The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) on Wednesday condemned the arrest warrant issued by a judge in Florida against Cuba's nonagenarian communist dictator Raúl Castro — reiterating support for their ideological mentors in the Castro regime.
The post Venezuela’s Ruling Socialists Condemn Florida for Raúl Castro Arrest Warrant appeared first on Breitbart.
Julio Martínez Martínez, amigo y socio empresarial del expresidente José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero explicó ante el juez José Luis Calama, instructor del caso Plus Ultra, cómo utilizaba los contactos del expresidente en Venezuela para gestionar asuntos de sus "clientes", según consta en su declaración, a la que ha tenido acceso El Independiente. Durante el interrogatorio, Martínez Martínez reconoció que su acceso a las autoridades del país se apoyaba en su relación con el expresidente y situó a Delcy Rodríguez, entonces vicepresidenta venezolana, como su principal interlocutora en el país. Entre los encargos que describió figuran la gestión de permisos para vuelos, la búsqueda de mejores precios de combustible con la petrolera estatal PDVSA y los trámites vinculados a una concesión minera.
Julio Martínez conoció a Zapatero en 2011, cuando compró una vivienda al expresidente en Almería. A finales de 2019, ambos quedaron vinculados a la consultora Análisis Relevante, ahora también investigada por Calama, de la que Martínez era socio mayoritario, ya que el expresidente Zapatero figuraba como consultor principal. La relación entre ambos fue también, según el propio Martínez, la clave para abrirle puertas en Venezuela.
"Yo en Venezuela tengo ese acceso a todo por el señor Zapatero", declaró al explicar cómo podía realizar gestiones en el país. Y fue aún más explícito al referirse al peso que atribuía al expresidente: "Sin el señor Zapatero no podría hacer nada en Venezuela". Martínez sostuvo que ese acceso no significaba que Zapatero tuviera que intervenir personalmente en cada operación, pero sí que su relación con él le permitía desenvolverse en el entorno de las autoridades venezolanas.
Fue a través de esa conexión, según explicó, como conoció a Delcy Rodríguez. El empresario resumió que el origen de su contacto fue "a través del presidente Zapatero" En ese momento, según confirmó, Delcy Rodríguez terminó convirtiéndose en la persona a la que acudía habitualmente para trasladar los asuntos que necesitaba resolver. "Mi relación fundamental en Venezuela es con la vicepresidenta", afirmó durante el interrogatorio.
Martínez describió un procedimiento concreto en el que planteaba la cuestión a Delcy Rodríguez y, a partir de ahí, ella le dirigía al ministro o al responsable público que correspondiera. Cuando el instructor le preguntó si primero contactaba con la vicepresidenta y después trataba con el departamento competente, respondió: "Sí, siempre". Esa interlocución, según su relato, abarcaba asuntos de naturaleza muy distinta, desde operaciones aéreas hasta proyectos empresariales.
Uno de ellos estaba relacionado con el suministro de combustible. Martínez explicó que Plus Ultra arrastraba una dificultad con PDVSA por el precio que se le aplicaba al combustible y que él intervino para intentar resolverla, siempre con la ayuda de la actual presidenta de Venezuela. El socio de Zapatero también relató el caso de los vuelos chárter a la isla venezolana de Margarita vinculados a un operador polaco. Martínez Martínez explicó que el precio del combustible hacía inviable la operación, por lo que se encargó de buscar una tarifa de "cliente internacional".
Al detallar esas gestiones, Martínez volvió a situar a Delcy como su contacto inicial. A partir de ella, explicó, podía intervenir el responsable correspondiente. En función del asunto, explicó, se hablaba al Ministerio de Transportes o a PDVSA entre otros. Su declaración vincula así la interlocución política con gestiones empresariales concretas, aunque no implica que la vicepresidenta fijara personalmente los precios ni que decidiera cada trámite.
La actividad que describió no se limitaba al sector aéreo. Martínez también explicó que trabajó para los hermanos Domingo y Guillermo Amaro Chacón en relación con una importante concesión minera en Venezuela. Como ellos no podían desplazarse al país en aquel momento, asumió, según sus palabras, "toda interlocución con la parte pública".
