Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announces the start of the campaign for the election of the communal justices of peace, December 4, 2024. Photo: National Assembly Press.
The National Electoral Commission for the Justices of Peace launched the electoral campaign for the community judges, which will run until December 13.
“As of today, we declare the electoral campaign for the election of communal justices of peace officially open,” said Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and a member of the commission, in a statement to the media on Wednesday, December 4. “The candidates can now start all their campaign activities: the debates, the assemblies, the distribution of flyers.”
Referring to the election as “unprecedented,” Rodríguez stated, “Never before have we expressed, to such an extent, in the street, in the vote, in reality, what is enshrined in Article 68 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
The election is scheduled for December 15. The first stage of the process concluded on Sunday, December 1, with the nomination of 52,288 persons throughout the country, from 5,297 communal circuits, as candidates. Out of this total, 436 communal circuits belong to communes or communal councils in Indigenous territories with their own election mechanisms.
“These 52,288 candidates, and the 5,297 communal circuits, are the true protagonists of the election coming up on Sunday, December 15,” Rodríguez stated. “Today marks the start of the electoral campaign for all these candidates.”
Over 52,000 Candidates Register in Election for Venezuela’s Communal Justices of Peace
He added that all Venezuelans aged 15 and above can participate in the election. With their identity card, they can go to the polling center corresponding to their communal circuit and choose up to three people, thus leading to the election of the more than 15,000 communal justices of peace.
At the press conference, Rodríguez was accompanied by the vice president of the commission, Carlos Quintero; the minister for Communes and Social Movements, Ángel Prado; the first vice president of the National Assembly, Pedro Infante; the magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice, Tania D’Amelio; and the head of the Government of Caracas, Nahum Fernández.
Activities leading up to the election
Rodríguez specified the dates and activities leading up to the election on December 15.
On December 4, each communal circuit held an assembly to present the candidates. On December 5, the candidates will meet with the residents of their respective communal circuit to present their campaigns.
On December 6, a poster campaign will be carried out, while on December 7-8, there will be door-to-door visits to present the proposals to the community. Thereafter, during December 9-15, the electoral commissions for each circuit will be formed.
On December 10, there will be flyer distribution; on December 11, debates will be held with the proposals. On December 12, wall murals will be painted and community campaigns and visits to community radio stations will be conducted. The campaign closing events will be held on December 13.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SL
