Some background information is helpful in order to understand the importance of the development of legislation passing Venezuela's National Assembly.
The Opposition won the election of December 2015 with 56% of the vote. They had a 2/3 majority. This gave them enormous leverage to create problems for President Maduro's government. It was found, (or "found") that two opposition delegates were elected by fraudulent means. The Assembly didn't dismiss them.
Neither vote was rerun and there were no criminal charges connected to the fraudulent (or perhaps "fraudulent") votes.
There followed an attempt to recall President Maduro, and this was declared unlawful by the newly named Supreme Court who had been installed by the lame duck outgoing 100% government aligned Assembly.
There followed months of turmoil and violent opposition demonstrations whose stated goal was to force the government out, to overthrow it. The government moved to create a new extra constitutional legislative body - The National Constituent Assembly which was said to have plenipotentiary powers and was to rewrite the Constitution of 1999 (a result of a democratic process carried out in the early days of President Chavez' first term. The opposition boycotted the vote and so have zero representation in it.
The Constitution was never rewritten and the problems that led to the opposition victory were not effectively addressed. There was one major accomplishment that shouldn't be overlooked however. The opposition lost morale and the near civil war in the streets came to a fizzling halt.
The National Assembly had been declared to be in contempt and the pro government delegation left en masse.
All along secret negotiations had been going on between the Maduro government and the opposition. The negotiations were near to a resolution when suddenly the opposition figuratively kicked the negotiation table over. It was believed that they had received orders from Washington or Bogata to scuttle the agreement.
Since then the United States has upped severe sanctions against Venezuela that have increased the already considerable suffering of the population.
Juan Guaido, an alternate delegate to the Assembly was rotational President of that body when in response to the election of Nicolas Maduro to a second term the Assembly declared the election null and void. A majority of the opposition had boycotted the vote.
Recently the pro government delegation has returned to the National Assembly. Talks are underway to reform the electoral council, a key opposition demand.
Jessica Dirinot | December 10, 2019
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Caracas.- Officialism and opposition approved unanimously in Parliament on Tuesday a controversial agreement that provides for the mixed creation of a group of parliamentarians whose essential function will be to evaluate the Draft Law Approving the Mechanism for Financial and Technical Assistance to the Humanitarian Emergency of the Sector Electric, an instrument that opens the doors for financing for at least 350 million dollars to address the energy crisis in the states Zulia, Táchira, Mérida, Lara and Nueva Esparta. "This does not mean the recognition of the dictatorship," said legislator Avilio Troconis.
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The Venezuelan Parliament gave the green light to the so-called "Agreement to find solutions that face the complex electrical humanitarian emergency resulting from the corruption of the Nicolás Maduro regime", a controversial point at which both official and opposition deputies - in their own way - recognized that there is an electrical emergency in Venezuela, with an emphasis on the states Zulia, Táchira, Mérida, Lara and Nueva Esparta.
The sanction of the Agreement paves the way for organizations such as the Andean Development Community (CAF) to grant loans for at least 350 million dollars to address the country's electricity crisis, a point contemplated in the Draft Law Approving the Financial Assistance Mechanism and Technique before the Humanitarian Emergency of the Electric Sector, which has not yet passed from the first discussion.
Some opposition leaders argued in the last session that the request implied recognition of Maduro's regime, de facto declared by the legislative body on January 5. However, opposition deputies such as Avilio Troconis, said that the approval of the Agreement does not imply recognition of Maduro, while the deputy of Chavismo, Pedro Santaella, said "be happy" for the step taken by the opposition.
“If it is necessary to bring Zulia to this Assembly so that his voice is heard, we will do it”
The deputy for the opposition bench, Enrique Márquez, was the first to take the floor at this point of discussion, expressing his rejection of the deterioration of the Zulia state, which - in his opinion - has affected the quality of life of the Zuliano, reason why which reiterated its commitment to work according to the project promoted by Parliament.
