VENEZUELA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What happened The National Assembly listed 127 applicants for the court nominating committee.
- —When Saturday, 10 October, on the assembly’s website.
- —Seats 12 civil-society members will sit with 11 lawmakers.
- —The goal A full renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice.
- —US link Washington sanctioned eight of the court’s justices in May 2017.
- —Next A shortlist of 12 is due Thursday, 15 October, El Pitazo reports.
Venezuela has taken a first step toward replacing the top court whose justices the United States sanctioned in 2017.
Venezuela’s National Assembly published 127 applicants for its Supreme Court panel, the committee that will vet new justices, on Saturday, 10 October. The call for applicants opened earlier this month, as The Rio Times reported on 2 October.
The Supreme Court of Justice, known by its Spanish initials TSJ, is the court whose justices Washington sanctioned in 2017. For US investors and officials, who sits on it decides how contracts, oil deals and election disputes are judged.
What the Assembly Published
The assembly’s press office said its preliminary commission published the names of applicants who met the legal requirements. The candidates were put forward by civil-society groups or applied on their own initiative.
The note says 127 people submitted credentials to join the committee. The local news sites El Pitazo and Efecto Cocuyo also counted 127 names on the list.
Applications closed on Friday, 9 October, according to opposition lawmaker Luis Florido, a member of the preliminary commission. He said the evaluation may take “a few days longer” than planned because so many people applied.
El Pitazo found that seven of the 127 had applied in an earlier round and been chosen then. New names include law dean Guillermo Tell Aveledo Coll and Carlos Trapani of the children’s rights group Cecodap.
How the New Court Will Be Chosen
The nominating committee will have 12 civil-society members and 11 lawmakers. On 1 September, lawmakers approved a reform that set the civil-society share at 12 seats, the EFE agency reported via El Pitazo.
Once formed, the committee opens a public call for court candidates, checks requirements, hears objections and holds interviews. It then sends a shortlist to the Republican Moral Council of the prosecutor, comptroller and ombudsman.
That council reviews the names again and sends a final list back to the assembly. Lawmakers then need a two-thirds majority, though the law allows a simple majority after several failed votes, Efecto Cocuyo explains.
El Pitazo reports that all 32 justices are to be replaced. It links the renewal to talks between the governing chavista movement and part of the opposition.
Why the Court Matters to Washington
On 18 May 2017, the US Treasury sanctioned the court’s president and seven members of its Constitutional Chamber. It said their rulings “usurped the authority of Venezuela’s democratically-elected legislature.”
The opposition also accuses the current court of serving the chavista movement. It says the court validated Nicolás Maduro’s disputed 2024 election win.
The transitional government is led by Delcy Rodríguez. The assembly, which runs the court selection, remains controlled by the chavista movement.
What It Means for You
For US companies weighing a return to Venezuela’s oil, mining or power sectors, the top court is the final word on contracts. A court seen as independent would lower the legal risk of new deals.
For holders of defaulted Venezuelan bonds, a new court could shape future debt talks. For Washington, the committee is an early test of the renewal.
What Is Not Known
The assembly’s note names the commission’s chair, ruling-party lawmaker Giuseppe Alessandrello, but gives no fixed timetable. It does not say whether any applicants were turned away.
It is not known whether the 15 October date for the shortlist will hold after Florido’s warning. Washington has not commented on the list.
What Comes Next
The preliminary commission must now pick 12 of the 127 applicants and send them to the full assembly. El Pitazo says that list was due on Thursday, 15 October.
After the committee is sworn in, it will open the call for court candidates. No date has been announced for the final vote on the new justices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Venezuela’s National Assembly publish?
On Saturday, 10 October, it published the applicants for the committee that vets Supreme Court candidates. The assembly said 127 people applied.
How many people will sit on the nominating committee?
The committee will have 12 civil-society members and 11 lawmakers. The civil-society members will be chosen from the 127 applicants.
Why did the United States sanction Venezuela’s Supreme Court?
In May 2017, the US Treasury sanctioned eight justices over rulings it said usurped the elected legislature’s authority. The designations targeted the court’s president and seven Constitutional Chamber members.
When will Venezuela have new Supreme Court justices?
No date has been set for the final vote. The committee must first be formed, then call for candidates, hear objections and send a shortlist.
Sources: Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, Comisión Preliminar publishes list of applicants (10 October 2026); US Department of the Treasury, sanctions on eight members of Venezuela’s Supreme Court (18 May 2017); El Pitazo, 127 applicants; El Pitazo, applications close; Efecto Cocuyo, list of applicants and process (all accessed 11 October 2026).