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Venezuela opposition controls congress after 17 years Venezuela opposition controls congress after 17 years
(about 2 hours later)
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition took majority control of the National Assembly, setting the stage for a potential power struggle with socialist President Nicolas Maduro. CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition took majority control of the National Assembly on Tuesday after years in the political wilderness, setting the stage for a potential power struggle with embattled President Nicolas Maduro.
With tensions running high inside the dome-roofed legislature and dueling demonstrations by government supporters and opponents outside, lawmakers took their oath Tuesday. A group of pro-government lawmakers walked out in protest after storming the legislature’s dais as the new congressional leadership laid out its legislative agenda. Lawmakers were sworn in during a heated parliamentary session that saw pro-government representatives walk out in protest after pushing and shoving their way onto the dais as the new leadership laid out its legislative agenda.
It’s the first time in 17 years that opponents of the socialist revolution begun by the late Hugo Chavez have controlled the legislature. It’s the first time in 17 years that the opposition to the socialist revolution begun by the late President Hugo Chavez have controlled the legislature, and many of its leaders seemed rapt in disbelief.
But the two-thirds majority it won last month, giving it a strong hand to rein in Maduro, was in doubt after a government-stacked Supreme Court at the last minute barred four lawmakers from taking their seats while it probes allegations of electoral fraud. As a result only 163 of 167 lawmakers were sworn in Tuesday. But the two-thirds opposition majority won by a landslide last month, giving it unprecedented strength to challenge Maduro’s rule, was in doubt after a government-stacked Supreme Court barred four lawmakers from taking their seats at the last minute while it probes allegations of electoral fraud. As a result only 163 of 167 lawmakers were sworn in during Tuesday’s ceremony.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of opposition supporters accompanied the incoming lawmakers past a heavy military barricade to the legislature downtown. A few blocks away, a larger crowd of government supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to lament the inauguration of what they called the “bourgeois parliament.” Earlier in the day, hundreds of opposition supporters accompanied the incoming lawmakers past a heavy military barricade to the neoclassical legislature downtown. A few blocks away, a much larger crowd of government supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to lament the inauguration of what they called the “bourgeois parliament.”
Reflecting the changing political winds, journalists for the first time in years were granted access to the legislature and state TV broadcast interviews with the opposition political leaders. Reflecting the changing political winds, journalists were granted access to the legislature for the first time in years and state TV broadcast interviews with opposition leaders. Conspicuously absent inside the domed building were the oversize portraits of Chavez and independence hero Simon Bolivar that had been a fixture for years.
Conspicuously absent inside the dome-roofed legislative building were the oversized portraits of Chavez and independence hero Simon Bolivar that had been a fixture for years. Instead, from the public gallery, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez held up a sign reading “Amnesty Now,” referring to what’s likely to be the legislature’s first order of business: a law freeing dozens of activists jailed during anti-government protests in 2014 that resulted in dozens of deaths.
Instead, from the public gallery, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez held up a sign reading “Amnesty Now,” referring to what’s likely to be the legislature’s first order of business: a law freeing dozens of activists jailed during anti-government unrest in 2014. “Keep a strong hand!” 65-year-old Mary Mujica shouted as the incoming parliamentary president, Henry Ramos, muscled his way through the crowd. “There’s a criminal conspiracy running the country and you can’t negotiate with criminals.”
“Keep a strong hand!” 65-year-old Mary Mujica shouted as the incoming parliamentary president, Henry Ramos, wiggled his way through the heavy crowd. “There’s a criminal conspiracy running the country and you can’t negotiate with criminals.” Opposition lawmakers promise sweeping changes, while the socialists have been equally adamant that the legislature not erode social gains of Chavez’s revolution.
Incoming opposition lawmakers are promising to use their new muscle to make sweeping changes, while the socialist party of current President Nicolas Maduro has been equally adamant that the legislature not back Chavez’s revolution. The 72-year-old Ramos, a sharp-tongued, pre-Chavez-era politician who fought off moderates in the opposition coalition to take the president’s gavel, said in his inaugural remarks that a six-month deadline to remove Maduro by constitutional means is not negotiable, echoing demands made by hard-liners during the 2014 protests.
