It will go down in history as the only National Constituent Assembly (ANC) unable to draft a Constitution in three years and submit it to be approved by the people
On July 30, 2017, the dictatorship called for elections for a National Constituent Assembly. Two months earlier, on May 1, Nicolás Maduro announced that elections would be called for that purpose. The fraud was organized in such a short time there were no conditions for credible and inclusive elections with the participation of the diverse organizations of the country’s political spectrum.
A call that is contrary to the Constitution. The ANC was neither consulted nor summoned by the Venezuelan people as the depositary of the original constituent power. Article 347 of the Constitution establishes that “the people is the depositary of the original constituent power” therefore, “in the exercise of the aforementioned power, a National Constituent Assembly may be convened.” However, Nicolás Maduro called for elections without consulting the Venezuelan people whether or not they wanted to change the current Constitution for a “new” one.
But the interest of the dictatorship was different. It was neither the participation of the people nor the drafting of a new Constitution. In three years, the ANC’s 545 members, all of whom support the dictatorship, have not drafted a new Constitution. The ANC has only served as an instrument to strengthen social control and promote repression. Besides, it assumed a legislative competence that does not belong to it.
Thus, the ANC has illegally enacted several laws in the economic area and the Law Against Hate and for Peaceful Coexistence; It also appointed the president of the Central Bank of Venezuela, the Attorney General, and the Ombudsman, in contravention to the constitutional mandate.
It removed governors, stole the popular will from the voters of Zulia by appointing a governor, and stripped several members of Parliament of their immunity. Julio Borges, Juan Requesens, Édgar Zambrano Richard Blanco, Luis Florido, Mariela Magallanes, Américo De Grazzia Juan Andrés Mejía, Freddy Superlano, and Sergio Vergara are some of the parliamentarians who have suffered persecution.
The Constituent Assembly has only been a political instrument of the dictatorship to undermine the rule of law and the institutions in the country. A great blow to the already weak institutionality of the country. A major defeat to Venezuela.
In May 2019, the ANC extended its mandate until December 31, 2020. In other words, it has five months left. Possibly, they will extend their mandate again, and Venezuelans will be forced to support (with their national government budget) more than 500 people who get paid for doing nothing. Not a single bolivar of their earnings has been accounted for.
For the good of the country, the ANC must come to an end in December. Keeping it alive is just a factor of disturbance that contributes nothing to move on to a peaceful and constitutional solution to the crisis in the country.
Nothing good can be expected from an institution that has been used to persecute dissidents, endorse human rights violations perpetrated by Maduro and his cronies, strengthen the opacity in the public management, and contribute to the development of economic measures that generate misery and suffering.
It will go down in history as the only National Constituent Assembly unable to draft a Constitution in three years and submit it to the people for its approval.
Translated by: José Rafael Medina
