Venezuelan Democracy is the Most Complete in Our Region: Arreaza

A Venezuelan citizen looks at the projects to be chosen in the Second Popular Consultation, Aug. 25, 2024. Photo: X/ @Gilbertoh2004

August 26, 2024 Hour: 9:22 am

New forms of governance based on territoriality seek to ensure that officials connect with the aspirations of the people.

On Sunday, Jorge Arreaza, the vice president of Communal Councils and Communes of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), stated that “there is no more complete democracy in the region than Venezuela’s,” on the occasion of the Second National Popular Consultation held on July 25.

“When a leader holding a representative position becomes disconnected from the base, that’s when we stop having a participatory democracy. We talk about a true participatory democracy when we can ensure that the minister, the mayor, or the governor connect with the Communal Council, with the concrete action agenda of the communities, and with the projects of the popular consultation,” he affirmed.

“What happens in Venezuela is extraordinary. While the world says there is a dictatorship in Venezuela, we had an election 26 days ago, and we have another election today. In November or December, we will have another popular consultation, and we will have four popular consultations in 2025, when members of the National Assembly, governors, and mayors will also be elected,” Arreaza recalled, adding that the Venezuelan democracy is difficult to understand from the outside.

“We organize ourselves into communal councils that can encompass around 100 families in urban areas and 30 families in rural areas. This creates a first level of institutionalization characterized by the existence of committees for housing, health, water, or electricity. These committees, which have a financial unit and an oversight unit, are institutions that the people themselves form through open assemblies,” he said.

The Vice-Pres. of the communes of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza explains that the government of Venezuela has 4 levels,among which is the commune. Highlighted that this Sunday more than 4,000 communes voted to choose their community projects in full exercise of democracy. #Venezuela🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/7gdepASRu6
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 26, 2024

“All citizens over the age of 15 can participate with full rights. The aim is to involve people because the communal project is a strategic proposal that we are perfecting for the present and the future. If this project is not nourished by the beneficial wisdom of youth, then it would have a short horizon. That’s why young people must be involved in participation,” Arreaza pointed out.

The PSUV leader also explained that, observing the experiences of countries like China, Cuba, and Vietnam, Commander Hugo Chavez created the Communal Council, which builds popular power from the grassroots.

“Revolutions are neither exported nor copied. However, they served as a reference to emulate and adapt to our realities,” Arreaza said and reiterated that the communes constitute a form of territorial governance through which the Venezuelan people can make major decisions.