The Supreme Court last week barred four lawmakers, including three from the opposition, from taking their seats. The move was in response to a challenge by supporters of the socialists who accuse the opposition of stealing the Dec. 6 legislative election, and could effectively snatch away the opposition’s two-thirds majority. Moderates have criticized that strategy and instead advocate pragmatic steps to wrench the oil-dependent economy out of a tailspin marked by triple-digit inflation and the world’s deepest recession.
On Monday, Ramos said Maduro should consider resigning to save Venezuela from a political crisis, echoing the call hard-liners made in 2014 when they launched street protests that resulted in dozens of deaths. What unites the two factions is an agenda of probing government corruption and freeing opposition figures that they and many human rights groups consider political prisoners. It’s a polarizing issue that also promises to rally government supporters.
Ramos is a pre-Chavez era politician who in 2005 was among promoters of an electoral boycott that handed almost unanimous control of the legislature to the government. It was a tactical move he and much of the opposition later came to regret. “It’s completely illogical,” outgoing National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello said of the proposed amnesty law. “It’s like the assassins pardoning themselves.”
The coalition’s more moderate wing has lambasted the hard-liners’ strategy of trying to force Maduro from office and wants to take pragmatic steps to wrench the oil-dependent economy out of a tailspin marked by triple-digit inflation and the world’s deepest recession.
The factions have agreed on a basic agenda that includes probing government corruption, pushing for the release of central bank data and giving Maduro a six-month deadline to rescue the economy.
But top on their agenda is freeing jailed opposition activists they and many human rights groups consider political prisoners.
“It’s completely illogical,” said outgoing National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello of the proposed amnesty law. “It’s like the assassins pardoning themselves.”
Jennifer McCoy, a longtime observer of Venezuela elections for a pro-democracy group founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said the coming weeks will tell whether the government and opposition can put aside their mutual hatred.Jennifer McCoy, a longtime observer of Venezuela elections for a pro-democracy group founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said the coming weeks will tell whether the government and opposition can put aside their mutual hatred.
“This is the moment when both sides need to determine how to move forward: whether they are going to work together or engage in a battle royal,” said McCoy, who is now director of the Global Studies Institute at Georgia State University.“This is the moment when both sides need to determine how to move forward: whether they are going to work together or engage in a battle royal,” said McCoy, who is now director of the Global Studies Institute at Georgia State University.
The socialists began fighting the new congress almost as soon as it was voted in. Outgoing lawmakers appointed new Supreme Court judges and changed the ownership of the National Assembly’s TV station. Maduro on Monday issued decrees limiting congress’ power over the central bank. The socialists began fighting the new congress almost as soon as it was voted in. Outgoing lawmakers appointed new members to the Supreme Court, which they hope will counter opposition legislation.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Monday that it was concerned by the Maduro government’s attempts to interfere with the new congress, drawing a sharp rebuke from Venezuela’s president. Maduro also issued a flurry of decrees Monday including one circumventing congress’ power to approve the appointment of central bank board members. Ramos has vowed to review the executive orders.
Maduro was nevertheless conciliatory in a national television address Monday, saying he had instructed the military to guarantee the opposition access to the National Assembly so it can be seated peacefully. In Washington, the U.S. State Department congratulated Venezuela on the inauguration of a new assembly but said it remains “concerned” by controversy surrounding the delegates who have not been seated.
But pro-government militias, dubbed by Chavez as “the armed wing of the revolution,” called on their supporters to stage a counter protest. Wielding the gavel for the first time and appearing to relish his power to cut off rivals’ soliloquies, Ramos sent a message to Maduro that the days of rubber-stamping executive decrees are over.
“The revolution must be defended in the streets,” read one pro-government call circulated Monday. “A bourgeoisie congress will never do anything but legislate the slavery of the people.” “Nobody should think that’s the way to solve the country’s problems,” he said. “We are not going to be a counterweight, but nor are we going to be a subordinate power like this National Assembly has been until yesterday at midnight,”
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Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman in Bogota contributed to this report. Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman reported from Bogota, Colombia.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.