First part: Municipality and citizen participation in Venezuela
Second part: Laws in Venezuela on citizen participation
The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (CRBV, 1999) establishes the right to participate in public affairs, which includes national and municipal legislation; in the previous installment, mention was made of national legislative instruments related to this matter.
The Organic Law of Municipal Public Power (LOPPM, 2010) from its beginning points to the participation of the people as a fundamental element of local government. In fact, it alludes to it in different topics such as - for example - in the management media, where it dedicates a whole chapter to it within a Title and reinforces the training of citizenship as a key element in strengthening social organization.
Participation is not defined in the LOPPM, although it provides that the means for its exercise are those through which citizens may, individually or collectively, express their approval, rejection, observations, proposals, initiatives, complaints, denunciations, express your will on matters of interest at the local level.
The fundamental message that those who read these lines must assimilate is that the right is enshrined in the Venezuelan legal system to obtain information on policies, plans, decisions, actions, budget, projects, to formulate requests or proposals with their timely response.
It is necessary to clarify that the fact of formulating an approach does not mean that it must be accepted in a binding way without another element; Normative instruments such as the Organic Law of Administrative Procedures (1982) or the Organic Law of Public Administration (2008) regulate this constitutional right. There are already many municipalities that have approved their Ordinance on these matters, which are very convenient for citizens to know.
If the reader did a reflective exercise about participatory processes, he would realize their importance; an example can be illustrated.
In the Organic Law for Urban Planning (1987) the legal aspects of an area of vital importance for the daily development of people are regulated. There a mandatory consultation on different procedures is contemplated.
As a neighbor or community, what would be the reaction if where you live you were tried to install a non-compliant urban use in a residential area such as an explosives test range or a cemetery through a zoning change?
The above may look grotesque or funny, because we all know that they could not coexist by elemental logic; however, that is what participatory processes are all about. That you get directly involved in what happens where you live or work. It is the essence of the so-called placeization.
Can you imagine if there were no means of citizen participation, the number of irregular events that would occur at the swords of the citizens?
Participation is not only electoral processes for the choice of popularly elected authorities (mayors, councilors at the municipal level), although it is also linked to them when their terms have expired and must undergo substitution or re-election with the will of those who are enabled to pay.
So, it is worth asking , what will you do when an issue occurs where individual or collective participation is needed in the place where you reside, for example? Will she fold her arms or just complain?
The spaces for the exercise of the participation right must be fully exploited.
