Diplomater kastas ut ur Venezuela – är ”tjatig”

Constituent Assembly elections were held in Venezuela on 30 July 2017 to elect the members of the 2017 Constituent National Assembly. Unlike the 1999 Constituent National Assembly, which was assembled following a referendum, the 2017 election was convened by the presidential decree of President Nicolás Maduro. Approximately two-thirds (364) of Assembly members were elected by municipal citizens while members of seven social sectors — including trade unions, communal councils, indigenous groups, farmers, students, and pensioners — elected the remaining one-third (181) of members. The new constitution proposed by the Constituent Assembly will be subject to approval by referendum. The opposition's refusal to contest the election meant that most candidates of the Constituent Assembly were likely to be supporters of the government. The upcoming regional and presidential elections may also be delayed from their planned dates under a new constitution since no timeline was given for the rewrite. The decision to hold the election has been criticised by members of the international community. Over 40 countries along with supranational bodies, such as the European Union, Mercosur and the Organization of American States, condemned and failed to recognize the election, stating it would only further escalate tensions. President Maduro's allies — such as Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria — discouraged foreign intervention in Venezuelan politics and congratulated the president.