Tomás Guanipa proposes repeal of Venezuela's Law Against Hate

Venezuelan deputy Tomás Guanipa has formally submitted a bill to the National Assembly to repeal the Law Against Hate, Constitutional Law for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance. Guanipa, representing the Libertad faction and the Unión y Cambio movement, characterized the existing legislation as a tool for political persecution and repression used over the last 27 years.

During his presentation, Guanipa argued that the law has been utilized to arrest thousands of citizens, cause loss of life, and force exiles. He called for the repeal to serve as a step toward national reconciliation and the restoration of democratic freedoms. Furthermore, he demanded that judges who applied this law to criminalize political dissent be held accountable and investigated for arbitrary judicial actions.

Guanipa challenged the ruling party to engage in a substantive debate regarding a new law of coexistence that ensures citizens are no longer persecuted for their opinions or convictions.