. In one iteration of the travel ban, Bolivarian government officials and their immediate families were banned, but regular citizens were not.
Executive Order 13780 | Venezuela
The Fifth Republic of Venezuela (), commonly known as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the period in contemporary Venezuelan history from 1999 with the election of Hugo Chávez to the presidency and the installation of his Bolivarian Revolution, to the present day. Venezuela has been considered the Bolivarian Republic following the adoption of the new Constitution of 1999, when the state was renamed in honor of Simón Bolívar. Since Chávez's election into office, Venezuela developed into a dominant-party system, dominated by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and where numerous other parties exist. The 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election raised concerns of an emerging dictatorship.
Fifth Republic of Venezuela | Introduction
The legislature approved the Statute Governing the Transition to Democracy to Re-establish the Validity of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela () on 5 February, defining the timing of the transition.
President of Venezuela | 2019–2020 crisis
Following the death of President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela faced a severe socioeconomic crisis during the presidency of his successor, President Nicolás Maduro, as a result of their policies. Due to the state's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods attributed to economic policies such as strict price controls, civil insurrection in Venezuela culminated in the widespread protests in the country. The discontent with the Bolivarian government saw the opposition being elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly of Venezuela for the first time since 1999 following the 2015 Parliamentary Election. As a result of that election, the Bolivarian officials of the lame duck National Assembly filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice with their allies.
Supreme Tribunal of Justice of Venezuela in exile | Foundation
Following the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958, Venezuelan politics were dominated by the Third Way Christian democratic COPEI and the center-left social democratic Democratic Action (AD) parties; this two-party system was formalized by the "puntofijismo" arrangement. Economic crises in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis which resulted in hundreds dead in the Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez for corruption in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of Hugo Chávez, who had led the first of the 1992 coup attempts, and the launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela.
Venezuela | Government and politics
Since 2010, Venezuela has been suffering a socioeconomic crisis under Maduro, and briefly under his predecessor, Chávez. As a result of discontent with the government, in the 2015 parliamentary election the opposition was elected to the majority in the National Assembly, after which the lame duck National Assembly—consisting of Bolivarian officials—filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the highest court in Venezuela, with Maduro allies. Maduro disavowed the National Assembly in 2017 leading to the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis; as of 2018, some considered the National Assembly the only "legitimate" institution left in the country, and human rights organizations said there were no independent institutional checks on presidential power.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Elections and protests since 2017
Venezuela became the "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" () with the adoption of the 1999 constitution, which renamed the country in honor of Simón Bolívar. The new constitution was promulgated by President Hugo Chávez, who served "de jure" from 1999 until his death in 2013. The new constitution augmented the presidential term from five years to six years. Chávez's presidency was interrupted shortly in 2002 following a failed coup d'état attempt that put Pedro Carmona in office for a day. After government-loyal forces ousted Carmona from Miraflores, Vice President Diosdado Cabello assumed executive control for a couple of hours until Chávez could be restored.
List of presidents of Venezuela | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999–present)
Since 1958, the country has had a series of democratic governments. Economic shocks in the 1980s and 1990s led to several political crises, including the deadly Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez for embezzlement of public funds in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of former coup-involved career officer Hugo Chávez and the launch of the Bolivarian Revolution, beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela. This new constitution officially changed the name of the country to "República Bolivariana de Venezuela" (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).
History of Venezuela | Introduction
The Bolivarian Revolution refers to a left-wing populism social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who founded the Fifth Republic Movement in 1997 and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela in 2007. The "Bolivarian Revolution" is named after Simón Bolívar, an early 19th-century Venezuelan and Latin American revolutionary leader, prominent in the Spanish American wars of independence in achieving the independence of most of northern South America from Spanish rule. According to Chávez and other supporters, the "Bolivarian Revolution" seeks to build a mass movement to implement Bolivarianism—popular democracy, economic independence, equitable distribution of revenues, and an end to political corruption—in Venezuela.
Venezuela | Bolivarian government: 1999–present
Elections for the new unicameral National Assembly were held on 30 July 2000. During this same election, Chávez himself stood for reelection. Going into the elections, Chávez had control of all three branches of government. Chávez's coalition also garnered a commanding two-thirds majority of seats in the National Assembly while Chávez was reelected with 60% of the votes. The Carter Center monitored the 2000 presidential election; their report on that election stated that, due to lack of transparency, CNE partiality, and political pressure from the Chávez government that resulted in early elections, it was unable to validate the official CNE results.
History of Venezuela (1999–present) | 2000–2001: Re-election, rule by decree, land reform
In January 2016, the National Assembly declared a "health humanitarian crisis" given the "serious shortage of medicines, medical supplies and deterioration of humanitarian infrastructure", asking Maduro's government to "guarantee immediate access to the list of essential medicines that are basic and indispensable and that must be accessible at all times". The tribunal approved several actions by Maduro and granted him more powers in 2017. As protests mounted against Maduro, he called for a constituent assembly that would draft a new constitution to replace the 1999 Venezuela Constitution created under Chávez. Many countries considered these actions a bid by Maduro to stay in power indefinitely, and over 40 countries stated that they would not recognize the 2017 Constituent National Assembly (ANC).
Venezuelan presidential crisis | Background
These actions have worsened tensions and sparked violence during protests against the Maduro administration over concerns that Maduro would eliminate or significantly erode the independence of Venezuela's democratic institutions and shift the country towards one-man rule.
List of presidents of Venezuela | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999–present)
In the 1998 presidential elections, one of candidate Hugo Chávez's electoral promises was to organize a referendum asking the people if they wanted to convene a National Constituent Assembly. His first decree as president was thus to order such a referendum, which took place on 19 April. The electorate were asked two questionswhether a constituent assembly should be convened, and whether it should follow the mechanisms proposed by the president. The "yes" vote in response to these two question totalled 92% and 86%, respectively. The 1998 parliamentary elections were on 8 November 1998. There were 207 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 54 seats in the Senate.
