At a Glance:

Government Portal [Spanish]

Year became a federation: 1830

Current constitution in force since: 1999

Constituent units: 23 states

Head of State: President

Head of Government: President

Legislature: National Assembly

Venezuela

VenezuelaFederalism in Venezuela

Venezuela has incorporated elements of federalism since 1811, but has also been a centralized federation despite the constitution’s affirmation that it is a decentralized federal state. The 1999 constitution contributed to intensifying centralization.

In 1810, Venezuela’s provinces declared independence from Spain. The Federal Constitution of 1811 included separation of powers and territorial power distribution. In the century that followed, there was a constant to-and-fro swing between centralism and federalism.

Democratization began in the 1930s but was interrupted by the 1945 October Revolution. Political decentralization began in 1989, including transfer of powers and jurisdiction to states.

The 1999 Constituent Assembly rewrote the constitution of Venezuela, adding social, economic and indigenous peoples’ rights. Major support for the new constitution came from the forces allied to President Hugo Chávez Frías, a former military officer. The constitution approved in a referendum that year confirmed a centralized approach, which gave greater powers to the president and abolished the Senate.

In 2007, President Chávez was granted special constitutional powers to rule by decree in many areas and the limits on the number of terms a president could be re-elected were abolished. However, other proposed constitutional reforms supported by the President were narrowly defeated in a referendum. The central government reduced its financial transfers to the states but began its own program of decentralization by funding the new “communal councils.”