En ese proyecto tuvo que tratar con el Ministerio de Minas y con la Corporación Venezolana de Minería (CBM). Martínez habló de numerosos trámites administrativos, permisos y gestiones ante los responsables públicos. Durante la relación, señaló, cambiaron varios ministros y presidentes de la corporación, por lo que fue necesario retomar determinadas gestiones con los nuevos responsables. También en este caso situó a la actual presidenta de Venezuela como la persona a la que acudía para abrir la interlocución con la Administración.
Otro ejemplo que aportó fue el de Turboven, una compañía vinculada a la producción de electricidad en Venezuela. Martínez explicó que le encargaron gestionar la situación de una planta que había sido ocupada por las autoridades venezolanas y tratar de que se reconociera como una expropiación. Al preguntarle ante quién había realizado esas gestiones, contestó: "Yo hago esa gestión, como siempre, ante la vicepresidenta". También relató una reunión en Caracas con ella y el propietario de la empresa.
Durante el interrogatorio, Martínez explicó asimismo que muchas de las anotaciones de su agenda correspondían a peticiones de inversores que trasladaba a sus contactos en Venezuela. Citó a interesados de distintas nacionalidades y puso como ejemplo una empresa canadiense interesada en una gran concesión minera. Según declaró, su papel consistía en hacer llegar esas solicitudes y ayudar a encauzarlas ante las autoridades competentes.
La declaración dibuja así el papel que Martínez atribuía a sus contactos. Siendo Zapatero, según su versión, la vía que le permitió acceder al entorno de las autoridades venezolanas; Delcy se convirtió en su interlocutora habitual, y desde ella canalizaba gestiones que afectaban a clientes y proyectos empresariales. No todos los asuntos eran iguales ni dependían del mismo organismo, pero el empresario describió el mismo esquema para llegar a los responsables públicos.
Las delegaciones del chavismo y la oposición venezolana concluyeron este martes su tercera ronda de negociaciones políticas en Caracas sin que se hicieran públicos acuerdos definitivos entre ambas delegaciones. El anuncio de los resultados de esta tercera ronda, que se esperaba para la tarde, terminó demorando varias horas, y fue formalizado sobre las nueve de la noche. Con el fin de esta jornada se ha dado término a una intensa agenda de 10 días de trabajo. La próxima sesión, la cuarta, ha quedado prevista para el mes de noviembre.
© Miguel Gutiérrez (EFE)
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez delivered the announcement during a visit to the Nueve Raíces de Simón communal circuit, where she urged the country’s youth to prepare actively for what she described as a democratic appointment that will mark the direction of the coming year.
Rodríguez said the process aims to vindicate the talent, creativity and ingenuity of the new generations and to propel Venezuela toward fresh development opportunities. The call places younger Venezuelans at the center of a participatory model that has gathered strength since 2024.
RELATED: Venezuela to Begin Funding Projects Selected in Popular Consultation Next Week
The announcement lands days after the Second National Popular Consultation of 2026, held on October 18. It was the eighth nationwide vote of its kind since 2024, and officials described the turnout as massive and successful. That result has now been translated into a fresh appeal aimed specifically at young people, signaling the government’s intention to widen the base of participants in community decision-making.
🗳️🔥 ¡LA JUVENTUD SE PREPARA: NUEVA CONSULTA EN FEBRERO 2027!🇻🇪✨
— Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Juventud (@Minjuventud__ve) October 21, 2026
Tras una participación histórica en la pasada Consulta Nacional Popular, la ruta continúa: ¡Jóvenes de toda Venezuela a prepararse desde ya! 💪🌱
El compromiso no se detiene: es momento de seguir adelante,… pic.twitter.com/YyOteBQqLT
Text reads: “Youth is preparing: new consultation in February 2027! After a historic participation in the last National Popular Consultation, the route continues: Young people from all over Venezuela to prepare now! The commitment does not stop: it’s time to move forward, organize and execute projects that will transform our territories.”
