Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez officially announced on Friday the ending of the second round of talks between the delegation of the Venezuelan government and former lawmakers of the 2015 National Assembly, completing a discussion agenda focused on peace and institutional stability.
During this phase, Rodríguez said that seven sessions were held in total, distributed across two plenary sessions and five technical sessions, as part of a methodology structured around two special areas of discussion. The first focused on freedom of expression, plurality of thought, and the right to information.
He explained that in this session it was agreed to support the announcement made by the Venezuelan government to continue and expand the lifting of administrative measures against news portals, websites, and electronic media.
Jorge Rodríguez, leader of the government delegation, and Dinorah Figuera, leading the 2015 National Assembly members, read the joint statement during a press conference on Friday, September 25.
Rodríguez added that a call will be made to all forces in the public and private sectors to contribute, from their respective spaces, to democratic coexistence, peace, and national unity. He also explained that the government will promote an agenda of discussion on the use of the national radio spectrum that contemplates reviewing its legal framework.
Judicial branch
Former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera, head of the far-right opposition delegation, said that in the second session, focused on strengthening democracy and the judicial branch, it was agreed to form the Council for the Review of Credentials and Requirements of Candidates for the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).
This body was made up of jurists Belén Ramírez Landaeta, Rogelio Pérez Perdomo, Bernardo Pulido Márquez, Silio Sánchez, Deyanira Nieves, Federico Fuenmayor, and María Bernadoni Govea.
She also explained that at the next ordinary session of the National Assembly, progress will be made on the designation of the Preliminary Commission of the Judicial Nominations Committee, as well as on publishing the schedule of the corresponding procedure.
Finally, Figuera stressed that the analysis and review of legislative instruments necessary for the transformation of the justice system will continue.
Restrictions on news outlets lifted
Earlier on Friday, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the lifting of administrative restrictions on a new group of news outlets and websites that had been blocked nationwide, in connection with the decisions agreed in the dialogue.
On September 17, the Venezuelan government, through CONATEL, the telecommunications authority, announced the lifting of administrative measures on the first group of sanctioned websites, as reported by Orinoco Tribune. This time, news outlets close to the Venezuelan far-right opposition announced that so far, 62 outlets and websites were reported unblocked.
At the time many Chavista influencers questioned the effectiveness of such administrative measures, given that the far-right destabilization trends coming from these outlets reached millions vis social media platforms, even beyond the communication efforts of the Venezuelan government.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
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