Communal Councils within Venezuela

1. Communal Councils within Venezuela Connie Eldridge Donnie Welch Jack Grossman Andrew Macias

2. History of Communal Councils • 1980s, Venezuela began a process to decentralize some governmental powers • Mayoral elections and the handing over new responsibilities to local governments. • Chávez was elected president in 1998, and he continued to decentralize governmental power, he changed the emphasis of the process. • He called for transferring power not to local government, but directly to popular movements. • Bolivarian Circles were formed • Were officially autonomous, but were closely linked the government which they were supportive of. • At Chávez’s behest, the Bolivarian Circles were mostly succeeded by Electoral Battle Units (UBEs), which mobilized the pro-Chávez vote for elections.

3. History of Communal Councils • Article 182 of the Constitution established the Law of Local Public Planification Councils (CLPP’s) • Required that the 335 municipalities implement them by the 12th of October, 2002. Gave citizens, politicians, and bureaucrats the ability to collaborate at the city level to address local problems. • Councils were composed of a mayor, governor, members of the city council, as well as representatives of neighborhood organizations and general citizens • 2005: most of the Local Public Planning Councils had become stifled by bureaucracy and dominated by politicians

4. History of Communal Councils • In April 2006, the Venezuelan government passed the Law on Communal Councils • The Communal Councils Law called for the councils to decide their own geographic limits, but also follow a detailed set of guidelines. • The law aimed to expand participation in the democratic process by the masses

5. Structure Of Communal Councils • Group of elected people from a self-defined residential neighborhood of about 150-400 families in urban areas, or 20 families in rural areas, and potentially 10 in indigenous communities • Principal decision making body is the citizens’ assembly

6. Structure Continued… • Formal functioning is composed of following 5 units: • Executive Body • Financial Management • Unit of Social Oversight (Anti-corruption) • Community Coordination Collective • All council members are elected by the citizens’ assembly for a period of 2 years.

7. Citizens’ Assembly • All members within the defined community above the age of 15 can participate in citizens’ assemblies • Power to elect and revoke community spokespeople to the communal council • Assembly elections are done directly and in secret • Other decisions are done by majority of raised hands • Meetings are 2-6 hour public events often held outdoors in the streets • Attendance from the community varies from 50-150 citizens • Frequency of assemblies also vary from weekly to once a month

8. Executive Body • Consists of: • One elected spokesperson from each work committee or community organization • One elected spokesperson from each of any defined micro-neighborhoods • One elected spokesperson from any formed commissions (no formal hierarchy exists among spokespeople) • Examples of work committees and community organizations within a communal council include (but are not limited to): • Land committees – Health committees – Cultural groups –Sports clubs –Water boards – Energy boards –Transportation organizations – Environmental groups

9. Financial Management Unit • Group of 5 community members elected by the Citizens’ Assembly • Group is responsible for administrating financial and non-financial resource generated, allocated, or awarded to the council. • Promote the creation of cooperatives for local development projects, and drive efforts towards the participatory budget and prioritizing of community necessities • They support local economies, micro-financing, provide social assistance resources and present accounts when requested

10. Unit of Social Oversight • Group of 5 community members elected by the Citizens’ Assembly • Independent group who monitor and report on the application of council resources and activities towards the community development plan • Also known as the Anti-corruption Unit

11. Community Coordination Collective • Made up of the community organization • Informs and trains community members • Coordinates with the local community-based “militias,” or army reserves.

12. Funding Communal Councils • Individual Councils apply separately for funds • The request is first sent to the local municipality for review • As of 2007 there were 19,500 councils registered • It is then sent to the Presidential Commission of Popular Power, which will give projects the go-ahead as long as they are legally valid • The money is then delivered by the • GabinetesMoviles: considered by Chavez to be the most influential piece of the Bolivarian Revolution as they “sustain the modernization of the councils dedicated to the sustainable development of the nation. “ • This Commission is lead by a number of governmental ministers hand picked by Chavez

13. Funding Communal Councils • Funding for councils can come from national, state, or city governments • Funding also comes from councils own fundraising or from donations • The funds are managed by an elected Financial Management Unit • Financial Management Unit • Group of five community leaders elected by the Citizens Assembly • Citizens Assembly: monitor and report on the application of council resources • Responsible for financial and non-financial resources allocated • They support local economies • Unit of Social Oversight: group of five community members elected by Citizens Assembly • An independent group who report on the application of council resources geared toward a community development plan • Originally councils could apply for up to $14,000 in funding per project • The funding limit has now increased to $28,000 for second-time applicants • Nearly 300 communal banks have been established, which have received $70 million in loans (as of 2007)

14. Comparisons to Other Examples of Community Governance • Most similar to a tribal or community meeting within small rural communities • Exclusive to tiny communities though • Communal councils are apparent throughout a larger spectrum • Has similar attributes of town meeting • Discussion and voting on important topics within the community • Communal councils meet more regularly than the town meeting model • Communal council is an overall blend of many different ideologies revolving around political input

15. Present situation regarding Communal Councils • Eight months after the law pass, approximately 16 thousand councils formed within the country • 12 thousand of the groups received funding projects • By March 2007, there was an estimated 19,500 councils registered. • As of April 2007 a majority of the groups are in the process of establishing a legitimate group by registering their official documents, electing spokespersons, and formalizing their structure according to the new law

16. Future of the Communal Councils • Critic’s believe that the councils will be used as a means of Chavez’s political control • Depends on Chavez’s hold on them • Opposition groups to Chavez attempting to use them for their own advantage • Opposition won a third of vote and are becoming interested in communal councils • Thoughts also persist that the councils will establish their own political identity • Demands for more say within funding rules and powers • The council may reinvent the participatory government style that Chavez attempted to use for his advancement http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2257 http://links.org.au/node/231

17. Questions for Consideration • What do you think the future holds for communal councils? • Do you think that communal councils are just an extension of Chavez’s power or that they actually play a dominant role within the government?