The tides have changed dramatically in Venezuela’s political sphere. After years of violent street demonstrations and a controversial socialist administration, Venezuela’s new congress has been sworn in, ushering in an era of change for the politically turbulent region.
According to NBC News, it will be the first time in 17 years that candidates in the opposition will control any South American institution since the socialist party began its reign via President Hugo Chavez’ revolution.
These new lawmakers are already speaking firmly on their promises to make changes across the South American country.
However, things looked shaky at first for the new congress. President Nicolas Maduro was extremely adamant about not allowing the new legislature to erase the work done by Chavez’s revolution. Additionally, Venezuela’s Supreme Court barred three of the newly appointed opposition lawmakers from taking their seats, hoping to take away the opposition party’s two-thirds majority.
And as of yesterday, more than a dozen justices were appointed to Venezuela’s Supreme Court, stripping the opposition of their two-thirds supermajority, and effectively preventing newly elected lawmakers from actually taking office.
But Henry Ramos, the new Congress’s president, is calling for President Maduro’s resignation, as he claims it will save the country from impending political crisis.
In fact, the opposition stated that Maduro will be out of office within the next six months. They did however, promise that the change would be brought about in a “constitutional” manner.
And with talks of more violence looming over Venezuela, tensions are even higher. In 2014, anti-government protesters took to the street, resulting in street violence and the death of 43 citizens.
And if you look to the streets, you’ll see further evidence of Venezuela’s politically turbulent past. While graffiti is one of the most common types of vandalism, it is also used to make subversive political statements of unrest. In many parts of the country, the face of Hugo Chavez, the former social president, can be seen on buildings and walls.
With the new changes setting in, who knows what’s next for the streets of Venezuela.