Venezuela's Maduro Vows to Veto Amnesty Law

The Venezuelan National Assembly approved an amnesty bill on March 29 aimed at liberating nearly 80 political prisoners that were jailed by President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez. After a heated debate that lasted over six hours, the approval of the bill caused commotion in Congress as pro-government legislators argued in disagreement and the families of prisoners shouted "Freedom!" from the chamber's balcony.

Among the prisoners is Leopoldo López, an opposition leader who was jailed in 2014 after leading street protests against President Maduro. Following the approval of the bill, López’s wife, Lilian Tintori, tweeted, “I can’t wait to get home to tell my children that their dad will come home in a few days!”

According to opposition lawmaker Delsa Solórzano, the law “is aimed at laying the foundations for national reconciliation.”

However, President Maduro has vowed to veto the bill. “You can be certain that that law will not be making it through here. Whatever the opposition does, I will not pass laws that forgive terrorists and criminals,” he declared in a nationally televised speech.

Under the Venezuelan constitution, the president has 10 days to approve or veto a law, but the National Assembly can override the veto with an absolute majority. The president can also send the bill to the Supreme Court if he has doubts about its constitutionality.

After declaring the law “the most criminal law that has ever been approved in the country,” President Maduro called for public dialogues across the country for the people to give their opinion on “what the President should do” with the bill.

Following Maduro’s declaration, Lilian Tintori tweeted, “there is no way to veto the amnesty bill because it is a democratic and legal tool.”

On Tuesday April 5, Georgetown University’s Latin American Student Association and Center for Latin American studies will host a conversation with Tintori and Patricia de Ceballos on political prisoners, human rights, and the future of democracy in Venezuela.