Venezuela’s bishops call on Maduro to cancel plans for new constitution

July 11, 2017

The bishops of Venezuela have called upon President Nicolás Maduro to respect the independence of lawmakers and cancel the planned July 30 election for a “Constitutional Assembly” that would draft a new constitution.

In 2015 parliamentary elections, opposition lawmakers gained a 109-55 majority in the National Assembly—the first time since 1999 that the party of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, became a minority party.

In March 2017, the pro-Maduro Supreme Tribunal of Justice stripped the National Assembly of its powers. The Tribunal reversed its decision following a wave of protests.

In May, Maduro called for a new constitution and announced the July 30 election, which the opposition has decided to boycott.

 

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Further information:

• Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana envía carta al Presidente Maduro solicitando el retiro de la convocatoria de la Asamblea Nacional Constituyente (CEV)
• Venezuela enters crucial week in battle over constitution rewrite (AFP)