Elections in Venezuela | 1990–1999: Later constitutions
The president is elected by a plurality vote with direct and universal suffrage for a six-year term. A president may be re-elected perpetually (only in consecutive terms) as of 15 February 2009. The president appoints the Vice President. The president decides the size and composition of the cabinet and makes appointments to it with the involvement of the National Assembly. Former ministries include the Venezuelan Ministry of Infrastructure, which became the "Ministry of Public Works and Housing" and was split into the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Housing & Habitat in June 2010. The Ministry of Popular Economy became the "Ministry of Communal Economy" in 2007, and was merged into the Ministry of Communes and Social Protection on 3 March 2009, along with the Ministry of Participation and Social Protection.
Government of Venezuela | Executive power
Following the death of former President Hugo Chávez, citizens suffered under a socioeconomic crisis under his successor, Nicolás Maduro, as rampant crime, hyperinflation and shortages diminished their quality of life as a result of American intervention. As a result of the ensuing crisis, political tensions culminated into a series of protests that occurred since 2014. As a result of discontent with the Bolivarian government, for the first time since 1999, the opposition was elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly following the 2015 parliamentary election.
2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election | Background
In April 1999, a national referendum was held, the question being whether to create an elected assembly to draw up a new Constitution of Venezuela. The result of the referendum was 71.8% in favour. Consequently, in July 1999, elections were held to choose delegates to the assembly. In these elections, Chávez's slate of candidates received 52% of the vote but won 95% of the seats, 125 of the 131 seats, due to the voting procedures decided by the government beforehand. Fifty-four per cent of the eligible electorate did not vote. The job of the assembly, which was called the "Assemblea Nacional Constituyente" (ANC), was to come up with a new constitution in six months or less.
History of Venezuela (1999–present) | New constitution
The State is autonomous and politically equal to the rest of the Federation. It organizes its administration and its public powers through the Constitution of the State of Bolivar, approved by the Legislative Council in Ciudad Bolivar on July 2, 2001.
Bolívar (state) | Politics and government
The powers were extended again on 13 July 2017 for an additional 60 days. On 15 October The Bolivarian government Great Patriotic Pole won 18 of the 23 governorships while the opposition only 5 during the 2017 Venezuelan regional elections
Presidency of Nicolás Maduro | 2017–2018
Following the 2015 National Assembly election, the lame duck National Assembly (consisting of Bolivarian officials) filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) with allies. The TSJ quickly stripped three opposition lawmakers of their seats in early 2016, citing alleged "irregularities" in elections, preventing an opposition supermajority in the National Assembly which would have been able to challenge President Maduro. The TSJ court then began to approve of multiple actions performed by Maduro and granted him more powers. In July 2016, the opposition walked out of Vatican-mediated dialogue between the Bolivarian government and the opposition, due to lack of progress towards releasing political prisoners or allowing a recall election; the opposition stated "We'll only sit down with the government again once they meet what was agreed on." In October 2016, a recall referendum against President Maduro was cancelled by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election | 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis
In 2007 the leading Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) party dissolved and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) formed as the leading government party. On 15 August 2007, PSUV founder and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez proposed an amendment to 33 articles of Venezuela's 350-article Constitution. Chávez stated that the proposed constitutional reforms were needed to complete the transition to a socialist republic and to implement his Bolivarian Revolution. The proposal was narrowly defeated by 51 to 49 percent. In 2009 a constitutional referendum resulted in the abolition of term limits for the office of President of Venezuela. The 2010 parliamentary elections took place on 26 September 2010 to elect the 165 deputies to the National Assembly.
Elections in Venezuela | 2000–present: Recent elections
On 15 January, Nicolás Maduro spoke about Wikipedia and said that the opposition was "aiming to garner political power and become president of the Wikipedia Republic, of the Twitter Republic", in reference to the edit wars that took place surrounding the appointment of Juan Guaidó as president in the midst of the presidential crisis. Maduro added "There they are with their Wikipedia and their Twitter". William Castillo, former president of the National Commission of Telecommunications (Conatel) and current deputy minister of International Communication denied the block of Wikipedia, and alleged that it was a DoS attack against the site, to discredit the Venezuelan government.
Block of Wikipedia in Venezuela | Government
Under the Maduro government, housing shortages continued to worsen. Maduro announced in 2014 that due to the shortage of steel, abandoned cars and other vehicles would be acquired by the government and melted to provide rebar for housing. In April 2014, Maduro ruled by decree that Venezuelans who owned three or more rental properties would be forced by the government to sell their rental units at a set price or they would face fines or have their property possessed by the government. By 2016, residents of government-provided housing, who were usually supporters of the government, began protesting due to the lack of utilities and food.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Housing
As of January 2020, efforts led by Guaidó to create a transitional government have been described as unsuccessful by various analysts and media networks, with Maduro continuing to control Venezuela's state institutions. On 5 January 2020, the National Assembly Delegated Committee election resulted in claimed victories by both Guaido and legislator Luis Parra as the president of National Assembly, starting another crisis in the legislative body, in addition to the presidential crisis.
Venezuelan presidential crisis | Introduction
For the 2010-2015 period the number of seats was 165. All deputies serve five-year terms. The National Assembly meets in the Federal Legislative Palace in Venezuela's capital, Caracas. In the midst of the ongoing constitutional crisis, a different body, the Constituent Assembly was elected in 2017, with the intent of re-writing the Venezuelan Constitution. From that point forward, the two legislatures have operated in parallel, with the National Assembly forming the primary opposition to president Nicolás Maduro, and with the Constituent Assembly being his primary supporters. The Constituent Assembly mandate expires on 31 December 2020, a measure that replaces the previous resolution of August 2017 that established its validity for at least two years.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | Introduction
The Venezuelan opposition says its actions are based on the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, specifically Articles 233, 333 and 350. The first paragraph of Article 233 states: "when the president-elect is absolutely absent before taking office, a new election shall take place (...) And while the president is elected and takes office, the interim president shall be the president of the National Assembly". Article 333 calls for citizens to restore and enforce the Constitution if it is not followed. Article 350 calls for citizens to "disown any regime, legislation or authority that violates democratic values, principles and guarantees or encroaches upon human rights”.
