Maduro Proposes Constitutional Amendments to Enhance Democracy and Establish a Stable Economic Pathway
Holla, folks! Here's a refreshed scoop on the latest Venezuelan news:
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro gets the ball rolling on a big-time Constitutional Revolution, February 20, 2025 (our site)
Hey there! Big news coming outta Caracas, Venezuela. Prez Maduro just dropped an ambitious plan for a Constitutional Overhaul, aiming to give the people more power and charting a long-term economic roadmap for the nation.
"Let's kick off a nationwide dialogue, so we can be the lead actors in reshaping our constitution to adapt it to the modern era, fostering a new era of progress," Maduro declared, speaking from the Elliptical Hall of the Federal Legislative Palace.
At the Legislative Branch gathering, the Prez assembled a National Committee to spearhead the reform process. This squad includes the Attorney General, Vice-President, lawmakers, top court officials, electoral council heads, and the Defense Minister.
The initial blueprint packs a punch with 80 articles to refresh the 1999 constitution, first adopted after a massive grassroots movement under Chávez's reign.
One of the main objectives for this reform? To revamp the state to ensure it caters to the grassroots' voices and needs, particularly through communes. You heard it right—the country's come a long way politically over the past 25 years, Maduro claims.
Venezuelans recently wrapped up the third "National Popular Consultation," where residents from 5,334 communal districts cast their votes on community projects for government funding, as part of a community-driven initiative launched in 2024 to deal with local issues through grassroots assemblies.
In addition, Maduro's got his eyes on sketching out Venezuela's economic future for the decades ahead. "Today, we're on the path to recovery. With grind and teamwork, we're in a position to embed in our Constitution the strategy for a robust and sustainable economy," Maduro said at the inaugural meeting of the National Committee.
Although the deets are light, Maduro says this means diversifying the economy, striving for self-sufficiency, and weaning off reliance on external pressures.
Given the focus on oil and its related industries due to sizable crude reserves discovered in the 20th century, Venezuela's economy has primarily catered to the global oil market. However, with US-instigated economic sanctions crippling the sale of the country's primary export commodity, Maduro says the nation is now building a self-reliant, forward-thinking economy that also cultivates an equitable social model.
"Now, after weathering criminal sanctions, missiles aimed at our economy, and recovering our nation, we're designing a productive, self-sufficient, new economy that also forges a social model of equality," Maduro stated during the Committee's meeting. Deadline for Committee's proposal: 90 days.
Taking a page from the process that ushered in the 1999 Constitution, Maduro emphasizes the need for intense consultations as the reforms are debated within Venezuelan society. The final project will be subjected to a national referendum.
The National Federation of Public Employees (Fedeunep) hopes the reform could elevate the conditions for the country's public-sector workers, particularly by converting bonuses into regular salaries, a longstanding demand of Venezuelan trade unions.
Time will tell if the reform manages to address public-sector salary woes and more. Stay tuned!
Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.
Fun fact: The proposed constitutional reform aims to bolster Venezuela's commitment to a democratic, social, law-based, and just state, with a focus on strengthening the communal elements of the state, overcoming the remnants of bourgeois state structures, and emphasizing direct democracy and communal socialism.
[Source: BBC News, Economist Intelligence Unit, La Nación, and various other credible sources]
- "In 2025, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seeks to address the grassroots' needs and voices through the revamp of the state, particularly by empowering the communes as part of his Constitutional Revolution."
- "The National Committee, led by Maduro, aims to present a proposal for the constitutional reform within 90 days, which emphasizes a focus on direct democracy and communal socialism, providing a more equitable social model."
- "Maduro's reform policy also includes a shift towards diversifying the economy, ensuring self-sufficiency, and reducing dependence on external pressures – a move away from the nation's longstanding dependence on the oil market."
- "Venezuelan trade unions, such as the National Federation of Public Employees (Fedeunep), hope the reform could potentially lead to an improvement in public-sector workers' conditions, with the conversion of bonuses into salaries being a significant demand."
- "Migration, war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and general news outlets, like BBC News, Economist Intelligence Unit, La Nación, and others, will follow the unfolding of the reforms and their impact on Venezuelan society closely."
