Government of Venezuela facts for kids

Venezuela is a country in South America. It is a federal presidential republic, which means it has a president who leads the country and a system where power is shared between the central government and different states. The President of Venezuela is both the head of the country (like a king or queen, but elected) and the head of the government (like a prime minister). The President is in charge of the executive power.

The country's laws are made by the National Assembly. The highest court in Venezuela is the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which handles judicial power.

How Laws Are Made

In Venezuela, new laws can be suggested by different groups:

• The President and their team (the executive branch).
• Members of the National Assembly (the legislative branch).
• The courts (the judicial branch).
• Special government officials who protect citizens' rights (the citizen branch), like the ombudsman or public prosecutor.
• Even regular people can suggest a law if enough registered voters sign a petition (at least 0.1% of them).

To vote in Venezuela, you must be 18 years old. Voting is not required by law; people can choose whether or not to vote.

The President and Executive Power

The President of Venezuela is chosen by the people through a direct vote. This means everyone who is old enough to vote can cast a ballot for their chosen candidate. The candidate who gets the most votes wins (this is called a plurality vote). The president serves for six years. Since 2009, a president can be re-elected many times, but only for terms right after each other.

The president also chooses the Vice President.

The Miraflores Palace is where the President of Venezuela works and where the government meets.

The president decides how many government departments (called the cabinet) there will be and who will lead them. The National Assembly also has a say in these appointments.

There are currently 33 ministries and one state ministry. Each of these entities is headed by a minister.

Cabinet of Venezuela
Office	Creation date, name change or merger	Ref
Office of the Presidency and Monitoring of Government Management	2012	[1]
Ministry of Internal Relations, Justice and Peace	2013	[2]
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	1810	[3]
Ministry of Economy and Finance	2017	[4]
Ministry of Defense	1810	[5]
Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade	2019	[6]
Ministry of Agriculture and Land	2016	[7]
Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture	2016	[8]
Ministry of Urban Agriculture	2016	[9]
Ministry of Education	1881	[10]
Ministry of Health	1936	[11]
Ministry of the Social Work Process	2014	[12]
Ministry of Housing and Habitat	2005	[13]
Ministry of Ecosocialism and Water	2015	[14]
Ministry of Petroleum	2017	[15]
Ministry of Planning	2013	[16]
Ministry of University Education	2014	[17]
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation	2019	[18]
Ministry of Communication and Information	2002	[19]
Ministry of Communes and Social Protection	2009	[20]
Ministry of Food	2004	[21]
Ministry of Culture	2005	[22]
Ministry of Youth and Sports	2014	[23]
Ministry of Indigenous Peoples	2007	[24]
Ministry of Women and Gender Equality	2009	[25]
Ministry of the Prison Service	2011	[26]
Ministry of Public Works	2017	[27]
Ministry of Land Transportation	2017	[28]
Ministry of Electric Power	2009	[29]
Ministry of Ecological Mining Development	2016	[30]
Ministry of Water Attention	2018	[31]
Ministry of Industries and National Production	2018	[32]
Ministry of Commerce	2018	[33]

State Ministries:

Over the years, some government departments have changed names or merged to work better together. For example, some ministries related to housing and transport were created from older ones, and others focused on community and social protection joined forces.

The National Assembly and Legislative Power

The National Assembly is Venezuela's main law-making body. It has 165 members. These members are chosen by popular vote and serve for five years. They can be re-elected many times. Three seats in the National Assembly are always set aside for the indigenous peoples (native groups) of Venezuela. The last elections for the National Assembly were held on December 6, 2015.

When the National Assembly is not meeting, a smaller group called its delegated committee can make decisions and oversee the government's actions. Venezuela has had different types of law-making bodies throughout its history, sometimes with one main group (unicameral) and sometimes with two (bicameral). Today, it has a unicameral National Assembly.

The National Assembly of Venezuela is where the country's laws are made.

The Courts and Judicial Power

The judicial branch is in charge of making sure laws are followed and that justice is served. It is led by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. This high court can meet in special groups (there are six of them) or with all its judges together. There are 32 judges on the Supreme Tribunal, and they are chosen by the National Assembly for 12-year terms.

Below the Supreme Tribunal, there are other courts, like district courts and municipal courts, that handle different types of legal cases.

The Citizens Branch

The citizens branch is a special part of the government that helps protect the rights of the people. It has three main officials:

• The prosecutor general (who represents the public in legal matters).
• The defender of the people or ombudsman (who helps citizens if they feel the government has treated them unfairly).
• The comptroller general (who checks how the government spends money).

These officials also work together as the "Republican Moral Council." They can tell the Supreme Tribunal if they think something illegal has happened, especially if it breaks the country's Constitution. The National Assembly chooses these officials for seven-year terms.

The Electoral Council

The National Electoral Council is a very important group. Its job is to organize all elections in Venezuela, from national elections for president to local elections. The members of this council are chosen by the National Assembly and serve for seven years.

See also

• Politics of Venezuela