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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Crime & Justice

Venezuela Launches National Consultation to Reform Criminal Justice System

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Venezuela will launch a national consultation on June 1 to reform its criminal justice system.
  • The initiative aims to address systemic issues like judicial delays, corruption, and the criminalization of poverty.
  • The reform includes increasing the number of Supreme Court magistrates to speed up judicial processes.

Venezuela is embarking on a significant initiative to overhaul its criminal justice system, with a national consultation set to commence on June 1. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced the plan, emphasizing its goal to correct long-standing structural flaws within the judicial apparatus. The consultation is particularly focused on tackling chronic judicial delays, internal corruption within the courts, and the disproportionate criminalization of poverty, a critical issue highlighted by the fact that 68% of the current prison population comes from the most vulnerable socioeconomic strata.

The entire criminal justice system in Venezuela is articulated with a single purpose: to achieve a reform where justice reaches all Venezuelans.

· Delcy RodríguezStating the overarching goal of the justice reform.

Rodríguez explicitly denounced corrupt practices within the judiciary, pointing to judges who allegedly demand illicit financial commissions or engage in extortion to process release orders. To combat these issues and expedite the flow of stalled cases, the government has already reformed the Organic Law of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). This reform expands the court's composition from 20 to 32 magistrates, a move intended to substantially boost judicial activity and alleviate institutional bottlenecks. The administration views this expansion as crucial for revitalizing the justice system and ensuring that justice is accessible to all Venezuelans.

I ask that there be no political or partisan use of a process that genuinely seeks the transformation of the penal system in our country.

· Delcy RodríguezUrging for a neutral and non-partisan approach to the consultation.

The government is calling for neutrality and the avoidance of politicization during the upcoming consultation. Rodríguez urged all sectors of the country to participate constructively in the working groups, stressing that the process is genuinely aimed at transforming the penal system. This initiative follows up on actions started in April, when a presidential commission was established to design the framework for this comprehensive reform. The overarching objective is to dismantle operational inefficiencies and corrupt schemes that have plagued the system for decades, paving the way for a more equitable and effective justice system.

68% of the population currently in the country's penitentiary centers comes from the most vulnerable and disadvantaged socioeconomic strata.

· Delcy RodríguezHighlighting the issue of criminalization of poverty.
About this summary

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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