Millions of residents from communities across the country turned out on October 18, prompting the National Electoral Council (CNE) to extend voting by one hour.
The scale of the exercise was measured in large numbers. More than 5,418 communes and communal circuits coordinated the work of over 48,000 communal councils, and voters selected among 37,205 priority community projects eligible for public financing.
Rodríguez has championed the consultation model as a vehicle for what officials call popular power. In separate remarks, she described participation in the October exercise as extraordinary, linking the strong turnout to a broader effort to place public decision-making directly in the hands of organized communities rather than distant institutions.
One of the most notable features of the October consultation was the first-time inclusion of condominium boards, which put forward 428 projects. Acting President Rodríguez celebrated that milestone on social media, underscoring the importance of keeping decisions about everyday matters firmly in the hands of communities themselves.
The proposals reflected local priorities. Acting President Rodríguez had previously detailed that 14% of the projects corresponded to the water sector, followed by initiatives in road infrastructure, lighting, electricity, public services and productive activities, showing residents directing public resources toward their most pressing daily needs.
With the youth consultation now scheduled for February 2027, the Acting President called young Venezuelans to assume what she called absolute protagonism in the process. Organizers expect the new consultation to build on the machinery tested in October and to channel the energy of younger generations into decisions that will shape the country’s near-term path.
Venezuela needs a competent supreme court, truly independent political parties, the freedom of its political prisoners, and the restored trust of its people for a democratic transition to successfully take place, Dinorah Figuera, the leader of the opposition delegation negotiating that transition, told Breitbart News.
The post Exclusive — Dinorah Figuera, the Woman Leading Venezuela’s Road to Elections: ‘The Interests of the Country Come First’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Unas 900.000 flores frescas colgadas de paredes, columnas y techos, latas de caviar para cada invitado, Dom Pérignon, tres trajes de novia y una orquesta de 30 músicos. El salón de baile del hotel Waldorf Astoria de Nueva York acogió en septiembre una boda montada en menos de tres meses y que costó en torno a 10 millones de dólares, según la prensa estadounidense. Era la semana de la Asamblea General de la ONU, con Manhattan llena de jefes de Estado y diplomáticos, y la fiesta reunió a grandes figuras del poder estadounidense, oligarcas, políticos congoleños, al rapero Nelly sobre el escenario y hasta al exboxeador Mike Tyson. Pero la celebración congregó, sobre todo, a la plana mayor del trumpismo: el fiscal general, Todd Blanche; el director del FBI, Kash Patel, y el asesor legal de la Casa Blanca, Will Scharf. Una boda MAGA de revista.
© @alina_habba
The meeting brought together the Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela (Fedecámaras), the Federation of Chambers and Companies of Venezuela (Fedeindustria) and the country’s various union confederations.
The dialogue table evaluated the progress made in the days of debate focused on restoring workers’ purchasing power.
RELATED: Venezuela Promotes Venezuela Feeds Plan and Local Economy Law to Achieve “Hunger 0”
Three core areas shaped the agenda. The first was the progressive conversion of workers’ income into formal salary, a shift the government describes as progressive salary restructuring.
The second involved adjusting salary scales and tables. The third centered on designing guarantees of stability for Venezuelan workers. In this sense, the working group also reviewed draft laws and regulatory instruments meant to shield the framework of social and economic protection for workers.
Venezuelan Acting President Rodríguez reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the inalienable rights conquered by the people. She insisted on preserving the workday, end of year bonuses, additional bonuses, vacations, seniority premiums and social benefits in the face of external economic aggression. Following this, the authorities said the three-way dialogue strengthens the model of social justice and lays the groundwork for sovereign economic growth.
The government’s participants included Economy Minister and sector Vice-president Anabel Pereira, Sectoral Vice President for Social and Territorial Socialism Héctor Rodríguez, Planning Minister Ricardo Menéndez and Economy Sectoral Vice-President Calixto Ortega. Labor Minister Carlos Alexis Castillo, University Education Minister Ana María San Juan and Presidential Commissioner for the Constituent Assembly and Labor Consensus Eduardo Piñate also attended.
