[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJxLzSvJLKmMT81NSk3RT04sKMnMz9Mpy0wtL9YHk3qJWYkVKAK5-SmlOakAd1UWCw","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306478__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"306478","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/306478","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306478__en","pager_element":0}}},"csp":{"nonce":"yHvJ81qxIOZPDnDxTaeQSQ"},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"bc8921424f39d39c64af84232b603fadae46f840a8176c1b2436a5ee00791ac5"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_HCfr0lzo7HQ-MgzYx39OPwgqfYmsqICp4LFrh3vrL_o.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNFLzEqs0EnNK8ksqYxPzU1KTdFPTiwoyczP0ynLTC0v1geTern5KaU5qQBrXRXg"}]},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_etONgG3JxjDwiHY11qPAg2i3oSFT2wM8lbQ3ZR0EtEw.js?scope=footer\u0026delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFQA22wZe"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306478__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306478__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EOn May 1, President Maduro \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B4OwyO0jhEmudG00MmdtRVNTN2c\/view\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E that he would convoke by decree a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution, and created a presidential commission made up of government officials to determine how the process would be carried out.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOn May 23, Maduro issued another \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mp.gob.ve\/c\/document_library\/get_file?p_l_id=14851149\u0026amp;folderId=16268491\u0026amp;name=DLFE-15259.pdf\u0022\u003Edecree\u003C\/a\u003E outlining the composition of the Constituent Assembly. It states that 364 of its members would be elected as representatives of specific areas of the country (\u201cterritorial representation\u201d), eight would represent indigenous communities, and the rest would be elected to represent specific groups (\u201csectorial representation\u201d). There are seven \u201csectors\u201d that would be represented by this last group, according to the decree: fishermen and peasants, people with disabilities, business people, pensioned people, students, workers, and members of communal councils. A total of 174 representatives would be chosen from these sectors, according to electoral rules later adopted by the National Electoral Council. The decree also states that the Constituent Assembly will start its work 72 hours after its members are elected, and that they would meet where the National Assembly currently sits. It establishes no rules regarding how it will operate and sets no limits on how long it may take to draft the new constitution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOn May 31, the Supreme Court, which has entirely ceased to function as an independent check on presidential power, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/TSJ_Venezuela\/status\/869952063127662592\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0026amp;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telesurtv.net%2Fnews%2FTSJ-Ejecutivo-venezolano-facultado-para-llamar-a-Constituyente-20170531-0041.html\u0022\u003Eupheld\u003C\/a\u003E Maduro\u2019s proposal. It later \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.telesurtv.net\/news\/TSJ-Ejecutivo-venezolano-facultado-para-llamar-a-Constituyente-20170531-0041.html\u0022\u003Evalidated\u003C\/a\u003E the rules to elect members to the Constituent Assembly, and rejected challenges to the whole process filed by Attorney General Luisa Ortega, who has recently become a vocal government critic.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFaced with strong criticism regarding the lack of popular participation in the decision to draft a new constitution, on June 4, Maduro published yet another \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/350820952\/Gaceta-Extraordinaria-N-6-303\u0022\u003Edecree\u003C\/a\u003E, \u201ccalling on\u201d the Constituent Assembly to organize a popular referendum to approve the new Constitution when it is finished.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESoon after, the National Electoral Council\u2019s president \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=McP2mV4kr_Q\u0022\u003Esaid\u003C\/a\u003E that the elections to choose Constituent Assembly members will take place on July 30.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral Venezuelan constitutional law experts have criticized Maduro\u2019s initiative, arguing that the current constitution (article 347) only allows the Venezuelan people to decide if they want to convoke a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution. Although the constitution allows the president and other authorities to propose such a measure (article 348), they agree that such proposal should be subject to popular approval before it is implemented.