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IV National Assembly of Venezuela

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IV National Assembly of Venezuela
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Overview
Legislative bodyNational Assembly
Jurisdiction Venezuela
Term5 January 2016 – 5 January 2021
Election2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election
Members167
PresidentHenry Ramos Allup (AD)
Julio Borges (PJ)
Omar Barboza (UNT)
Juan Guaidó (Independent)
Dinorah Figuera (PJ)
Party controlDemocratic Unity Roundtable
Palacio Federal Legislativo

The IV National Assembly of Venezuela was the fourth legislative term of the National Assembly of Venezuela, elected in the 2015 parliamentary election. It was installed on 5 January 2016 after the opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) won a two-thirds supermajority with a 74% turnout, marking the first defeat of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in a national election since it came to power.

The National Assembly's constitutional five-year term expired on 5 January 2021. However, its members continued to operate through the Delegated Commission, arguing that the 2020 and 2025 parliamentary elections lacked democratic guarantees and therefore did not produce a legitimate successor legislature. Since then, the National Assembly has maintained its own leadership and repeatedly extended its claim of constitutional continuity.

Current status (2021–present)

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On 26 December 2020, shortly before the expiration of its constitutional term, the National Assembly approved an agreement declaring the "constitutional and administrative continuity" of the legislature beyond 5 January 2021. The measure was justified by the Assembly on the grounds that the 2020 parliamentary election had not met constitutional or democratic standards and therefore had not produced a legitimate successor legislature.[1] As a result, the Assembly resolved to continue exercising certain constitutional functions through its Delegated Commission.

Following the beginning of the V Legislature on 5 January 2021, the 2015 Assembly ceased to meet in ordinary plenary sessions and instead operated through the Delegated Commission, a smaller body provided for under the 1999 Constitution to act on behalf of the Assembly during parliamentary recesses. Several deputies declined to participate in the continuity arrangement, either because they supported the 2020 parliamentary election or due to concerns over possible reprisals, leaving the Delegated Commission with only a fraction of the legislators originally elected in 2015.

The legal validity of the National Assembly's continued operation became a matter of political and constitutional dispute. Supporters argued that the continuation preserved the institutional legitimacy of the legislature until free and fair parliamentary elections could be held, while the government of Nicolás Maduro rejected the claim and recognized only the Assembly elected in 2020. The practical scope of the 2015 Assembly's actions gradually diminished after 2021 as it lost control of the legislative palace and most domestic state institutions.

The continuity arrangement also provided the legal basis for the continuation of the opposition's interim government headed by Juan Guaidó, whose claim to the interim presidency was based on his position as President of the National Assembly. In December 2022, however, the four largest opposition parties represented in the Assembly (Justice First, Democratic Action, Un Nuevo Tiempo, and Movement for Venezuela) proposed abolishing the interim government, arguing that it had failed to achieve its objectives and citing legal, political, and ethical concerns, including allegations of corruption. Guaidó opposed the proposal, describing it as unconstitutional and warning that it would strengthen the government of Nicolás Maduro. During a virtual meeting held on 30 December 2022, the Assembly approved the reform to the Transition Statute by a vote of 72 to 29, with eight abstentions, formally dissolving the interim government while maintaining the Delegated Commission of the 2015 legislature to oversee certain foreign assets and continue its claim of institutional continuity.[2][3][4]

Following the dissolution of the interim government, the Assembly elected a new leadership for the 2023–2024 legislative session. On the proposal of the Democratic Action parliamentary group, deputy Dinorah Figuera (PJ) was elected President of the National Assembly and was sworn in during a virtual meeting on 5 January 2023. Marianela Fernández (UNT) and Auristela Vásquez (AD) were elected first and second vice presidents, respectively.[5][6] On 5 January 2024, they were re-elected to continue leading the Delegated Commission.[7] Earlier, in December 2023, the Assembly had approved a reform to the Statute Governing the Transition to Democracy extending its claim of constitutional continuity for an additional twelve months, arguing that the measure would remain in force until free and transparent parliamentary elections could be held.[8]

Following the disputed 2024 presidential election, it was announced on 14 December 2024 that the Assembly had approved a further extension of its claim of constitutional continuity until 6 January 2026, intended to allow the 2015 Assembly to swear in opposition candidate Edmundo González as President of Venezuela in 2025 amid the ensuing political crisis.[9][10] However, González, who had gone into exile in Spain, was unable to return to Venezuela, and the inauguration did not take place.

On 18 June 2026, Assembly president Dinorah Figuera returned to Venezuela for the first time since leaving the country for exile in Spain in 2018. During her visit, she met at the Federal Legislative Palace with Jorge Rodríguez, to address issues such as the appointment of a new National Electoral Council. Figuera also met with U.S. chargé d'affaires John Barrett, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Michael Kozak, and representatives of the Unitary Platform. She stated that she had accepted the invitation of the U.S. State Department "in her capacity as president of the 2015 National Assembly, an institution that the United States continues to recognize."[11][12][13]

Major events

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Leadership

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No. Portrait Name Term of Office State Legislature Party
7 Henry Ramos Allup 5 January 2016 5 January 2017 Capital District 4th Democratic Action (MUD)
8 Julio Borges 5 January 2017 5 January 2018 Miranda Justice First (MUD)
9 Omar Barboza 5 January 2018 5 January 2019 Zulia A New Era(MUD)
10 Juan Guaidó 5 January 2019 5 January 2023 Vargas Independent (MUD)
11 Dinorah Figuera[14] 5 January 2023 present Aragua Justice First (MUD)

Parties

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Map of Venezuela. Blue denotes districts won by the MUD and allies, Red denotes those won by the PSUV and allies.
Democratic Unity Roundtable (64)
  PJ (30)
  UNT (15)
  VP (14)
  MPV (es) (1)
  COPEI (1)
  PRVZL (1)
  CC (es) (1)