The labor meeting follows Rodríguez’s announcement days earlier before the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that the executive will submit a draft Law for the Local Economy to the National Assembly.
Rodríguez explained that the legal text has as its strategic objective the dynamization of the domestic productive apparatus through the effective linkage of the different economic sectors of the country. Before the multilateral delegations, the Venezuelan Acting President detailed the guiding principles of the norm, designed to strengthen the food sovereignty and security of the Venezuelan people against the blockade of foreign powers.
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez congratulated citizens who participated on Sunday in the Second 2026 National Popular Consultation and emphasized that investment funds for the selected projects are ready for implementation.
RELATED:
Venezuela Popular Consultation: 37,205 Projects Put to Historic Vote
The Acting President described participation as extraordinary and expressed satisfaction with the process’s results. “I could only say that I feel very happy. I thank you and congratulate you,” she said.
Rodriguez said the consultation reflects a democracy that is growing stronger and respects the decisions of communities organized into neighborhood circuits. “I want to congratulate all Venezuelan citizens who have participated in this consultation because it represents a genuine belief in a democracy that is growing stronger,” the president said during a telephone interview.
Rodriguez said the next step is to fulfill the commitments and implement the approved projects, for which investment funds are already available. “I am making the most important announcement: The investment funds for these projects are already ready to be allocated for their implementation,” she emphasized.
Venezuela’s acting president called for continuing along the path of respect for democratic and peaceful coexistence, in which popular organizations guide decisions within their communities and condominium boards.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: teleSUR
Venezuela popular consultation lets more than 5,400 communes choose from 37,205 community projects, expanding participation to condominium boards.
Related: Venezuela Holds the Second National Popular Consultation of 2026
The Venezuela popular consultation is taking place across the country on Sunday, October 18, as more than 5,400 communes choose between 37,205 community development projects.
Venezuela’s Sectoral Vice President for Planning, Ricardo Menéndez, said the Second Popular Consultation of 2026 reaffirms the principles of grassroots democracy and strengthens the country’s participatory political system.
Menéndez described the consultation as a space that brings neighbors together to improve daily life and build broad national consensus.
The official said the exercise has become part of the democratic culture of the Venezuelan people. He argued that participation has gradually become a cultural practice within each commune, helping to create a new form of government and reorganize the state.
Menéndez linked the process to the political project promoted by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has called for the redesign of state institutions around community participation.
The consultation allows residents to decide which projects should receive public financing and which priorities should guide local development.
The process is based on proposals selected during open community assemblies. Residents first identify local needs, then rank projects and submit them for a national vote.
The initiative seeks to move beyond traditional representative democracy by giving communities a direct role in allocating public resources.
More than 5,418 communes are participating in the vote. Each community is choosing among seven projects selected during assemblies held in the weeks leading up to the consultation.
The projects were developed through the Concrete Action Agendas, a planning process designed to identify local needs and organize community priorities.
The proposals address basic services and infrastructure needs, including drinking water, road repairs, school rehabilitation, health centers, electricity, public lighting, agriculture and sports facilities.
The consultation is taking place in 11,495 voting centers across Venezuela. Authorities said the centers will remain open as long as voters are waiting in line.
The process is supported by more than 12,700 electoral tables and approximately 48,086 communal councils organized within the country’s communes.
Unlike ordinary elections, the popular consultation allows citizens aged 15 and older to participate. The rule expands participation to young people who are not yet eligible to vote in general elections.
🇻🇪 Venezuela inicia hoy 18 de octubre la Segunda Consulta Popular Nacional de 2026. Millones de ciudadanos participan en más de 11.000 centros de votación*en todo el territorio nacional. #18Oct #ConsultaPopular2026 #ConsultaPopular #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/bNHaAyEqay
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) October 18, 2026
Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Communes | Venezuela’s National Electoral Council
The Venezuela popular consultation includes a major new feature: for the first time, condominium boards are participating in the process.
