Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
The 1999 constitution weaponized for chavismo and contested ever since.
Overview
Drafted by an assembly dominated by supporters of Hugo Chavez after his 1998 election and approved by referendum in December 1999, the Venezuelan Constitution renamed the country a Bolivarian republic, extended presidential terms to six years with immediate reelection, and created a recall referendum among participatory mechanisms. It strengthened social rights and indigenous recognition, winning early praise. In practice, the 2017 constituent assembly and court packing turned its mechanisms against alternation, and the 2018 2020 disputed mandates produced parallel government claims. It stands as a central case of constitutional backsliding through formal amendment and capture.
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