Two deputies from the opposition to Chavismo were arbitrarily removed from their positions in the National Assembly, the Venezuelan Parliament controlled by the Caracas regime, for supporting the presidential candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Edmundo González Urrutia, in the July 28 elections.
Parliamentarians Carmen Alicia Calderón and Ezequiel Pérez, elected in 2020 and 2021, respectively, had a mandate until 2025 and 2026. Both saw their rights violated in a decision by the president of the party of which they are part, Acción Democrática (AD).
José Bernabé Gutiérrez Parra, placed in charge of the AD by a decision of the Venezuelan Supreme Court, controlled by Chavismo, justified the removal of the deputies by claiming that they “deviated from the party line” by supporting González, who, according to the opposition, was the true winner of the presidential elections, despite the fraud that gave victory to dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The removal of deputies from their posts not only removes their legitimate participation in Parliament, but also violates the right to representation of the states of Táchira and Amazonas, for which they were elected. In the case of Ezequiel Pérez, elected as main deputy for Táchira, Gutiérrez Parra decided to replace him with Carlos Granadillo, a substitute from another state, Carabobo. Carmen Alicia Calderón’s situation is similar, as she will also be replaced by a substitute from another state.
Gutiérrez Parra’s maneuver to remove opponents from their seats in Parliament reflects the close alliance he maintains with Chavismo. In 2020, according to information from the Argentine portal Infobaethe Venezuelan Supreme Court appointed Gutiérrez Parra as president of AD in order to weaken the opposition leadership in the legislative house. Since then, Gutiérrez Parra has acted in line with the Caracas regime, using his position to persecute parliamentarians who do not follow the regime’s guidelines.
The political situation in Parliament is just a reflection of the authoritarian control that the Chavista regime exercises over Venezuelan institutions. Maduro has used the judiciary and security forces to intimidate and silence the opposition, even threatening to remove parliamentarians and withdraw their immunities. Since the electoral fraud, deputies who supported González or spoke out against the regime have had their salaries suspended and the right to benefits, such as food, denied.
In the broader scenario, the climate of repression intensifies with the approach of a possible reform of electoral laws, proposed by Jorge Rodríguez, the Chavista president of the National Assembly. The discussion, which began this week, is already the target of criticism from the opposition, which accuses the regime of using the reform as a facade to maintain control over the electoral process.
Along with the reform of electoral laws, Chavismo wants to discuss a law to remove from Parliament anyone who “questions the electoral results without presenting concrete evidence”.
“My proposal is to exclude those who constantly reject the electoral results, call for invasions against their own country or those who say there is fraud and do not present evidence,” he said, in a clear allusion to the accusations made by González and his allies.
#Opposition #deputies #removed #Venezuelas #Parliament