Venezuela's Elections and Devolving State Power

The first set of results released by Venezuela's National Electoral Commission indicates that the ruling Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies will retain their majority in the National Assembly; however, they were unable to secure the two-thirds supermajority that would give them untrammeled parliamentary control. A deteriorating economy, rampant corruption in state-owned sectors, high levels of violent crime, and ongoing food and electricity crises have allowed the generally fractured opposition to gain some momentum. Though the Venezuelan regime has lost some political ground, it has a plan to significantly undermine its opposition through the empowerment of communal councils.