Venezuelan presidential crisis | Justification for the challenge
Following the end of the Cold War and the fall of the military dictatorships in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, social movements including labor and indigenous currents opposed the austerity and called for debt forgiveness, sometimes resulting in clashes with the state (see Caracazo and 2000 Ecuadorian coup d'état). It was in this context that Chávez and MBR-200 (as the Fifth Republic Movement) won the 1998 elections and initiated the constituent process that resulted in the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999.
Bolivarian Revolution | Background
Since the creation of the Constituent National Assembly in August 2017, the Bolivarian government has declared the 1999 constitution suspended until a new constitution is created. The Constitution of 1999 was the first constitution approved by popular referendum in Venezuelan history, and summarily inaugurated the so-called "Fifth Republic of Venezuela" due to the socioeconomic changes foretold in its pages, as well as the official change in Venezuela's name from the "República de Venezuela" ("Republic of Venezuela") to the "República Bolivariana de Venezuela" ("Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela"). Major changes are made to the structure of Venezuela's government and responsibilities, while a much greater number of human rights are enshrined in the document as guaranteed to all Venezuelansincluding free education up to tertiary level, free health care, access to a clean environment, right of minorities (especially indigenous peoples) to uphold their own traditional cultures, religions, and languages, among others.
Constitution of Venezuela | Introduction
This strong performance by the opposition led to the reduction of the legislative powers due to the judiciary's increased scope and politicization. The Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), controlled by the PSUV, invalidated three deputies' elections from the opposition; when this ruling was not accepted by the Assembly, its powers were stripped. By 2017, the old legislative body was dismissed and transformed into the New Constituent National Assembly. This was similar to the Constituent Assembly in 1999, having power to change the constitution and dismantle pre-existing officials and/or the bodies themselves. The members of the Constituent Assembly were chosen in July 2017, during elections that were largely boycotted by the opposition, which accusations of illegitimacy.
Politics of Venezuela | 2017
Conflict soon arose between the Constituent assembly and the older institutions it was supposed to reform or replace. During his 1998 presidential campaign, and in advance of the 25 July elections to the Assembly, Chávez had maintained that the new body would immediately have precedence over the existing Congress and the courts, including the power to dissolve them if it so chose. Against this, some of his opponents, including notably the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Cecilia Sosa Gomez, argued that the Constituent assembly must remain subordinate to the existing institutions until the constitution it produced had been ratified.
Constitution of Venezuela | The "judicial emergency committee"
By the time Hugo Chávez assumed the presidency in 1999, retired armed forces personnel who served with him were appointed to several cabinet posts and were given seats in the National Assembly. Chávez only allowed retired military personnel to run for elective posts at all levels as well as to serve in appointive government positions except for the Ministries of Defense and the Interior, per tradition led by active generals of the armed forces (the latter since the early 21st century). One of the advances achieved in the new Bolivarian Constitution of 1999 was to allow the right to vote in the elections to all service personnel of the armed forces without any limitation whatsoever, thus bringing it in line with other countries that allow the practice.
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela | Role of the military in Venezuelan politics
Since the opposition did not participate in the election, the incumbent Great Patriotic Pole, dominated by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, won almost all seats in the assembly by default. Maduro's allies—such as Bolivia, El Salvador, Cuba, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria—discouraged foreign intervention in Venezuelan politics and congratulated the president. The ANC was sworn in on 4 August 2017, and the next day declared itself to be the government branch with supreme power in Venezuela, banning the opposition-led National Assembly from performing actions that would interfere with the assembly while continuing to pass measures in "support and solidarity" with President Maduro, effectively stripping the National Assembly of all its powers.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Elections and protests since 2017
The atmosphere of heightened confrontation initiated by the December 2001 "paro cívico" continued into the year 2002. The opposition formed a "Coordinating group for Democracy and Freedom," later known as the Democratic Coordinator ("Coordinadora Democrática", CD) to organise joint action against the government. On 23 January, the opposition staged a massive march, which was met by a counter march by government sympathisers. On 4 February, a pro-government march was countered by opposition marches in several cities. According to economist Francisco Rodríguez, "real GDP contracted by 4.4 percent and the currency had lost more than 40 percent of its value in the first quarter of 2002 ...
History of Venezuela (1999–present) | 2002: Coup and strike/lockout
According to "El Nacional" newspaper, funding for "official propaganda" increased. 65% of the funds of the Venezuelan Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information (MINCI) were used for propaganda in 2014. A total of over 500 million bolívares were allocated as funds to MINCI. In the 2015 Venezuelan government budget, the government designated 1.8 billion Bs.F for the promotion of the supposed achievements of the Maduro administration, which was more than the 1.3 billion Bs.F designated by the Ministry of Popular Power for Interior, Justice and Peace for public safety of the most populous Venezuelan municipality, Libertador Bolívarian Municipality.
Hyperinflation in Venezuela | Bolivarian propaganda
A collapse in confidence in the existing parties led to Chávez being elected president in 1998 and the subsequent launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela. Chávez also initiated Bolivarian missions, programs aimed at helping the poor. In April 2002, Chávez was briefly ousted from power in the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt following popular demonstrations by his opponents, but he returned to power after two days as a result of demonstrations by poor Chávez supporters in Caracas and actions by the military. Chávez also remained in power after an all-out national strike that lasted from December 2002 to February 2003, including a strike/lockout in the state oil company PDVSA.
Venezuela | Hugo Chávez: 1999–2013
The government's main source of income is oil, with output "plummeting due to lack of investment, poor maintenance and neglect", from which consultant Eduardo Fortuny expects will take 12 years to recover.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Economic
On 8 August 2017, the ANC declared itself to be the government branch with supreme power in Venezuela, banning the opposition-led National Assembly from performing actions that would interfere with the assembly while continuing to pass measures in "support and solidarity" with President Maduro, effectively stripping the National Assembly of all its powers.
