Venezuela Sets March 8 for First National Consultation of 2026 Amid 37% Revenue Growth

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez has formally announced the electoral schedule for this year’s communal project consultations, and that that the first popular consultation of 2026 will be held on March 8. This date carries significant symbolic weight, as it coincides with International Women’s Day, highlighting the leading role of women community leaders in local governance.

This Wednesday, January 21, during the first session of the Federal Council of Government in Plaza Bicentenario, Caracas, the acting president explained the specifics of this democratic process. The election will take place in all 5,336 communal districts across the country, where citizens will go to the polls to directly select the projects that will receive immediate funding to improve services and infrastructure in their own communities. The session brought together the 24 governors and 335 mayors elected in last year’s elections.

In addition to setting the date, Rodríguez reported that this first national consultation of the year will align with the executive’s strategic guidelines. Specifically, the submitted projects must respond to the First and Second Transformations (7T) promoted by President Nicolás Maduro: Economic Modernization and Full Independence. She explained that they are doing so in order to empower the people to manage resources that directly contribute to productive sovereignty and the strengthening of the economic model from the ground up.

The acting president emphasized the importance of efficiency in the execution of these resources. She insisted that citizen participation does not end with voting, but extends to the social oversight of every project. To make this happen, the Federal Council of Government will act as a facilitating body so that municipalities receive the necessary technical support throughout the modernization process.

Economy
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez also made important economic announcements that will shape the national agenda in the coming months; among them, a 37% increase in national revenues has been projected for fiscal year 2026.

She noted that the distribution of income for the different levels of government will remain the same as in 2025: 53% for communes, 29% for governorships, 15% for mayoralties, and three percent for “institutional strengthening.”

She added that the additional resources will be managed through the two newly created sovereign funds: the Social Protection Fund, intended to improve workers’ income and strengthen social programs, and the Infrastructure and Services Fund, aimed at investments in water, electricity, and road infrastructure.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Leads Cabinet Meeting to Drive Economic Development in Venezuela

Institutional unity
During the meeting on Wednesday, Rodríguez strongly urged governors and mayors to put partisan interests after the common good. She called on all regional authorities to work together for Venezuela and for social peace.

“We want the people to see us as a power in action and in exercise to protect the highest values of our republic,” she emphasized during her address, noting that political and economic stability depends on the responsiveness of the nation’s institutions to the needs of the Venezuelan people. Therefore, coordination among the different levels of government is essential for the success of the March 8 popular consultation. “Local leaders must guarantee logistical support at each polling station to ensure massive voter turnout,” she requested.

The government hopes this process will strengthen the social fabric and participatory democracy. Planning this consultation represents a decisive step toward transferring direct powers to organized communities. At the close of the event, regional authorities reiterated their commitment to territorial development, assuring that the voice of the communal circuits will guide public investment throughout the first quarter of 2026.

(RedRadioVE) by Jhulimar Fraga with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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