Approximately 120,000 condominium boards and neighborhood organizations are voting on 428 projects related to health, school rehabilitation, roads, agriculture and sports areas.
The inclusion of condominium boards expands the consultation beyond the traditional communal councils and communes that have participated in previous editions.
The change reflects an effort to involve urban residents who organize through apartment buildings and housing associations rather than through formal communal structures.
The government says the incorporation of condominiums will allow resources to reach communities that previously had limited access to participatory budgeting.
The initiative is also intended to strengthen links between residents, local authorities and state institutions.
The 428 condominium projects were selected through assemblies held in buildings and residential complexes. Residents identified needs such as repairs to common areas, water systems, electrical installations, elevators, roofs and access routes.
The projects are concentrated in several states, including Anzoátegui, Aragua, Carabobo, Lara, Miranda, Zulia and Caracas.
The pilot program covers approximately 40,097 families and includes 461 condominiums and 83 neighborhood organizations.
Authorities say the experience will be evaluated before condominium boards are incorporated more broadly into future consultations.
The expansion is significant because urban housing has become a central issue in Venezuela. Many buildings require maintenance after years of limited investment, economic pressure and damage caused by natural disasters.
The consultation also responds to the impact of the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. Some communities have proposed projects to rehabilitate vulnerable housing and repair public infrastructure affected by the tremors.
The government says the process ensures that resources are directed according to community priorities rather than decisions made exclusively by central authorities.
The consultation is the eighth national popular consultation organized since 2024 and the second held during 2026.
The first consultation of 2026 took place on March 8. The second was originally scheduled for July 12 but was postponed because of the June earthquakes.
Delcy Rodríguez announced the new date after community organizations requested additional time to address the damage caused by the seismic events.
The consultation is therefore taking place amid reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the earthquakes, including La Guaira and other parts of central Venezuela.
The government has emphasized that the process is supported by Article 70 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which recognizes referendums, consultations and other forms of direct participation.
The constitutional framework provides the legal basis for citizens to participate in decisions affecting public life, including the selection of local development projects.
Venezuela’s Ministry of Planning | Venezuela’s Communes and Social Movements
The Venezuela popular consultation is designed to direct public resources toward projects identified by residents themselves.
The proposals reflect the immediate needs of communities across the country. Water supply is one of the most common concerns, with approximately 14 percent of the projects related to improving access to drinking water.
Water shortages have affected many Venezuelan communities because of damaged infrastructure, irregular electricity supply and limited maintenance capacity.
Other projects focus on road repairs, public lighting, electricity, school rehabilitation, health centers, sports facilities and agricultural production.
The projects are intended to address both immediate needs and longer-term development goals.
In Mérida state, for example, more than 1,700 community projects are being voted on. Local priorities include roads, water, education and public services.
In Caracas, communities have proposed projects to rehabilitate vulnerable housing damaged by the June earthquakes, repair building facades and improve communal spaces.
The consultation gives residents the opportunity to select the project they consider most urgent. The winning project is expected to receive financing, while other proposals may be included in a project bank for future funding.
The process is intended to prevent resources from being allocated according to political discretion or administrative convenience.
The government says the consultation is part of a broader effort to build what it calls a communal state. That model seeks to strengthen local organizations and give communities greater authority over public resources.
The communal model is based on the idea that citizens should participate directly in decisions affecting their neighborhoods, rather than relying solely on elected representatives.
The government argues that the consultation creates a new form of governance in which communities become the foundation of public planning.
Critics question whether the process has sufficient transparency and whether resources are distributed equitably across all regions.
They also point to Venezuela’s economic difficulties, including inflation, shortages and limited access to foreign currency, which can affect the implementation of approved projects.
The government has responded by saying that the consultation is a mechanism for organizing communities and directing scarce resources toward priority needs.
The participation of condominium boards and neighborhood associations could make the process more inclusive, but it also increases the administrative challenge of verifying projects and ensuring that funds are used correctly.
