Venezuela’s National Assembly Charges President Maduro with Abandonment of Duties
On January 9, Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly voted to declare President Nicolás Maduro in abandonment of his duties. The resolution, passed by a supermajority of lawmakers, condemned President Maduro for violating the Constitution and charged him with responsibility for the country’s severe humanitarian and economic crisis, shortages of basic goods like food and medicine, skyrocketing inflation rates, human rights and freedom of the press violations, rampant corruption, alarming homicide rates, and ongoing political persecution, among other wrongdoings.
The resolution moreover stated that the ruling regime had committed a coup d’état by suspending a process for a public referendum to recall President Maduro and postponing gubernatorial elections originally slated for 2016, and had illegally approved the national budget for 2017 without congressional review. In addition, the National Assembly declared that President Maduro’s recent decision to take the 100-bolivar bill out of circulation had provoked chaos and violence.
Venezuela’s legislative body concluded in its resolution that “the only way to resolve these serious problem and contain the dismantling of the institutions of the Republic is to return power to the people of Venezuela and, therefore, convene the holding and free and pluralist elections.”
As was expected, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), which acts as a puppet institution of the Maduro regime, has attempted to annul the resolution by declaring it to be outside congressional authority. President Maduro moreover stated that he will create an “anti-coup commando.”
In response, on January 10, Julio Borges, President of the National Assembly, stated: “They can create all the commandos they want, but Venezuela wants to vote — it’s the only peaceful solution that puts building change in the hands of Venezuelans.” Moreover, Eudoro González, Secretary of International Affairs for Primero Justicia and Deputy to the National Assembly, said: “The work that we must do from the Assembly after the resolution (…) is to mobilize again and be a starting point to demand the right to free elections.” In addition, Governor of Miranda and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles responded: “This regime is supported by the institutions under its power (…) the TSJ has turned into a trench for the powerful. The TSJ only serves to defend Maduro.”
The entire resolution can be read in Spanish here.
