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| Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Election name | Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2020 |
| Country | Venezuela |
| Type | parliamentary |
| Previous election | 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election |
| Previous year | 2015 |
| Next election | 2025 Venezuelan parliamentary election |
| Next year | 2025 |
| Seats for election | National Assembly |
| Election date | 6 December 2020 |
Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2020 was held on 6 December 2020 to elect members of the National Assembly for the 2021–2026 term, amid a political crisis involving President Nicolás Maduro, opposition leader Juan Guaidó, economic sanctions by the United States Treasury and diplomatic disputes with the OAS, the European Union and neighboring states. The vote followed the 2017 establishment of a parallel legislative body, the Constituent National Assembly, and international debates over recognition of mandates stemming from the 2015 election won by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). Observers, parties and foreign governments were divided over legitimacy, turnout and the legal framework set by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the CNE.
The 2020 election took place after the 2015 victory for the Democratic Unity Roundtable in the National Assembly and subsequent power struggles with the United Socialist Party (PSUV) led by Nicolás Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chávez following the 2013 presidential election. Tensions escalated in 2017 when the Constituent National Assembly was convened, sidelining the National Assembly dominated by the opposition, and the Supreme Tribunal issued rulings affecting legislative powers. In January 2019, Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president, invoking provisions of the 1999 Constitution and gaining recognition from the United States, Canada, many European Union states and several Latin American governments, while others such as Russia, China, Turkey and Cuba continued to recognize Maduro. Economic collapse, hyperinflation tracked by the International Monetary Fund and migration flows to Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Spain influenced the domestic and international context of the election. The 2020 convocation was shaped by disputes over the 2020 Guaidó interim government's control of diplomatic assets and opposition coordination under coalitions like Popular Will and A New Era.
The National Assembly is a unicameral legislature elected under a mixed-member system combining single-member districts and party-list proportional representation established by laws passed under the Bolivarian Revolution and modified throughout the Republican period. The CNE administered the vote using the automated voting machines and a voter registration maintained by the electoral registry, with polling stations located across states such as Caracas, Zulia, Miranda, Anzoátegui, Barinas, Aragua and Táchira. Electoral law allows party coalitions and imposes candidate eligibility rules enforced by the Supreme Tribunal. International bodies like the United Nations and regional organizations such as the OAS and the European Union have called for electoral guarantees, including independent observation and access for political parties and media such as Televen, Venevisión and Globovisión.
Campaigning involved the PSUV and allied parties including the Communist Party of Venezuela and the Socialist League fielding lists and single-member candidates, while opposition coalitions split between participation supporters like United Venezuela and boycott advocates aligned with Guaidó and elements of the former Democratic Unity Roundtable. Prominent figures on ballots included veterans of the Bolivarian movement, local leaders from Zulia and Barinas, and opposition personalities from parties such as A New Era, Justice First, Popular Will and the Primero Justicia political group. The campaign season was affected by COVID-19 public health measures, restrictions on rallies, and controversies over voter lists and candidate disqualifications by the Supreme Tribunal and the CNE. Media coverage involved state outlets like Venezolana de Televisión and independent platforms including Efecto Cocuyo and Runrun.es, while international actors such as European Union envoys and representatives from Norway and the United Nations urged inclusive conditions.
Allegations of irregularities included accusations of voter roll manipulation by the CNE, restrictions on international observation by the European Union and the OAS, and reports of preclearance of candidates linked to the Chavista movement by the Supreme Tribunal. Several opposition parties and leaders accused the Maduro administration of employing mechanisms used in prior contests, such as control over media access, disqualification of rivals, and use of state institutions in favor of the PSUV. International reactions were polarized: the United States State Department, the EU External Action Service, and governments of Canada and many Latin American states refused to recognize the election as free and fair, citing lack of guarantees, while Russia, China, Turkey and Iran either recognized the process or expressed support for dialogue. Human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documented concerns about political persecution, electoral transparency and freedom of assembly, and migration organizations like the International Organization for Migration tracked displacement related to the crisis.
The CNE declared a large victory for the PSUV-led Great Patriotic Pole coalition, reporting gains in the National Assembly and a reduction in opposition representation, while turnout figures reported by the CNE were contested by opposition leaders and international analysts citing low participation and boycotts in many constituencies. The announced seat distribution altered the balance compared with the 2015 legislature dominated by the Democratic Unity Roundtable, with pro-government deputies from regions such as Zulia, Barinas and Miranda taking a majority. Notable elected figures included longstanding PSUV parliamentarians and newly promoted local leaders; opposition participation was fragmented with some seats claimed by dissident opposition lists. Independent electoral observers and academic analysts from institutions like the University of Oxford and think tanks in Washington, D.C. and Buenos Aires produced competing assessments of turnout and legitimacy.
Following the election, the National Assembly convened under a composition recognized by Maduro and allied states, while Juan Guaidó and segments of the opposition maintained claims to the 2015 mandate, perpetuating a dual-representation dispute that affected diplomatic recognition by countries including the United States and members of the European Union. Sanctions regimes administered by the United States Treasury and measures by Canada and the European Union remained in place and were adjusted in response to political developments, influencing negotiations mediated by actors such as Norway and regional bodies like the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The 2020 assembly reshaped bargaining over humanitarian aid, control of foreign assets in Cayman Islands and United States jurisdictions, and the strategic calculations of parties such as Primero Justicia and Popular Will ahead of future presidential and regional contests, while migration pressures continued to affect Colombia, Brazil and Peru and multilateral agencies including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees responded to humanitarian needs.
Category:Elections in Venezuela