Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the creation of a commission that will carry out constitutional reform with the aim of building a “new state“, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
The announcement was made yesterday, five days after he took office for a third term, following a disputed presidential election in July that the opposition also claimed to have won.
While he did not provide specific details about the proposed changes, Maduro said during his annual address to the National Assembly that he was determined to create a new state, specifying his desire to clearly define the society the country should be – from a cultural and institutional point of view.
He stressed that it is a matter of “a large-scale and powerful reform of the constitution“, which will lead to the expansion of democracy and lay the foundations for a new, autonomous and independent economy.
The leader of the ruling leftist coalition also spoke of a “system of communal governance“ during his next presidential term (2025-2031), which the opposition perceives as a threat to take away power from elected local representatives, such as regional governors and mayors. However, Maduro assured that “the system will be governed jointly with the people“.
The proposed reforms will be put to a vote after a referendum, the date of which has not yet been set. They come just a few months after the adoption of controversial “anti-fascist“ and “anti-corruption“ laws that the opposition sees as repressive. These laws raise concerns that opponents who criticize the government could be arrested.