Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro speaks at the National Assembly during the submisison of a constitutional reform proposal, February 15, 2025. Photo: Presidential Press.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, presented a proposal for constitutional reform before the plenary of the National Assembly.
On Saturday, February 15, at the parliamentary session commemorating the 206th anniversary of the Congress of Angostura led by Simón Bolívar, President Maduro presented the proposal that has four fundamental objectives: to expand and improve Venezuelan participatory and direct democracy to build a new society, adapted to the changing times, to establish a diversified and sel-sufficient economic model for future generations, and to reform the judicial and political terms of the constitution.
President Maduro asked for the support of the people for the constitutional reform. “I need the support of the people to reform the bureaucratic apparatus, to clear the stagnant and corrupt apparatus that we still have, and transform Venezuela into a modern, human, grassroots, democratic State. That is the goal,” he said.
The president expressed his hope for a modernized and more humane Venezuelan state founded on democratic principles. He highlighted the need for a revolutionary approach in public administration, stressing that this transformation would not merely copy foreign models but create an authentic system tailored to the realities and needs of the Venezuelan people.
He emphasized that the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is “our own creation” and considered the uniqueness of the political project that is being forged as something “authentically ours, born in Revolution.”
In his speech, President Maduro highlighted the historic impact of the National Constituent Assembly of 1999, which resulted in the creation of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, an unprecedented event in history due to its open and participative nature, in which Venezuelan citizens contributed to the drafting of the constitution.
He emphasized that the process, called for by Commander Hugo Chávez, marked a popular awakening, becoming a milestone of communal and revolutionary power, which resulted in the approval of the constitution through a referendum. He also mentioned the significant historical context of Venezuela at that time and its continued struggle for democracy and social justice.
He added that by 2025, the Venezuelan people and society have matured in their values, education, and culture. They are now ready for a national debate that will lead to a historic reform of the 1999 Constitution, adapting it to modern times and promoting a transition toward a new era.
“We are ready to open the gates of a great and edifying national debate, where the Venezuelan society and our people will be the protagonists of a great historical reform that would adapt the 1999 Constitution to the new times,” he said.
President Moros proposed a constituent assembly process during his 2025-2031 term.
(Últimas Noticias) by Carlos Eduardo Sánchez, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
