Venezuela’s government and representatives of the opposition announced a landmark agreement to reform the country’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, concluding a first round of US-backed dialogue aimed at overhauling the nation’s judicial and electoral institutions.
The two delegations agreed to “renew and expand the judicial nominations committee” and launch a “new nomination process” for the appointment of all Supreme Court justices, according to a joint announcement made at a press conference at the Melá Hotel in Caracas. A council will be established to review the credentials and requirements of nominees to ensure transparency in the selection process.
Part of Broader US-Backed Dialogue
The agreement effectively replaces a process the National Assembly had launched in May following a reform that increased the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) from 20 to 32 members and a preliminary evaluation of magistrate candidates. Instead, the delegations opted for a comprehensive renewal under the framework of the dialogue initiative that formally began on August 6 between the Maduro government and representatives of the defunct 2015 National Assembly.
The Trump administration has welcomed the talks as part of a “three-phase plan” that the US says will culminate in a “political transition” in Venezuela. The dialogue represents a significant step in the ongoing diplomatic engagement between President Nicolás Maduro’s government and the US-backed opposition faction, with the two sides holding daily meetings split between plenary and working sessions from August 6 through August 12.
Post-Earthquake Recovery and Gold Reserves
Beyond judicial reform, the two sides also pledged to “work on strengthening programs for housing, electricity, healthcare, and debris removal” in the wake of the devastating June 24 earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s northern coast. The twin magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes killed at least 920 people and caused an estimated $6.7 billion in direct physical damage, according to the United Nations Development Programme. The World Bank has estimated total economic losses could reach nearly $20 billion once indirect impacts are factored in.
The delegations also agreed to work on recovering Venezuela’s gold reserves frozen at the Bank of England, a long-standing grievance of the Venezuelan government. Under the Venezuelan Constitution, the appointment of electoral and judicial authorities is the exclusive competency of the legislature, giving the National Assembly a central role in the reform process.
The agreement on the Supreme Court renewal comes as Venezuela faces mounting pressure from both domestic and international forces to restore democratic institutions. The TSJ has long been criticized as a rubber stamp for the ruling party, with reports indicating that between 2004 and 2014, the court never delivered a ruling against the Chávez or Maduro governments. The reform process is being closely watched as a potential model for political reconciliation in a country that has been deeply polarized for over two decades.
Sources: Venezuelanalysis; LatinNews; Reuters; United Nations Development Programme
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