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOpponents of Maduro\u2019s plan have also put forward a range of other serious concerns. The \u201csectoral representation,\u201d critics say, reflects an essentially arbitrary choice of groups to represent. Critics argue that because the \u201cterritorial representation\u201d component is based on a fixed number of representatives per municipality, independently of how many people live in it, it gives larger weight to the vote of those who live in rural areas. People living in many rural areas have traditionally supported the Maduro administration, while opposition to the government is generally quite widespread in urban areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, the broad powers granted to the Constituent Assembly\u2014for an indeterminate amount of time\u2014could open the door to actions that go far beyond the drafting of a new Constitution. In fact, the powerful Chavista politician Diosdado Cabello has already warned that the Constituent Assembly could \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.el-nacional.com\/noticias\/gobierno\/cabello-dijo-que-constituyente-podra-allanar-inmunidad-parlamentaria_185490\u0022\u003Eeliminate\u003C\/a\u003E parliamentary immunity and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/vtv.gob.ve\/activacion-de-la-constituyente-puede-destituir-a-la-fiscal-para-garantizar-justicia-afirmo-diosdado-cabello\/\u0022\u003Eremove\u003C\/a\u003E the attorney general. The Constituent Assembly could also indefinitely suspend elections for governors\u2014which were supposed to take place in 2016 and are now scheduled for December 2017\u2014, for other local authorities\u2014that should take place in 2017\u2014and presidential elections, which should take place in 2018.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a recent poll, approximately 85 percent of Venezuelans oppose the Constituent Assembly proposal, press \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lta.reuters.com\/article\/topNews\/idLTAKBN1910MS-OUSLT\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E say. The opposition, which will not participate in the proposed Constituent Assembly, is organizing an unofficial rally to be held on July 16, in which Venezuelans in Venezuela and abroad can cast symbolic votes on the government\u2019s proposal.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tOn July 11, the president of the National Electoral Council announced that they are organizing electoral events until July 22 to provide information on the Constituent Assembly vote on July 30, and called on people to attend their events specifically on July 16, according to press \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.el-nacional.com\/noticias\/politica\/cne-realizara-ferias-electorales-16-j_192342\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E. On the same day, the government official party \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.telesurtv.net\/news\/Introducen-recurso-contra-plebiscito-de-oposicion-venezolana-20170711-0022.html);\u0022\u003Efiled\u003C\/a\u003E a legal challenge against the July 16 rally organized by the opposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOn July 12, the Forum for Life, a network of Venezuelan human rights groups, issued a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/espaciopublico.ong\/foro-la-vida-exige-garantias-seguridad-la-consulta-soberana-16j\/\u0022\u003Estatement\u003C\/a\u003E opposing government threats to fire officials who participate in the July 16 vote, and urging Venezuelan authorities to adopt all necessary measures to protect the life, physical integrity and other rights of Venezuelans who wish to participate.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s a good paper by constitutional law expert Carlos Ayala on the Constituent Assembly process, and a radio interview he recently gave on this topic:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-block-content embedded-entity-bundle-block-hrw-related-content embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022 xmlns:xlink=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n \n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022related-content border-t-4 border-red-800 pt-10\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch2 class=\u0022related-content__title font-medium text-lg pb-5 md:text-2xl\u0022\u003ERelated Content\u003C\/h2\u003E\n \u003Cul class=\u0022related-content__list border-gray-200 border-b pb-10\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022related-link flex py-1\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/supporting_resources\/anc_2017_ayala.pdf\u0022 class=\u0022related-link__type-icon text-sm md:text-base lg:text-lg font-sans font-medium py-1\u0022 title\u003E\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-4 inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewBox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-docicon\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022link-icon__text\u0022\u003E\n ANC 2017 Ayala\n \u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022twitter-tweet\u0022 data-lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\n\t\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 lang=\u0022es\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022es\u0022\u003EUn \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/_humanoderecho\u0022\u003E@_humanoderecho\u003C\/a\u003E de lujo: Carlos Ayala te explica todo sobre la Asamblea Nacional Constitiyente \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/62yoQsu6Xf\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/62yoQsu6Xf\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\t\u2014 Rafael Uzc\u00e1tegui (@fanzinero) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/fanzinero\/status\/884118095811497984\u0022\u003EJuly 9, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cscript async src=\u0022\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\u0022 charset=\u0022utf-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306478__en","data":"","settings":null}]