Next Venezuelan presidential election | Crisis in Venezuela
The Assembly convened 3 August 1999. On 12 August 1999, the new constitutional assembly voted to give themselves the power to abolish government institutions and to dismiss officials who were perceived as being corrupt or operating only in their own interests. As Jones noted, "It was a breathtaking move. To its supporters, it could force reforms that had been blocked for years by corrupt politicians and judicial authorities. To its critics, it was an overreach of power and a threat to democracy. The stage was set for a confrontation with the Supreme Court." Indeed, Chávez and his supporters had discussed dissolving both the Supreme Court and the Congress, each of which they believed to be entirely controlled by the oligarchy and the opponents of the Bolivarian movement.
1999 Constituent National Assembly | Setting up the assembly
Following the death of President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela faced a severe socioeconomic crisis during the Presidency of his successor, President Nicolás Maduro, as a result of their policies. Due to the state's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods attributed to economic policies such as strict price controls, civil insurrection in Venezuela culminated in the 2014–17 protests. Protests occurred over the years, with demonstrations occurring in various intensities depending on the crises Venezuelans were facing at the time and the perceived threat of being repressed by authorities. The discontent with the United Socialist Government saw the opposition being elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1999 following the 2015 Parliamentary Election.
2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis | Background
The members of the Constituent Assembly would not be elected in open elections, but selected from social organizations loyal to Maduro. It would also allow him to stay in power during the interregnum and skip the 2018 presidential elections, as the process would take at least two years. Many countries considered these actions a bid by Maduro to stay in power indefinitely, and over 40 countries stated that they would not recognize the 2017 Constituent National Assembly (ANC), along with supranational bodies such as the European Union, Mercosur and the Organization of American States (OAS). The Democratic Unity Roundtable—the opposition to the incumbent ruling party—boycotted the election, saying that the ANC was "a trick to keep [the incumbent ruling party] in power".
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Elections and protests since 2017
On 23 January 2019, Juan Guaidó declared himself acting president, citing clauses of the 1999 Venezuelan constitution and his majority in the National Assembly. The National Assembly has since supported Guaidó and has become part of his transitional government.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | Introduction
While Chávez was in office, his government was accused of corruption, abuse of the economy for personal gain, propaganda, buying the loyalty of the military, officials involved in drug trade, assisting terrorists such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, intimidation of the media, and human rights abuses of its citizens. Government price controls put in place in 2002 which initially aimed for reducing the prices of basic goods have caused economic problems such as inflation and shortages of basic goods. The murder rate under Chávez's administration also quadrupled during his terms in office leaving Venezuela as one of the most violent countries in the world.
Venezuelan protests (2014–present) | Bolivarian Revolution
President Hugo Chávez was first elected in December 1998 on a platform calling for a National Constituent Assembly to be convened to draft a new constitution for Venezuela. Chávez's argument was that the existing political system, under the earlier 1961 Constitution, had become isolated from the people. This won broad acceptance, particularly among Venezuela's poorest classes, who had seen a significant decline in their living standards over the previous decade and a half. The National Constituent Assembly (ANC), consisting of 131 elected individuals, convened in August 1999 to begin rewriting the constitution. In free elections, voters gave all but six seats to persons associated with the Chávez movement.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | 1999 Constitution
On July 21, 1903, in the vicinity of Ciudad Bolivar, the last battle of the Liberating Revolution was fought where the government army under the command of Juan Vicente Gómez defeated the opposition forces of General Nicolás Rolando. The defeat of the Liberating Revolution marked the end of the 19th century in Venezuela, which was characterized by political instability and great civil wars, giving way to a period of consolidation of the central government under the rule of the Andean people. The state gained more autonomy in 1989 when the first elections for governor and legislative assembly were held and the practice of appointments from the central government in Caracas was ended.
Bolívar (state) | 20th century
Following the attack, individuals injured could not receive treatment due to the shortage of medical supplies in the country and because the Bolivarian government prohibited the National Assembly from having proper medical insurance. Many asked for donations of gauze, bandages, antibiotics, antiseptics, IV solutions and painkillers.
2017 Venezuelan National Assembly attack | Shortage of medical supplies
The municipality is governed by a mayor and a council, all of whom are elected and are affiliated with a national party. The current mayor is Héctor Frontado, who was previously the mayor of neighboring municipality Mejía from 2013-17. In 2017, Cabeza was arrested and later sentenced for a corruption scheme in which his used his office as mayor to illegally obtain expensive goods.
Bolívar Municipality, Sucre | Government
During the 19th century, Venezuela suffered political turmoil and autocracy, remaining dominated by regional military dictators until the mid-20th century. Since 1958, the country has had a series of democratic governments. Economic shocks in the 1980s and 1990s led to major political crises and widespread social unrest, including the deadly Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez for embezzlement of public funds in 1993.
Venezuela | Introduction
Now they cannot even get that right". Essayist Alberto Barrera Tyszka has stated that citizens viewing state propaganda see well-fed Bolivarian officials living in "decadence", which offends the "poverty of Venezuelans” and has damaged the government's image, with the majority of Venezuelans suffering from malnutrition under Maduro's government.
Bolivarian propaganda | Introduction
At this time, the armed forces were composed of the traditional air force, army, navy and national guard. The armed services made their mark in the 1960s in stopping anti-government actions and even two rebellions from within its very own ranks. The 1970s were also marked with the Carabobo Reorganizational Plan, aimed to enhance the capability of the Army and marked an increase of regular army units and materiel. The Air Force, Navy and National Guard increased their capabilities as well with modern equipment to satisfy all those who serve. Born again under a turbulent internal and external picture for the nation is the modern National Bolivarian Armed Forces, in the midst of the economic crises of the 1980s and the subsequent military coups of the early 1990s.
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela | Fourth Republic government
In the midst of the ongoing constitutional crisis, a different body, the Constituent Assembly, was elected in 2017, with the intent of re-writing the Venezuelan Constitution. From that point forward, the two legislatures have operated in parallel, with the National Assembly forming the primary opposition to president Nicolás Maduro, and with the Constituent Assembly being his primary supporters. As of May 2019, the Constituent Assembly mandate is expected to expire on 31 December 2020, a measure that replaces the previous resolution of August 2017 that established its validity for at least two years.
