Venezuela: Courts again approve state of emergency

Event

The Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled on November 22 the state of emergency declared by President Nicolás Maduro earlier in the month as constitutional. As such, Maduro will be free to continue ruling by decree and adopting emergency measures to address the country’s various crises (shortages, extreme crime rates, etc.). The state of emergency also suspends various constitutional rights. The impact of this decision is largely ceremonial, as Maduro has essentially been ruling under a state of emergency since early 2016. The court further stated that any attempt by the National Assembly (AN), the only government body controlled by the opposition, to contest the legality of the state of emergency would be null and void.

Context

The AN was rendered effectively powerless by the government as soon as the opposition coalition took control of the majority of its seats in December 2015. A newly-established Constitutional Assembly was created in July 2017 to replace the AN in favor of a pro-government body. The opposition, as well as numerous international observers, viewed the body’s creation as the latest in a series of moves implemented by Maduro to consolidate power as the country moves further towards a dictatorship. The county’s federal judicial system is already dominated by government allies and many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned in recent years. 

These developments follow on a long series of progressively worsening crises affecting the restive country in recent months and years, including major shortages of basic necessities, an alarming spike in rates of violent crime, massive inflation and economic recession, a resurgence of disease, and simmering social unrest. 

Advice

Individuals in Venezuela are advised to closely monitor developments to the situation and to strictly avoid any and all protests due to the likelihood of violence and the risk of arbitrary arrest.