“We go to the last consequences with this law. There we will go to push it. If it is necessary to bring Zulia to this National Assembly so that his voice is heard, we will do it, because it is not about anything, it is about the destruction of a state. Of the destruction of the way of life and the economy of that province from which centralism has turned its back on it, ”he said.
For his part, parliamentarian Ezequiel Pérez, also for the opposition, condemned that citizens in the 21st century are obliged to “back down” about 70 years ago, in terms of their quality of life, as a result of failures electric that present states of the interior of the country.
“Today we have returned backwards, lighting up many times with oil lamps (…) All this because of a lack of maintenance by the Government. That is a violation of human rights. I join Enrique Marquez's request. If we ask that this agreement be approved, it would be good because a solution can be found so that it does not follow this disorder that we have. In Táchira it is between 4 and 15 hours a day that the light goes out, ”he denounced.
"I hope I am not deceived"
While opposition parliamentarians resumed their seats to listen to the ruling of the ruling party, MP Victoria Mata added in her minutes of debate that the resources approved to address the situation in Zulia will not be administered by the national government: “This is a request from civil society, ”he said.
He also asked that the law under discussion should not be “broken down” by the National Assembly directive, since, according to his experience, he can attest that these are the actions that usually identify the political parties, Popular Will and First Justice. In this regard, he welcomed the initiative to propose a project for the attention of the electrical situation in the country; nevertheless, he indicated that "there is no real will (on the part of the opposition) because the political question can more, than really go in favor of the people's interests".
"I'm leaving very happy, given the step taken by the opposition"
For the deputy Pedro Santaella, for the fraction of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), it is an achievement that “the step taken by the opposition” with respect to the approval of a project that addresses the electrical situation in the interior of the country , especially in the state of Zulia. “I am very happy, given the step that the opposition has taken (…) This step that was taken so important, but that really does not have those hairy hands that always arrive and give a speech to this country, and then deceive the laws simply on a whim to harm the national government, ”the parliamentarian agreed with his partner Mata.
In this way, he alerted the citizens who live in the state of Zulia, Nueva Esparta and Táchira, to keep an eye on the fulfillment of the objectives proposed by the electrical emergency project: “Because one thing is what is said to the country in the media, and another that they do. There they don't care if children die or old people die, ”he said.
“They have done all kinds of maneuvers to harm the Government. We have to agree and push this country forward. I thank God for the great step that has been taken today, ”he concluded.
"That this does not mean the recognition of this dictatorship"
Before the end of the regular session, Deputy Avilio Troconis clarified in his right to speak that the unanimous approval of this project should not mean that the opposition fraction of Parliament supports and recognizes this "dictatorship." He also said that the task of the deputies is to analyze and study the projects that benefit Venezuelans.
“We as deputies intend to analyze and study this bill, and any other initiative, but that does not mean the recognition of this dictatorship. From this commission we will be monitoring all the proposals (…) we will accept any initiative to analyze and study the certain possibility that the electrical problem will be solved in the state of Zulia and several states of the country, ”he said.
Finally, he reiterated that the electrical crisis not only goes through Zulia, but also Táchira, Lara, Mérida and Nueva Esparta, as well as much of Venezuela. “This tragedy has one responsible, and it is this Government. We from Zulia are going to be aware of this because what is true is that we are looking for a solution. ”
Project Approved
Taking into account the critical situation that the country is going through in social, political and economic matters, whose consequences have eroded the quality of life of Venezuelans, especially those living in the interior of the country, the sanctioned project agrees to the mixed creation of a group of parliamentarians who can discuss, analyze and generate other proposals that can be submitted to the Andean community for the execution of palliative immediately for the Zulia state.
This project will also be analyzed by the United Nations Organization (UN), through the Program of the Institution for Development, which is the global network of the UN, in order to support the technical and financial assistance of the humanitarian crisis, and any another project that is presented by the AN for emergency electric care in the country.
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