Venezuela Elects Communal Justices of Peace on December 15
President Nicolás Maduro called the nation’s public powers to a meeting scheduled for Monday, November 18, at noon, to discuss the details of the electoral process scheduled for December 15. He made the announcement this Sunday at the closing of the Great Congress of the Bolivarian Historic Bloc held in La Carlota, Caracas.
During his weekly podcast Con Maduro Live de Repente, broadcast last Thursday, November 14, the Venezuelan president said that on December 15, the Constitution on which the Fifth Republic was established celebrates its 25th anniversary, and he requested that on that same date, justices of peace be elected in Communal Circuits, a process that will be carried out through direct voting in the territorial areas belonging to the Venezuelan communes. This will constitute an unprecedented achievement of people’s democracy ignited by the recent approval of the reform of the Communal Justice of Peace Law.
The head of state explained that “Venezuela will have new elections on December 15, elections in the communal circuits, five thousand justices of peace… and I call for Monday, at noon, for a meeting of the five constitutional powers: the Legislative Power, the Judicial Power, essential for this great task of justice; the Electoral Power; the Citizen Power; and as head of state, head of government, the Executive Power, plus the people’s power along with the military power.”
President Maduro explained that the justices of peace will be elected by direct and secret universal vote, marking an important step towards citizen participation in justice. He added that the law has already been “reformed, improved, and approved,” and he invited citizens to participate.
President Maduro Congratulates Parliament for Communal Justice of Peace Law Reform
Non-punitive justice
For his part, the president of the National Assembly, Deputy Jorge Rodríguez, said that the changes made to the Law on Special Jurisdiction for Communal Justice of Peace seek to make changes to the state so that the people “feel justice directly in their homes, in their communities.”
In this regard, he highlighted the conciliatory nature of justices of the peace, who, with their actions, will be able to prevent many conflicts and prevent them for reaching the level of the regular judicial system.
Rodríguez also said that each community will be able to elect up to three justices of peace per communal circuit. These justices of the peace will play a crucial role in promoting a “new form of justice” that will not be punitive but, rather, neighborhood-based and family-based.
Featured image: Comuneros raising the draft for the modified Law of Communal Justice of Peace passed in the Venezuelan National Assembly on November 13, 2024. Photo: Instagram/@puertapsuv.
(Últimas Noticias) by Juan Leonardo Lanz with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
