Assessing Venezuela’s National Assembly Elections

On Sunday, December 6, Venezuela will hold elections for a new National Assembly in a process that has been marked by widespread irregularities. In the lead-up to the vote three of the four main opposition parties have been essentially co-opted, their leadership stripped of formal recognition, and handed over to figures perceived as more friendly to the de facto government. The Venezuelan electoral authority, the National Electoral Council, was named by the Maduro-aligned Supreme Court rather than by the legislature as the Constitution requires, and lacks the necessary independence as a result.

Due to the lack of clear democratic guarantees, the mainstream political opposition in the country is encouraging a boycott of the vote, even as some minority factions have presented candidates. Citing these irregularities, the United States and several other countries in the international community have denounced the process and warned that they cannot recognize the results.

Join WOLA at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, December 11 for an engaging discussion with electoral experts from Venezuela’s Education Assembly (AE) and the Venezuelan Electoral Observatory (OEV) about the irregularities in the process, the results, and the implications of the December 6 National Assembly elections for Venezuela’s political crisis. The link to participate in the event will be sent to registered participants.*