00:00In Venezuela, millions participated in the Second National Popular Consultation of 2026.
00:05Now that voting has concluded, the focus is on turning these popular decisions into concrete results.
00:10A correspondent, Denise Araby, takes a closer look.
00:13The Second National Popular Consultation of 2026 took place this Sunday, October 18, across the Venezuela territory.
00:21A direct democracy exercise that empowers the people to work on their communities,
00:25strengthening unity, and promoting local development framework in the 7th transformation plan
00:30promoted by the Bolivarian government.
00:34Each group hold in sound assembly with this communal council,
00:37and then we gather at the communal level to assist the needs presented by each of these communal councils,
00:43and we identify the most relevant ones, those that need to be prioritized,
00:48and their ones being presented here today in this popular consultation.
00:54The initiative gives residents in over 48,000 to communal councils an active role in identifying their needs,
01:01selecting priorities, and deciding on local projects that will be executed through state funding.
01:06Across the country, more than 37,000 projects were submitted with proposals addressing issues
01:12ranging from water supply and electricity to road repairs, health services, education, and community production.
01:18This addition introduced a new dimension to grassroots democracy,
01:22with the incorporation of 428 condominium boards into the community-led decision-making process,
01:28expanding participation to more urban communities and residential buildings.
01:34I think this is an excellent process because it provides supports that have been channeled to the condominium boards,
01:41and especially now that old buildings were damaged after the earthquake.
01:46We weren't as hard hit as others, but we did suffer some damage,
01:50and this is a benefit we can use to make repairs.
01:55The initiative builds on a process launched under Commander Hugo Chavez, who promoted the creation of communal councils in 2006.
02:03Two decades later, the National Popular Consultation advances that vision by placing communities at the heart of public decision-making.
02:10What's the overall idea? That we move towards self-management,
02:15or a communal state where we can manage our own income and resources,
02:18make our communities self-sufficient, and support the national economy.
02:22As Acting President El Ciro Díguez said, the communal economy driving the country's development.
02:28With voting concluded, attention now turns to the next stage, turning those decisions into concrete results.
02:34The impact of previous consultations is already visible in the field through community spaces,
02:39local infrastructure, and productive projects that respond to the realities of each territory.
02:46Through the Popular Consultation, we have seen many results.
02:49Throughout the consultations, we have implemented 14 projects that have directly and indirectly benefited the community,
02:55as we have improved their quality of life.
02:58Today's process has once again evidenced Venezuela's commitment to push the country forward with unity
03:04and popular participation.
03:05From Venezuela, Denise Arabi, Jesus Romero, for Telesur English.
