2017 Constituent National Assembly

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Constituent National Assembly
Asamblea Nacional Constituyente
120px
Type
Type
Leadership
President
First Vice-President
Second Vice-President
Structure
Seats 545
265px
Political groups
      Great Patriotic Pole and pro-government independents[needs copy edit] (545)[1][2]
Meeting place
PalacioLegislativo2 fixed.jpg
Palacio Federal Legislativo, Caracas

The Constituent National Assembly —Spanish: Asamblea Nacional Constituyente (ANC)— is a constituent assembly elected in 2017 to draft a new constitution for Venezuela. The assembly also has constitutional supreme power above all other institutions in the republic.[lower-alpha 1] Its members were elected in a special 2017 election that was criticized by various parties internationally, with over forty countries condemning its creation.[4][5] The Democratic Unity Roundtable—the opposition to the incumbent ruling party—also boycotted the election claiming that the Constituent Assembly was "a trick to keep [the incumbent ruling party] in power."[6] Since the opposition did not participate in the election, the incumbent Great Patriotic Pole won almost all seats in the assembly by default.[7][8][9]

After the assembly was elected, the body convened for the first time on 4 August 2017, despite criticism from the aforementioned parties and from the regional trade bloc Mercosur.[5][10] As part of it first acts, the assembly elected former Foreign Minister and Minister of Communication Delcy Rodríguez as its president and former Vice Presidents of the Republic Aristobulo Isturiz and Isaías Rodríguez as its vice-presidents.[11]

Members

File:Venezuelan Constituent Assembly - Nicolás Maduro Guerra.jpg
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of President Nicolás Maduro, beside Carmen Meléndez during a session

Presidential Commission

Member Party Previous position in Bolivarian Government
Elías Jaua PSUV Minister of Education
Diosdado Cabello PSUV Former President of the National Assembly and deputy
Adán Chávez PSUV Minister of Culture
Isaías Rodríguez PSUV Venezuelan Ambassador to Italy
Aristóbulo Istúriz PSUV Minister of People's Power for the Communes and Social Movements
Hermann Escarrá PSUV Government Advisor and Constitutionalist Advocate
Earle Herrera PSUV National Assembly deputy
Iris Varela PSUV Minister of People's Power for the Venezuelan Penitentiary Service
Noelí Pocaterra PSUV Secretary of Indigenous Peoples and Communities of Zulia
Cilia Flores PSUV National Assembly deputy, First Lady of Venezuela
Delcy Rodríguez PSUV Minister of Foreign Affairs
Francisco Ameliach PSUV Governor of Carabobo

Others

Other members include:

Actions

File:2017 Constituent Assembly of Venezuela - Salon Eliptico.jpg
The Constituent Assembly's first meeting in the Salon Eliptico of the Federal Legislative Palace.

Prior to assembling at the Federal Legislative Palace, members of the National Constituent Assembly carried large portraits of Hugo Chávez and Simón Bolívar, placing them in the palace to show support for the Bolivarian government.[13] Assembly President Delcy Rodríguez also declared that the new assembly would commence work on 5 August 2017.[11][10]

Removal of government opposition

The Assembly voted on its first day of work to remove the nation's Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Díaz and named Tarek William Saab as her replacement.[14]

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President Hugo Chávez told us that as long as imperialism existed, the Bolivarian Revolution would always be threatened, that is why we must achieve political hegemony, which is not a dictatorial hegemony, but to create awareness.

Aristobulo Isturiz, Vice President of ANC[15]

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.[16]

File:Venezuelan Constituent Assembly - Chávez eyes.jpg
Fidel Vasquez reading from a folder with Chávez eyes, a common Bolivarian propaganda tactic, during a Constituent Assembly session.

Tarek William Saab, the Chief Prosecutor appointed by the Constituent Assembly, announced on 16 August 2017 that former Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Díaz and her husband, German Ferrer, operated an extortion group and a day later, the Constituent Assembly ordered for their arrest with the couple fleeing to Colombia.[17] Ortega and Ferrer fled from Venezuela by speedboat to Aruba and flew into Colombia, with Ortega stating that the Bolivarian government would "deprive me of my life".[18]

On 18 August 2017, the 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” [19] and then stripped the National Assembly of its legislative powers the following day.[20] The opposition-led National Assembly responded, stating it would not recognize the Constituent Assembly.[21]

Recognition

File:2017 Constituent Assembly of Venezuela recognition map.png
Map of countries who recognize ANC
     Venezuela      Approve      Disapprove      Neutral

Over 40 countries stated that they would not recognize the National Constituent Assembly.[4] The European Union[22] and the Holy See[23][24] have also not recognized the legitimacy of the assembly.

President Nicolás Maduro's allies — such as Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria[25][26][27] — discouraged foreign intervention in Venezuelan politics and congratulated the president and recognized the results of the election.[28][29][30]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ According to the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela, "The existing constituted authorities shall not be permitted to obstruct the Constituent Assembly in any way".[3]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Article 349 of the Constitution of Venezuela Constitution of Venezuela (April 19)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article165394067.html
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    [1]
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKCN1AY1VM
  20. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/19/venezuela-crisis-deepens-maduro-strips-opposition-held-parliament-power
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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