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It lost an election, but has entrenched its influence by selecting civil servants and doing other things to keep power. As Wikipedia puts it: A little over a w

It lost an election, but has entrenched its influence by selecting civil servants and doing other things to keep power. As Wikipedia puts it: A little over a week after the elections on 15 December 2015, the outgoing National Assembly created the "National Communal Parliament" with President Maduro stating "I'm going to give all the power to the communal parliament ... This parliament is going to be a legislative mechanism from the grassroots. All power to the Communal parliament".[67] The move was described as an attempt "to sideline and leapfrog the incoming opposition-controlled National Assembly" and that such actions could possibly lead to more destability and polarization in Venezuela for the future.[68]

rafaelm 11y ago
Yes, he created a parallel assembly. But the "grassroots" and "power to the people" thing is fake. The true power is in the Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (Supreme Court). They can now decide on whatever the National Assembly decides. It's already happened, they have removed opposition members elected to the NA , approved a law that the NA didn't approve and will repeal new laws coming out. After losing the december elections, the old National Assembly (controlled by the govt back then), quickly elected new members to the Supreme Court that they control. Just to give you an idea of how corrupt this is: one guy (from the govt party) in the NA was running for re-election as a member of the National Assembly. The guy lost the elections. So then he goes back to the old NA, still in session, runs to be a member of the new Supreme Court , VOTES for himself and is now the head of the Constitutional sector of the Supreme Court, which gets to decide on whether the things the new NA decides are legal or not. Very democratic.
- ptaipale 11y ago
  Right, Supreme court selection is probably the most influential of the "other things" I was thinking of.

rafaelm 11y ago

Yes, he created a parallel assembly. But the "grassroots" and "power to the people" thing is fake. The true power is in the Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (Supreme Court). They can now decide on whatever the National Assembly decides. It's already happened, they have removed opposition members elected to the NA , approved a law that the NA didn't approve and will repeal new laws coming out. After losing the december elections, the old National Assembly (controlled by the govt back then), quickly elected new members to the Supreme Court that they control. Just to give you an idea of how corrupt this is: one guy (from the govt party) in the NA was running for re-election as a member of the National Assembly. The guy lost the elections. So then he goes back to the old NA, still in session, runs to be a member of the new Supreme Court , VOTES for himself and is now the head of the Constitutional sector of the Supreme Court, which gets to decide on whether the things the new NA decides are legal or not. Very democratic.

ptaipale 11y ago
Right, Supreme court selection is probably the most influential of the "other things" I was thinking of.