The President of the National Assembly (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Wednesday the completion of the first phase of talks with former members of the AN from the 2015-2020 term, after five days of work sessions. The agreement includes the validation of the operational methodology, the formal establishment of technical working groups, and the start, beginning in August, of a schedule of actions aimed at addressing the emergency caused by the earthquakes, strengthening democracy, and judicial reform.
During the announcement, Rodríguez specified that it was approved the operational methodology for the initiative and that were enabled specific commissions to address the emergency resulting from the double earthquake of last June 24, as well as to strengthen the democratic, judicial, and electoral systems. Likewise, were consolidated the work sessions and plenary sessions held by both delegations.
In social matters, the Head of Parliament indicated that, given the magnitude of the tragedy, it was agreed to strengthen programs addressing housing, electricity, health, and debris removal. Furthermore, both parties will focus their efforts on promoting the recovery of Venezuela’s international reserve assets held at the Bank of England, establishing mechanisms for transparency, traceability, and auditing to guarantee the efficient use of these resources for the benefit of those affected.
For her part, the representative of the former members of the 2015 National Assembly, Dinorah Figuera, reaffirmed the institutional commitment to transforming the judicial system through reforms to the Organic Law of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), the renewal and expansion of the judicial nominations committee, the appointment of all TSJ justices, and the creation of a credentials review council, in order to comply with the Constitution.
The political understanding reached consolidates a continuous work agenda that will be developed throughout the month of August, with official announcements and concrete actions aimed at guaranteeing democratic stability, comprehensive care for those affected and strict monitoring of the commitments made.