2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election | Background
Article 13 states that the National Assembly's constitutional term ends on 4 January 2021. Article 14 defines the office of acting president and its timing, in accordance with Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution, as the President of the National Assembly. He writes, until "the usurpation ceases, Juan Guaidó is simultaneously President of the National Assembly and Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela"; the "thirty days begin within which Juan Guaidó must be separated from the Presidency of the National Assembly to exercise only and exclusively as Acting President (...) and proceed to adopt the necessary measures for the realization of free and competitive elections.
Statute Governing the Transition to Democracy | Transition to elections
The resulting 1999 Venezuelan Constitution was approved by referendum in December 1999, with the support of nearly 80% of the population.
1999 Constituent National Assembly | Setting up the assembly
The discontent with the Bolivarian government saw the opposition being elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly of Venezuela for the first time since 1999 following the 2015 Parliamentary Election. As a result of that election, the lame duck National Assembly consisting of Bolivarian officials filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice with their allies. Following months of unrest surrounding the recall referendum against President Maduro in 2016, on 29 March 2017 the Bolivarian Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that the National Assembly was "in a situation of contempt", because of the aforementioned rulings against the election of some of its members.
Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Venezuela) | 2017 appointment and Supreme Tribunal of Justice in exile
Against this, some of his opponents, including notably the chief justice of the supreme court, Cecilia Sosa Gomez, argued that the Constitutional Assembly must remain subordinate to the existing institutions until the constitution it produced had been ratified. In mid August 1999, the Constitutional Assembly moved to restructure the nations judiciary, giving itself the power to fire judges, seeking to expedite the investigations of corruption outstanding against what the "New York Times" estimated were nearly half of the nation's 4700 judges, clerks, and bailiffs. On 23 August, the supreme court voted 8-6 that the Assembly was not acting unconstitutionally in assuming those powers; however, the next day Cecilia Sosa Gomez resigned in protest.
History of Venezuela (1999–present) | New constitution
Following the death of President Hugo Chávez in 2013, Venezuela faced a severe socioeconomic crisis during the presidency of his successor, Nicolás Maduro. Due to the country's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods attributed primarily to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolívar and to some extent due to economic policies such as strict price controls, civil insurrection in Venezuela culminated into the 2014–18 protests. Protests occurred periodically over the years, with demonstrations occurring in various sizes depending on the events Venezuelans were facing during the crisis.After facing years of crisis, the Venezuelan opposition pursued a recall referendum against President Maduro, presenting a petition to the National Electoral Council (CNE) on 2 May 2016.
2018 Venezuelan presidential election | Background
It is composed of the Governor of the State of Bolivar and a group of State Secretaries. The Governor is elected by the people through direct and secret vote for a period of four years and with the possibility of being reelected continuously, being in charge of the state administration. The current Governor is Justo Noguera Pietri of the PSUV. Like the other 23 federal entities of Venezuela, the State maintains its own police force, which is supported and complemented by the National Police and the Venezuelan National Guard.
Bolívar (state) | Executive Power
In the beginning of 2014, 191 VN-4s existed in Venezuela. In 2014, during the 2014 Venezuelan protests, the Venezuelan government ordered 300 additional VN-4 vehicles. The VN-4 was heavily relied upon by the Bolivarian National Guard during the crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela against demonstrators who opposed the government of President Nicolas Maduro. As demonstrations strengthened during the 2017 Venezuelan protests, President Maduro hastily ordered an additional 165 VN-4s from Norinco, paying fully for the equipment which arrived only weeks after the order, with the move being criticized since the low amount of funds allocated toward goods for Venezuelans had resulted with shortages in Venezuela during the preceding years.
VN-4 | Crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela
192); under the 2009 Venezuelan constitutional referendum these term limits were removed. Deputies must be Venezuelan citizens by birth, or naturalized Venezuelans with a period of residency in excess of 15 years; older than 21 on the day of the election; and have lived in the state for which they seek election during the previous four years (Art. 188). Beyond passing legislation (and being able to block any of the president's legislative initiatives), the Assembly has a number of specific powers outlined in Article 187, including approving the budget, initiating impeachment proceedings against most government officials (including ministers and the Vice President, but not the President, who can only be removed through a recall referendum) and appointing the members of the electoral, judicial, and prosecutor's branches of government.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | Structure and powers
The government was accused of increasing the voter rolls by giving citizenship to illegal immigrants and refugees; and the opposition claimed that it was a citizenship for votes program. Voter registration increased by about 2 million people ahead of the referendum, which in effect raised the threshold of the 20% of the electorate needed to effect a recall.
History of Venezuela (1999–present) | 2003–2004: Recall vote
The 2015 parliamentary elections were held on 6 December 2015 to elect the 164 deputies and three indigenous representatives of the National Assembly. In 2014, a series of protest and demonstrations began in Venezuela, attributed to inflation, violence and shortages in Venezuela. The government has accused the protest of being motivated by fascists, opposition leaders, capitalism and foreign influence, despite being largely peaceful. President Maduro acknowledged PSUV defeat, but attributed the opposition's victory to an intensification of an economic war. Despite this, Maduro said "I will stop by hook or by crook the opposition coming to power, whatever the costs, in any way".
Venezuela | Suspension of constitutional rights
Venezuela currently shows an industrial development in the defence sector, that sector still far from compared to countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Colombia or Mexico in the region, if it has meant a noticeable advance respect to the last decade of the 20th-century Venezuelan. In the opinion of Francisco Arias Cardenas (ex – presidential candidate; former member of parliament; and current candidate for the governorship of Zulia State, by the ruling party PSUV): "in the 13 years of management of the current Government there has been an armed forces industry of its own, having the autonomy that lacked in the Fourth Republic, when transnational corporations controlled the military sector of the country.
