Outrage in Venezuela despite court move to reverse decision on legislative power

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters during his weekly broadcast “Los Domingos con Maduro” (The Sundays with Maduro) in Caracas, Venezuela April 2, 2017.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court’s decision on Saturday to back down from its disgraceful decision to strip the Congress of its legislative powers should not be interpreted by anyone as a demonstration of respect for, and commitment to democracy.

The Supreme Court’s rulings last week effectively dissolved the opposition-majority legislature, overturned every law it had passed since taking office December 2015 in landslide elections, and revoked lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution – spurring fears President Nicolas Maduro is getting ready to purge the opposition from the legislature.

The country’s top court had on March 29 stripped legislative powers from the National Assembly, the sole institution that was not in control of the current government, which triggered a cascade of protests across the country and invited global censure.

Opposition leaders sought to galvanize their case against the Maduro government and said the government’s apparent reversal of the court ruling would not alter their plans.

The court on Saturday released new rulings that appeared to reinstate congress’ authority.

Police with riot shields stood on Tuesday morning around Caracas’ Plaza Venezuela, where opposition supporters had planned to meet before walking to the National Assembly.

On Wednesday, the court ruled that all powers vested under the legislative body would be transferred to the court, which is stacked with government loyalists.

Attorney General Luisa Ortega denounced on live state television what she called a “rupture of constitutional order”.

“This clearly constitutes a milestone in recent political Venezuelan history”, said Angel Alvarez, a political consultant.

The tribunal’s ruling last week that it was taking over functions of the opposition-led National Assembly triggered widespread worldwide condemnation.

While the country remained largely calm, several dozen anti-government protesters blocked a highway in Caracas amid widely disseminated rumors that top opposition leaders had left the country.

“What we have warned of has finally come to pass”, said Luis Almagro, the secretary-general of the organization, who has spent much of the past year chastising the government, even accusing Maduro of aiming to become a “petty dictator”. Some labeled it a coup d’etat. It grants Maduro new powers to enter into joint-venture business investments and oil projects with foreign partners, deals that are supposed to require lawmakers’ approval. Many Venezuelans are going hungry in a food shortage, and others are dying of treatable diseases due to a lack of medicine.

Although scores of dissidents have been detained during Maduro’s four-year rule and the National Assembly stripped of power anyway in practice, the court’s move was arguably the most explicitly anti-democratic measure.

Still, Russia is becoming an increasingly crucial financier for isolated Maduro at a time when many other foreign companies were already reluctant to pour money into Venezuela given the poor business climate and debts.

Associated Press writer Fabiola Sanchez reported this story in Caracas and AP writer Joshua Goodman reported from Bogota, Colombia.