The consultation’s results will provide information about the priorities of Venezuelan communities. They may also influence future planning and budget decisions.
The Venezuela popular consultation has political significance beyond local development because it forms part of the government’s effort to strengthen communal democracy.
The process is designed to consolidate the role of communes, communal councils and neighborhood organizations in public administration.
The government presents the consultation as a response to external pressure and as evidence that Venezuela’s political system remains active despite economic difficulties and international sanctions.
The consultation also has a regional dimension. Venezuela’s communal model has been promoted as an alternative to traditional representative democracy and has influenced political debates in other Latin American countries.
The inclusion of condominium boards could expand the model to urban communities that have historically been less connected to communal structures.
The process may therefore influence how other governments think about participatory budgeting, local planning and community organization.
The consultation is taking place during a period of reconstruction following the June earthquakes. The government is seeking to demonstrate that communities can participate in decisions about recovery and public investment.
The popular consultation also reinforces the government’s argument that public resources should be directed toward social needs rather than private profit.
The challenge will be to ensure that approved projects are completed and that communities can monitor their implementation.
The Venezuela popular consultation is therefore both a voting exercise and a broader political process aimed at reorganizing the state around community participation.
Venezuela expects $76 billion in investment in its hydrocarbon sector over the next five years, with projects projected to generate 324,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced Saturday.
RELATED: Venezuela Promotes Venezuela Feeds Plan and Local Economy Law to Achieve “Hunger 0”
Addressing the 2026 Energy, Oil and Gas Conference in Maracaibo, Zulia state, the Venezuelan Acting President reported that 61 hydrocarbon agreements had been signed, while another 44 remained under negotiation. She emphasized that the arrangements were intended to deliver returns for investors while benefiting the country.
The new energy contracts also include provisions for oil fields to generate their own electricity, Delcy Rodríguez explained. The measure is expected to free up capacity in the national power system and improve electricity supply for the population.
To attract investment and expand hydrocarbon production, Venezuela is offering several business models, including joint ventures, productive participation contracts, technical and financial partnerships, and specialized service agreements.
Text Reads: Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, highlighted the Hydrocarbons Law as a cornerstone for transforming the Venezuelan energy sector.
At the conclusion of the 2026 Energy, Oil, and Gas Conference, the acting president emphasized that the legislation offers a flexible fiscal regime and absolute legal certainty to investors.
She pointed to Article 19, which guarantees the participation of domestic capital in the 61 agreements already signed and the 44 currently under negotiation, with the working class at the core.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez highlighted provisions in the country’s Hydrocarbons Law that allow taxes and royalties to be adjusted according to the scale of each investment. The legislation also establishes arbitration and dispute-resolution mechanisms intended to provide legal certainty for investors.
The law further requires the state, organizations and companies to incorporate Venezuelan-owned businesses into procurement processes under conditions designed to ensure the effective use of domestic goods, services, labor and capital.
In Zulia, oil production has risen from 70,000 barrels per day to 370,000 barrels per day, according to figures presented by Delcy Rodríguez. She projected that output would reach 400,000 barrels per day by the end of the year and forecast that the state would begin producing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in 2027 as production expands.
The conference, known as CEPEG 2026, took place alongside the Zulia Energy Forum. Organized by the Venezuelan Petroleum Chamber, the events brought together more than 150 domestic and international companies, including oil operators and service providers, to discuss investment models, technological development and the revival of hydrocarbon production in the region.
Acting President attended alongside Héctor Obregón, president of state oil company PDVSA, and Anabel Pereira, vice president for administration and digital government.
The Venezuelan Acting President projected that the agreements signed and under negotiation would contribute to the creation of 324,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs over the next five to 10 years, presenting employment growth as one of the expected benefits of increased investment in the hydrocarbon sector.
Venezuela opened 12,769 polling stations on Sunday for its second National Popular Consultation of 2026, with communities voting on more than 37,000 projects proposed to address local needs.
