Venezuela: the Constituent Assembly to cease its activity in December

The Constituent Assembly of Venezuela will cease its activity next December after the legislative elections, announced Monday the President Nicolás Maduro during a video conference.

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Elected in 2017 and composed only of supporters of the Chavist power led by Mr. Maduro, the Constituent Assembly has de facto assumed the prerogatives of the unicameral Parliament, the only Venezuelan institution controlled by the opposition. “ The National Constituent Assembly will operate until December. She decided so, ”Maduro said during a videoconference by the ruling party, the PSUV.

Since his election in July 2017 amid massive protest demonstrations that left more than 100 dead, the Constituent Assembly has operated through decree-laws of immediate application.

It is considered illegal by opponents of Chavist power and is not recognized by the United States or by several Latin American countries. The Constituent Assembly was supposed to draft a new constitution, but the authorities have not announced anything about it. The government has called for December 6 legislative elections that the main opposition parties have decided to boycott.

Fraudulent elections for the opposition

These parties consider these elections to be fraudulent in advance, in particular because the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), acquired by Chavist power, has appointed new officials to the electoral commission while such an appointment is a prerogative of Parliament.

The United States has already announced that it will not recognize the results of the December 6 election. The European Union asked that they be postponed, considering that the conditions for a “ transparent ” and “ fair ” ballot were not met. Thirty countries called in a joint declaration published Friday the creation in Venezuela of a " transitional government " which would lead to " a free and fair presidential election as soon as possible ".

The majority opposition in Parliament considers the presence in power of Nicolás Maduro illegitimate, as they believe that his re-election to the presidency in 2018 was marked by fraud. Opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in January 2019. He is recognized as such by some fifty countries including the United States, which qualify Mr. Maduro as a dictator and openly wish his fall.