Maduro submits constitution reform to reshape Venezuela politics

Bloomberg News on Feb 15, 2025

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Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro proposed reforming the constitution in what he called a push to reshape territorial divisions and diversify the economy.

“This is an effort to build a new democratic state system, incorporating communal, social and popular power,” Maduro said Saturday before the government-controlled National Assembly. “We must advance even further in the construction of a new diversified economy.”

Maduro’s proposal would include territorial divisions known as communes, potentially reshaping regional politics while minimizing municipalities and states. Some observers see it as a way to further consolidate power after the Venezuelan opposition accused him of stealing July’s presidential election.

If two-thirds of lawmakers approve the reforms, the next step would be a public consultation within 30 days. A previous attempt to modify the 1999 constitution by the late Hugo Chávez failed to win sufficient votes in a 2007 referendum.