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Maduro unveils constitutional reform aimed at strengthening his authoritarian regime

Venezuelan president’s widely contested constitutional reform proposal aims to consolidate power and punish opposition with harsher penalties

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s de facto president, has unveiled a controversial draft constitutional reform that aims to update the 1999 charter but which many critics see as another attempt to consolidate his authoritarian regime. The reform, which includes 80 new articles, would be introduced under the guise of “adapting the Constitution to new times,” but in reality it could make things worse for the opposition by increasing political repression.

According to Maduro, the project is supposed to expand democracy, but in reality it risks consolidating government control over local and regional institutions, with the introduction of a community power that would answer directly to Caracas. This centralized model could further reduce the autonomy of governors and mayors, making any form of opposition more difficult in areas not under direct government control.

Maduro also stressed the need for harsher penalties against what he calls “fascist threats,” a term he regularly uses to label his political opponents, particularly opposition leader María Corina Machado. The proposal risks making it even more difficult for the political opposition to operate, with the introduction of punitive measures that could further stifle dissent.

With this reform, Maduro seems intent on strengthening his control over Venezuelan institutions, further undermining the country’s already precarious democratic process. The international community, which has already questioned the legitimacy of his presidency, whose election is not recognized by many countries due to alleged fraud in last year’s July vote, sees this proposal as another step toward establishing an increasingly autocratic regime.

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