Venezuela initiates national consultation on penal justice reform in Zulia and Lara

The Venezuelan government launched a National Consultation on Penal Justice Reform in the states of Zulia and Lara. In Zulia, the meeting took place at the Institute for the Control and Conservation of the Maracaibo Lake Basin auditorium, while in Lara it was held at the Julio Pérez Rojas government auditorium in Barquisimeto. Attorney General Larry Devoe Márquez chaired both sessions, outlining two main objectives: to produce a shared diagnosis of court and prison conditions and to draft a concrete roadmap to address structural flaws.

Key participants included Governor Luis Caldera of Zulia, Defender of the People Eglée González Lobato, Deputy Jorge Arreaza, and other high‑level officials from the judicial, police and penitentiary sectors. González Lobato emphasized the need to "humanize the judicial process" and to focus on the impact of the reform on citizens’ lives rather than the number of laws changed. Devoe highlighted victim protection, stating that the state must provide mechanisms for victims to access justice. The consultation also noted the presence of five indigenous peoples in Zulia, calling for the inclusion of ancestral justice practices in the reform.

The process aims to reduce case backlogs, improve prison conditions, and align the criminal justice system with constitutional principles and human‑rights standards.