Venezuela: NGOs urge CNE renewal before December

Fourteen non-governmental organizations have urged the renewal of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) before December. The groups argue that current legislation allows for this renewal within approximately two months, suggesting that an October timeline is possible if there is political will. They emphasize that a new CNE board and a reformed Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) are essential, concrete results needed from the ongoing political dialogue between the opposition and the government, which is being facilitated by the United States.

Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly, announced that the next phase of negotiations, scheduled for September, will focus on political and civil guarantees. The agenda includes the reinstitutionalization of the TSJ and CNE, the protection of freedom of expression, and the recovery of political party symbols and spaces for opposition groups.

NGOs warned that delaying the electoral renewal could deepen public uncertainty and institutional instability. They stated that establishing transparent institutions with qualified personnel would serve as a credible signal that the dialogue can lead to a path toward democratic reinstitutionalization.