Millions of Venezuelans vote to reject plan for contitutional rewrite News
Millions of Venezuelans vote to reject plan for contitutional rewrite

Millions of Venezuelans voted on Sunday to reject President Nicolás Maduro’s plan to rewrite the nation’s constitution. The non-binding referendum was organized [NPR report] by the country’s opposition activists. More than 7 million individuals, roughly one-third of Venezuela’s registered voters, took part with over 98 percent rejecting Maduro’s plan [JURIST report]. Many have accused the efforts for a constitutional rewrite to be undemocratic and a way to suppress the months of anti-government protests against Maduro’s presidency. Maduro states [Miami Herald report] that the new assembly, which would elect 527 members, is the only solution to bring an end to the anti-government protests that have brought significant violence to the country. Many government supporters peacefully boycotted Sunday’s vote but several men on motorbikes, described by the opposition as “members of a parliamentary,” opened fire on a polling station in Caracas, injuring three and killing a 61-year-old nurse. The government has refused to recognize the vote as legal and will go forward with plans to hold an election on July 30 to select delegates for a special assembly that will be responsible for rewriting the 18-year-old constitution.

Venezuela has faced significant political unrest since the opposition gained control of the National Assembly in December 2015. In May the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions [JURIST report] against Venezuelan Supreme Court justices for usurping democracy. In October the National Assembly voted to open criminal impeachment [JURIST report] proceedings against Maduro, alleging that he manipulated the constitution to remain in power. That same month the Assembly also declared [JURIST report] that there was a breakdown of constitutional order and that the government had staged a coup by blocking an attempt to remove Maduro from power. Instability peaked on March 30 when the Supreme Court of Venezuela dissolved [JURIST report] the opposition-controlled National Assembly and assumed all legislative powers.

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