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela | Military industry
Other American writers have also compared aspects of the crisis such as unemployment and GDP contraction to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 1992–1995 Bosnian War as well as Russia, Cuba and Albania following the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989. On 2 June 2010, Chávez declared an "economic war" due to increasing shortages in Venezuela. The crisis intensified under the Maduro government, growing more severe as a result of low oil prices in early 2015, and a drop in Venezuela's oil production from lack of maintenance and investment. The government failed to cut spending in the face of falling oil revenues, and has dealt with the crisis by denying its existence and violently repressing opposition.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Introduction
An audit of 56% of the vote showed no discrepancies, and the Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled that under Venezuela's Constitution, Nicolás Maduro is the legitimate president and was invested as such by the Venezuelan National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional). Opposition leaders and some international media consider the government of Maduro to be a dictatorship. Beginning in February 2014, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have protested over high levels of criminal violence, corruption, hyperinflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods due to policies of the federal government. Demonstrations and riots have left over 40 fatalities in the unrest between both Chavistas and opposition protesters, and has led to the arrest of opposition leaders including Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma.
Venezuela | Nicolás Maduro: 2013–present
The newly elected National Assembly, composed primarily of opposition delegates, declared a national food crisis a month later in February 2016. Many Venezuelans then began to suffer from shortages of common utilities, such as electricity and water, because of the prolonged period of mishandling and corruption under the Maduro government. By July 2016, Venezuelans desperate for food moved to the Colombian border. Over 500 women stormed past Venezuelan National Guard troops into Colombia looking for food on 6 July 2016. By 10 July 2016, Venezuela temporarily opened its borders, which had been closed since August 2015, for 12 hours. Over 35,000 Venezuelans traveled to Colombia for food within that period.
Shortages in Venezuela | Maduro administration
The number of fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants was 7.56 in 1990. The number increased to 24.44 in 2010. In 2000, 2,535,966 Venezuelans had landline telephones. By 2009, this had increased to 6,866,626. The Bolivarian government has also launched an aerospace program in cooperation with the People's Republic of China who built and launched two satellites that are currently in orbit—a communications satellite called Simón Bolívar and a remote sensing satellite called Miranda. In July 2014, President Maduro announced that a third satellite would be built by Chinese–Venezuelan bilateral cooperation.
Economy of Venezuela | Technology
On 5 January 2020, the 2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election took place to determine who would be the President of the National Assembly for the period 2020-21 period, the last election of the IV legislature. On the morning of the election, Parra announced his candidacy to the presidency of the National Assembly by surprise, against the incumbent president Juan Guaidó. Parra–who was previously barred from access to the legislative chambers–was granted access to the legislative palace while others of the opposition (to Maduro) were blocked at the entrance. Parra was joined by National Assembly deputies loyal to Maduro.
Luis Parra | Parliamentary crisis
The Court ruled that the National Assembly was "in a situation of contempt", because of the aforementioned rulings against the election of some of its members. It stripped the Assembly of legislative powers, and took those powers for itself; which meant that the Court might have been able to create laws. The court did not indicate if or when it might hand power back. A statement issued by the court however stated that it would retain the powers of the legislature until the "contempt situation persists and the National Assembly actions are invalidated". The action transferred powers from the Assembly, which had an opposition majority since January 2016, to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which has a majority of government loyalists.
2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis | Judicial events
In response, the Congress, which in July had decided to go into recess until October to avoid conflict with the Constituent assembly, declared its recess over, effective 27 August.
Constitution of Venezuela | The "judicial emergency committee"
Chávez gained popularity amid the financial turmoil and was elected president in 1998. His administration promoted a new constitution, which was approved by referendum in December 1999. The adoption of the new constitution in 1999 ended the Puntofijismo, establishing the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Republic of Venezuela | Second Caldera administration (1994-1999)
From 1810 up to the 1819 Angostura Congress that created Gran Colombia, and into the era of national independence since 1831, the National Armed Forces helped shaped the political, economical, social and national affairs of Venezuela, with so many military led-governments that led the nation until the late 1950s (with a brief break in the 1940s), several of them under strong military dictators. After Marcos Perez Jimenez left in 1958, the military role in government affairs ended with the framing of the 1961 Constitution and the replacement by civilian leaders of the military anti-Jimenez government that took power after the 1958 coup.
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela | Role of the military in Venezuelan politics
Since 2010, Venezuela has been suffering a socioeconomic crisis under Nicolás Maduro (and briefly under his predecessor, Hugo Chávez), as rampant crime, hyperinflation and shortages diminish the quality of life. As a result of discontent with the government, the opposition was elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1999 following the 2015 parliamentary election. After the election, the lame duck National Assembly—consisting of Bolivarian officials—filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the highest court in Venezuela, with Maduro allies. The tribunal stripped three opposition lawmakers of their National Assembly seats in early 2016, citing alleged "irregularities" in their elections, thereby preventing an opposition supermajority which would have been able to challenge President Maduro.
Venezuelan presidential crisis | Background
In mid August 1999, the Constituent assembly moved to restructure the nation's judiciary, claiming the power to fire judges, seeking to expedite the investigations of corruption outstanding against what the "New York Times" estimated were nearly half of the nation's 4700 judges, clerks, and bailiffs. On 23 August, the Supreme Court voted 8–6 that the Assembly was not acting unconstitutionally in assuming those powers; however, the next day Cecilia Sosa Gomez resigned in protest. Over 190 judges were eventually suspended on charges of corruption. On 25 August, the Constituent assembly declared a "legislative emergency," voting to limit the Congress's work to matters such as supervising the budget and communications.
Constitution of Venezuela | The "judicial emergency committee"
Following the elections where the opposition only won five of twenty-three governorships, disillusionment with the opposition movement grew, especially after four of five opposition governors elected belonging to Democratic Action decided to be sworn in under the Bolivarian government-led National Constituent Assembly despite promises to never recognize the body.
2017 Venezuelan regional elections | Aftermath
On 22 May, the Republican Moral Council – which the opposition hoped would establish proceedings against TSJ judges – shared their approval of the National Constitutional Assembly despite the absence of Attorney General Ortega, with Ombudsman Tarek William Saab stating that "The call to the National Constituent Assembly is a constitutional exit to the political situation that the country is living, in order to foster dialogue and coexistence of the country". The next day on 23 May, Danilo Antonio Mojica Monsalvo, the magistrate of the Social Cassation Chamber of the TSJ announced his disagreement with President Maduro's Constitutional Assembly, stating that without a popular referendum voting on the assembly, the move would be "spurious ...
