Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machadoissued a warning about the serious risk that compromising the independence of the Judiciary represents. His statements come at a time when the debate on this issue is shaking the policy in Mexico.
Machado expressed for TV Azteca that it is “extremely dangerous (to attack the autonomy of the judiciary), and I hope that the Venezuelan experience serves as a warning to other countries in the world, not only in Latin America”.
He also stressed that “maintaining the independence of the Judiciary from the Executive It is essential for a democracy stay alive, despite its weaknesses.” In this regard, the politician stressed that in Venezuelathe manipulation of the judiciary has become a tool of the regime, with devastating consequences for democracy. “In fact, a week ago here, several prosecutors were fired for refusing to issue unfounded charges against innocent young people,” he said.
Remembering the early years of the Hugo Chavez’s government, The former congresswoman detailed how the former president replaced the majority of the judges. In early 1999a constituent assembly called by Chavez He drafted a constitution that supposedly guaranteed the independence of the judiciary and the autonomy of the Supreme Court.
However, in May 2004, Chavez signed a law that allowed his ruling coalition to obtain a majority on the country’s highest court. This law facilitated the selection of 17 new judges and 32 substitutes by a simple majority of the coalition’s votes, without revealing the names to the opposition until the time of the vote.
“That was one of the first steps that Chavez gave when he came to power: in a few years, more than 90% of the judges were replaced, and more than 95% of current judges “They are not permanent, but temporary. They are made clear that any ruling contrary to the interests of the regime will result in their immediate dismissal,” he said.
Human Rights Watch documented how judicial independence in Venezuela was destroyed. Of the 45 thousand sentences handed down by the Supreme Court from 2004 to 2020, none were against the Government. The organization also denounced that “Venezuela denies its judges one of the fundamental safeguards of judicial independence: stability in office,” he also stressed that “the vast majority of the country’s judges are provisional or temporary,” which “makes them more vulnerable to external pressures intended to influence the application of the law.”
The situation culminated with the recent validation of the electoral results that confirmed Maduro in the presidency, despite the demonstrations and repression that left more than 2,400 detainees.
At the end of her speech, the leader of Come Venezuela He stressed that “what is happening in Venezuela is a warning to the world, especially to Latin America, about the need to protect and defend democratic institutions to preserve democracy, freedom and the well-being of the people.”
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2024-09-08 20:34:53