RELATED: Venezuela Promotes Venezuela Feeds Plan and Local Economy Law to Achieve “Hunger 0”
The consultation involves 48,086 communal councils organized into communes, with voting taking place at 11,495 polling centers nationwide. Some 36,000 community members are serving on polling station boards, with technical support from the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The projects focus primarily on public services, social development and the local economy. Water infrastructure accounts for 14% of the proposals, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Friday during a visit to the Villa Zoila social mission base in Caracas. Road improvements, street lighting, electricity, other public services and productive activities are also among the priorities identified by communities.
More than 428 proposals submitted by condominium boards are included in the vote, marking the first time these organizations have participated in the community consultation, according to the announcement.
The proposals are linked to the government’s Seven Transformations (7T) framework and reflect development priorities identified at the community level.
Rodríguez said the consultation gives Venezuelans a direct role in deciding how local needs are addressed, describing it as a way to strengthen community participation and popular power.
“The community must be in charge of decisions about the everyday issues affecting our people and our communities,” she said.
She also described the consultation as a significant advance in Venezuela’s political system and said the model of citizen participation should be preserved.
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces will deploy more than 130,000 personnel nationwide under Plan República during Sunday’s vote. The operation is intended to help maintain public order and ensure security throughout the electoral process.
The consultation allows participating communities to vote on locally proposed projects, with water infrastructure, road improvements and other essential public services among the priorities highlighted by Rodríguez.
Venezuela will hold its second National Popular Consultation of the year on October 18, in which communes across the country will vote directly on 37,205 budget proposals, with each winning project set to receive an initial $10,000 administered by the community itself.
The vote covers 48,086 communal councils grouped into 5,418 territorial circuits, which the source describes as guaranteeing self-government at the neighborhood level.
RELATED: Venezuela Presents Venezuela Renace Plan Update 100 Days After Earthquakes
To facilitate participation, authorities have set up 11,495 voting centers and 12,769 polling tables nationwide. The process will be guarded by 13,000 members of the Republic Plan security deployment, with operational support from more than 36,000 communal members advised by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The proposals are tied to the government’s Concrete Action Agenda. The City and Services sector has the largest share, with 19,028 projects focused on water, electricity, roads and hospital infrastructure. The social area has 9,217 initiatives, and the economic sector has 4,887 proposals to boost local production.
Each project chosen by popular vote will receive an initial allocation of $10,000, to be managed and carried out directly by the commune. Institutional spokespeople said earlier editions closed with more than 80% successful executions, thanks to what they called the rigorous application of preventive social oversight.
Venezuelans will vote this Sunday on another National Popular Consultation. Each organized community will choose a project, according to local needs, that will receive 10k in state funding. Alongside communes, over 400 condominium boards are also participating pic.twitter.com/ecihlXWs8U
— Venezuelanalysis (@venanalysis) October 16, 2026
One structural change stands out this year. More than 89 condominiums and horizontal property movements from Aragua, Miranda and the Capital District have joined the process formally. It is the first time these residential boards can put forward priority projects of their own, from elevator repairs to improvements in basic services inside buildings.
In the days before the vote, communes carried out house-to-house outreach to promote the proposals now heading to the ballot. That door-knocking campaign carried each initiative into homes and opened neighbor-to-neighbor debate over territorial priorities.
The Sunday vote will also promote the active participation of young people aged 15 and older, which authorities say favors generational renewal in local public management.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, speaking in at the Villa Zoila commune, emphasized that “the people are exercising a protagonistic and participatory form of democracy.”
“We are going to democracy, to participation and to the emotion that always comes with going to an election,” she said.
Rodríguez connected the vote to the delivery of the National Budget before the National Assembly. That spending plan, she explained, is built “from the communes.” Communes and community organizations take part in deciding where resources will be invested, an advance she said Venezuela must preserve.
The second edition of the year confirms the National Popular Consultation has moved beyond an isolated event. It now functions as a recurring mechanism of popular decision, with organized communes as the leading actors in local public spending, as a pillar of participatory democracy in Venezuela.
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