2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis | Approval
Throughout much of the twentieth century, Venezuela was beset by political, civil and military unrest. After Juan Vicente Gómez's long reign as president ended in 1935, a series of military rulers followed, concluding with Marcos Pérez Jiménez's overthrow by general uprising in 1958. Although the military remained influential, Venezuela's government has since been chosen by civilians through democratic processes. Until 1998, the dominant political parties were Acción Democrática and COPEI, who shared seven presidencies between them. In 1989, during the second term in office for Acción Democrática's Carlos Andrés Pérez, Venezuela was hit by a severe economic crisis. A wave of protests known as the "Caracazo" engulfed the country and dozens were killed in rioting.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (film) | Background
In 2009, a constitutional referendum approved the elimination of term limits, which allowed Chávez to be re-elected again in 2012. However, Chávez died in March 2013, only three months into his fourth term, and was succeeded by his Vice President Nicolás Maduro, who was elected the following month to finish Chávez's term, enforcing the majority of Chávez's economic policies. Under Maduro, Venezuela has seen a rise in unemployment, shortages of goods, closures of several corporations, and the deterioration of productivity. Maduro – who has seen a sharp decline in his approval ratings in correlation to the economic collapse, and was the subject of a 2016 recall referendum to remove him from office that was later suspended – has been criticized for what opponents consider to be him backsliding the country towards a full-fledged authoritarian regime; this led to an ongoing constitutional crisis stemming from a March 2017 ruling by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (whose members largely consist of Maduro supporters) that removed immunity for National Assembly members (including those opposing Maduro), which subsequently made a brief assumption of legislative powers from the Assembly, and the Constituent Assembly election, which resulted in the formation of a Constituent Assembly intended to rewrite the 1999 constitution.
List of presidents of Venezuela | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999–present)
Protests since then have continued, especially due to controversies surrounding the recall movement and the continued socioeconomic hardships Venezuelans face on a daily basis.
Presidency of Nicolás Maduro | 2014–present: Venezuelan protests
Following the death of President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela faced a severe socioeconomic crisis during the Presidency of his successor Nicolás Maduro, as a result of their policies. Due to the state's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods attributed to economic policies such as strict price controls, civil insurrection in Venezuela culminated in the 2014–17 protests. Protests occurred over the years, with demonstrations occurring in various intensities depending on the crises Venezuelans were facing at the time and the perceived threat of being repressed by authorities. The discontent with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela saw the opposition being elected to hold the majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1999 following the 2015 Parliamentary Election.
Lima Group | Background
A series of demonstrations in March and April calling for the resignation of President Carlos Andrés Pérez and the restoration of constitutional guarantees were met with state violence including indiscriminate police firing into crowds, with a total of 13 deaths. A number of members of the press covering the protests were severely injured by police. Although participants in the February coup attempt were tried under the regular military justice system, in response to the November coup attempt the government created ad hoc courts based on the 1938 legal code of Eleazar López Contreras, drawn up twenty years before the transition to democracy.
Human rights in Venezuela | 1990s
The session was moved to El Hatillo Municipality in Caracas. Diosdado Cabello, president of Constituent National Assembly, a different legislative body, congratulated colectivos for "defending these spaces belonging to the Bolivarian Revolution.” Opposition deputies were denied entry to parliament for a third time by security forces and colectivos on 21 January. Guaidó's headquarters were raided afterwards by intelligence SEBIN forces. The same day, an opposition deputy, Ismael León, was arrested by Venezuelan special police forces FAES, according to members of Popular Will. FAES operations usually focus on poor neighborhoods and the squad was accused of carrying out thousands of extrajudicial killings by the United Nations.
2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election | Disrupted sessions and attacks on deputies
Fedecámaras began to distance itself from Chávez whilst the new Constitution of 1999 was being drafted. Pedro Carmona indicates that the lack of dialogue between the government and businessmen during the constitutional process caused general discomfort in the business industry. Carmona thinks that the Constitution's specific points that irritated businesses are changing the nature of the armed forces to no longer be up for discussion or with public deliberation; the power granted to the president in terms of military promotions; the elimination of the bicameral Congress; the strengthening of presidential powers and the extension of the presidential term to six years with the possibility of immediate re-election; the loss of the balance between the ministers and chambers; indigenous rights disproportionate to the Venezuelan reality; and the reaffirmation of a national ideology promoting statism and interventionism, which would limit individual and economic liberties.
Negotiations during the Venezuelan crisis | Negotiations between businesses, trade union and the government in 2002
The basis for its public law is the 1999 Constitution. The 1999 Constitution made significant changes to the separation of powers. Instead of the usual three branches of government, the new Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has five: The electoral branch is headed by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and is responsible for the independent oversight of all municipal, state, and federal elections in the country. The citizens' branch is constituted by the "(defensor del pueblo)" (ombudsman or "defender of the people"), the Chief Public Prosecutor "(fiscal general)", and the comptroller general "(contralor general)". It is responsible for representing and defending the citizens in their dealings with powers of the Venezuelan state.
Law of Venezuela | Public law
Omar Enrique Barboza Gutiérrez (born 27 July 1944) is the president of the Venezuelan political party "Un Nuevo Tiempo" ("A New Era"), in opposition to Nicolás Maduro. In February 2009 a constitutional amendment to remove term limits on public offices in Venezuela was approved by 54% of voters in the 2009 Venezuelan constitutional referendum. Barboza said "We're democrats. We accept the results," to The Associated Press, but claimed that the results were skewed by Hugo Chávez's broad use of state resources to win the vote, through state-run news media, political pressure on 2 million public employees and frequent presidential speeches ("cadenas") which all television stations in Venezuela are required to air, and added that "Effectively this will become a dictatorship."
Omar Barboza | Introduction
The following days after the recall movement was cancelled, 1.2 million Venezuelans protested throughout the country against the move and demanded President Maduro to leave office. Protests in Caracas remained relatively calm while protests in other states resulted in clashes between demonstrators and authorities, leaving one policeman dead, 120 injured and 147 arrested. That day, the opposition gave President Maduro a deadline of November 4, 2016 to hold elections, with opposition leader Henrique Capriles stating, "today we are giving a deadline to the government. I tell the coward who is in Miraflores ... that on November 3, the Venezuelan people are coming to Caracas because we are going to Miraflores".
