This is a guest essay submitted by Andreína Chávez from Caracas, Venezuela
While the United States deploys military assets in the Caribbean and threatens to attack or invade Venezuela for regime change purposes, the Venezuelan people continue to build a substantive democracy that is transforming life in their territories.
On November 23, Venezuelans participated in the “National Popular Consultation” to select locally managed projects eligible for government funding. This was the fourth such election since the beginning of 2024, when the Nicolás Maduro government launched the initiative to address urgent community issues and promote a socialist path by allocating state resources directly to the people.
How it works
In the weeks before the vote, neighbours meet in popular assemblies to propose up to seven projects, which are mostly focused on public services and community well-being. On election day, they then vote for their preferred initiatives. The Maduro government then allocates funding for one or two of the selected projects, leaving the communities responsible for executing them to ensure transparency and efficiency.
An estimated 6.5 million people aged 15 and over took part in the November 23 vote, which took place at 9,000 polling stations spread over 5,336 communal circuits across the country. Each circuit centers on a commune—an assembly-driven body that brings together several communal councils, as well as other grassroots organizations and enterprises.
A total of 10,662 projects were selected from a pool of 36,674 proposals. Around half of the selected projects related to healthcare, education, cultural and sporting infrastructure and local economic development, reflecting a priority to improve the collective quality of life.
El Panal commune
In Caracas, the residents of El Panal commune in the 23 de Enero neighbourhood have successfully implemented several of the state-funded local initiatives chosen during the national popular consultations.
Completed self-managed projects include the purchase of an ambulance for the community, the renovation of staircases and walkways, the refurbishment of a sports court, and the construction of a robotics classroom equipped with technology to educate young people.
“The national consultation represents the deepening of our participatory and protagonist democracy,” said Robert Longa, El Panal’s spokesperson, after the last grassroots vote.
Meanwhile, Ángel Prado, the Minister of Communes and a long-standing popular leader, explained that the US government’s military threats against Venezuela are not only driven by greed for oil, but also by a fear of Venezuela’s popular power and substantive democracy that makes Western-style pseudo-democracy pale in comparison.
In response to US threats and psy-ops, Venezuelans are choosing the communal way.
