Newly Seated Venezuelan Leader Henry Ramos Allup Is Against Chavismo
Just after being seated as the newest legislative leader in Venezuela, Henry Ramos Allup already promises that drastic changes will occur in the country as it has been well-known that Ramos Allup belongs to the opposition group against President Nicolas Maduro.
According to Fox News Latino, for 17 years, since the late Hugo Chavez initiated his socialist revolution, a new political era seemed to have taken place in the legislature where Ramos Allup is now the leader of 112 lawmakers.
Even when he underwent the honorable oath taking ceremony, there were already drastic changes in the system, including the media that were granted access to the legislature and state TV broadcast interviews with the opposition's political leaders for the first time after so many years.
The portraits of Chavez and independence hero Simon Bolivar were also taken down on Tuesday. "Here and now, things will change," Ramos Allup said as quoted by AFP.
"Change is not dependent on any time-frame. We are looking at a change in outlook, a change in the system, at changing what is bad, very bad -- and soon will get worse," he added.
Meanwhile, the head of the opposition group in congress, Julio Borges, said that they would find "a method, a system to change the government through constitutional means."
Furthermore, looking ahead, Ramos Allup faces the challenge of three seats being contested by the Supreme Court, to which he said as quoted by Fox News Latino, "Of course [we will proceed to swear in the three congressmen-elect being contested.] The Armed Forces have to provide us with security and they have told us that they will do so."
The newly seated leader is also speculated to be promoting laws that may be able to free activists who were jailed during anti-government unrest in 2014. The wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was also seen holding up a sign saying "Amnesty Now," which is believed to be one of the first order of business lined up for legislation.
However, lawmakers who are Maduro loyalists already showed their opposition to the new leader by staging a walkout during the opening ceremony as reports claim that there will be a proposal for amnesty.
"The assembly can approve whatever laws it likes, but the president is the one who endorses them," Diosdado Cabello, the assembly's outgoing speaker said as quoted by AFP. "If there is any disagreement, the president can veto a law or refer to the Supreme Court."
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