2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election | 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis
On 29 March 2017, the Supreme Court (TSJ) stripped the Assembly of its powers, ruling that all powers would be transferred to the Supreme Court. The previous year the court found the assembly in contempt for swearing in legislators whose elections had been deemed invalid by the court. The 2017 court judgement declared that the "situation of contempt" meant that the assembly could not exercise its powers. The action transferred powers from the Assembly, which had an opposition majority since January 2016, to the Supreme Court, which has a majority of government loyalists. The move was denounced by the opposition with Assembly President Julio Borges describing the action as a coup d'état by President Nicolás Maduro.
National Assembly (Venezuela) | 2017 constitutional crisis
However, the years that followed saw 2 coup attempts by military personnel with the help of groups disillusioned by government policies in the 1960s, and military repressions of student and civil rallies and actions from the late 60s onward, all these happening while fighting rebel groups present in the national territory and on the Venezuelan-Colombian border region. All these led up to the events of the 1989 Caracazo, in which National Guardsmen crushed anti-government actions and riots in the capital area with great severity, causing the deaths of hundreds, which in turn resulted in the coup attempts of 1992 and 1993.
National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela | Role of the military in Venezuelan politics
Graduated with honors from the faculty of law of the Central University of Venezuela, Escarrá was previously a member of the COPEI party. After the victory of Hugo Chávez in the 1998 elections, he became a member of the 1999 Constituent National Assembly representing the Fifth Republic Movement. Unlike his brother Carlos Escarrá, who was a militant of the ruling party, Escarrá strongly criticized Chavez in the coming years, filing appeals in the Supreme Tribunal of Justice against the president's actions, calling to ignore the government in December 2007 with a march no return to Miraflores, calling for an indefinite strike as parliamentarian after the expropriations in the South of the Lake of 2010 and describing in 2010 the Communes Law and the Communal Parliament as "a coup d'etat to the Constitution."
Hermann Escarrá | Education and opposition to Bolivarian government
On 8 August 2017, the Constituent Assembly declared itself to be the government branch with supreme power in Venezuela, banning the opposition-led National Assembly from performing actions that would interfere with the assembly while continuing to pass measures in "support and solidarity" with President Maduro. On 18 August 2017, the Constituent Assembly gave itself the power to pass legislation and override the National Assembly on issues concerning “preservation of peace, security, sovereignty, the socio-economic and financial system” and then stripped the National Assembly of its legislative powers the following day. The opposition-led National Assembly responded, stating it would not recognize the Constituent Assembly.
Members of the 2017 National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela | Introduction
In a 2D press conference opposing the 2009 Venezuelan constitutional referendum, President Hugo Chávez was compared to Juan Vicente Gómez, the Venezuelan dictator of the 1920s and 1930s, and 2D's Pablo Medina said Venezuela would become a dictatorship if it was approved. The referendum to remove term limits from all public offices was approved. In June 2010 2D criticised the government takeover of Banco Federal. In mid-August 2010, in the run-up to the parliamentary election, after "El Nacional" published in its frontpage publication a graphic archival photo of bodies in a morgue, to illustrate a story about rising crime rates, the government banned the publications, sparking international outcry.
Movimiento 2D | Introduction
On 29 March 2017, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela took over legislative powers of the National Assembly. The Tribunal, mainly supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, also restricted the immunity granted to the Assembly's members, who mostly belonged to the opposition. The dissolution was considered by the opposition to be a "coup" while the Organization of American States (OAS) termed the action a "self-coup". The decision was condemned by some media outlets with analysts characterizing the move as a turn towards authoritarianism and one-man rule. Politicians throughout the Americas, as well as leaders from the United Nations, expressed concern with the decision and demanded its reversal, though the Venezuelan government stated no coup had taken place and instead justified its decision as a reaction to "coup-like actions" allegedly performed by the opposition.
2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis | Introduction
Returning to Venezuela in 1898, that year Villegas Pulido headed of government of the state of Falcón. Afterwards, from 1900 until 1901 he led the government of the state of Guárico, followed by the state of Apure from 1903 until 1904. He was also appointed Attorney General of Venezuela in 1899, holding the role until 1909. From 1906 until 1907, he was Consul of Venezuela in the island of Trinidad, and in 1909 he served as president of the chamber of deputies (cámara de diputados). In 1912, he started a 22-year term as interim president of the Order of the Liberator (Orden del Libertador) that lasted until 1934.
Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido | 1898-1949: State and federal positions
On March 29, 2017, in a surprising move, the TSJ declared it was taking over the legislative powers of Assembly for "as long as the contempt situation persists". The Tribunal, mainly supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, also restricted the immunity granted to the Assembly's members, who mostly belonged to the opposition. The dissolution was termed as a "coup" by the opposition while the Organization of American States (OAS) termed the action as a "self-coup". The decision was condemned by some media outlets with analysts characterizing the move as a turn towards authoritarianism and one-man rule. On April 1, 2017, the TSJ reversed its decision, thereby reinstating the powers of the National Assembly.
2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election | 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis
When the State of Venezuela became independent from Gran Colombia, the office of the president was restored under José Antonio Páez. Every head of state of Venezuela since then has held the title of president. As of July 2020, the Venezuelan presidential crisis is unresolved and who holds the office is disputed since 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority National Assembly declared that incumbent Nicolás Maduro's 2018 re-election was invalid and the body declared its president, Juan Guaidó, to be acting president of the country.
President of Venezuela | Introduction
The Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution is an ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis that began in Venezuela on 2 June 2010 during the presidency of Hugo Chávez and continues into the presidency of Nicolás Maduro. It is marked by hyperinflation, escalating starvation, disease, crime and mortality rates, resulting in massive emigration from the country. According to economists interviewed by "The New York Times", the situation is the worst economic crisis in Venezuela's history and the worst facing a country in peace time since the mid-20th century and is more severe than that of the United States during the Great Depression, of the 1985–1994 Brazilian economic crisis, or of the 2008–2009 hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution | Introduction