VENEZUELA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The bill Venezuela’s National Assembly passed a rewrite of its 2017 hate-speech law in first debate on 3 November.
- The objection Opposition deputy Stalin González said on 13 November that fines still punish opinions.
- The change Prison terms become fines for most offences; the Interior Ministry would impose them.
- Next step A second debate is required; no date has been published.
- As of 14 November 2026, 17:30 GMT (12:30 p.m. US Eastern).
- Power Index Venezuela ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 29.4 points (November 2026 edition).
Venezuela would swap prison terms for fines for most offences in its hate-speech law, but an opposition leader says the fines keep the law’s sting.
Published Saturday, 14 November 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET · Source: Venezuela’s National Assembly (first-discussion bill), Supreme Court Constitutional Chamber ruling 1,034, Foro Penal; El Diario and Monitoreamos (dated below)
Venezuela’s plan to soften its 2017 “Law Against Hatred” still lets the government punish speech, opposition deputy Stalin González said on Friday, 13 November. The bill removes prison terms for most offences but keeps administrative sanctions, which are fines imposed by officials rather than judges.
González leads the Libertad bloc, a group of opposition deputies, in a National Assembly controlled by the ruling chavista movement (the political camp built by the late President Hugo Chávez). He spoke at the fourth public hearing on the bill, held at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, according to the Venezuelan outlet Monitoreamos on 13 November.
What We Know
The Assembly approved the reform in first discussion on Tuesday, 3 November, according to the Caracas outlet El Diario. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez had asked for it on 29 September, saying it would decriminalise some conduct covered by the law.
On 15 October the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber (ruling 1,034) found the draft consistent with the Constitution, according to the legal group Acceso a la Justicia. The same ruling says the Assembly needs two-thirds of its members to approve the change.
The law was issued in November 2017 by the Constituent Assembly, a body then-president Nicolás Maduro created that year, and it set long prison terms, up to 20 years, for inciting hatred. The bill drops “hate” from the title and replaces prison with administrative sanctions for most offences, according to El Diario’s report of 3 November on the text.
Fines would run from 500 to 10,000 times the central bank’s published rate of its highest-value currency, El Diario reported on 3 November. The press-freedom group Espacio Público called them disproportionate and put the ceiling at about €10,000 (about US$11,000, at the latest EUR/USD rate of 1.10 from RT, a market-data provider).
Why It Matters
Foro Penal, a Venezuelan legal-aid group, said on 30 September that at least 927 people have been accused of inciting hatred since 2017. Six remain in detention and 638 face court-ordered restrictions, it said.
If the fines stay, the same law could still silence critics, journalists and broadcasters, only through a ministry instead of a court. Espacio Público says sanction procedures would sit with the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace, which is part of the government.
González said his bloc wants any remaining sanctioning article removed, in his words “no estamos de acuerdo con las sanciones, ni las administrativas” (we do not agree with sanctions, not even administrative ones). He also called the choice between full repeal and reform a “trampa” (trap).
The Government’s Case
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Assembly, said on 3 November that the ruling movement wants to be sure the law is not used for “la persecución de nadie” (the persecution of anyone). He argued a coexistence law is still needed, according to El Diario.
The bill also lifts the loss of electoral registration for parties and deletes fines of 3% to 4% of income for broadcasters. Two journalists’ groups, the National Press Workers’ Union (SNTP) and the National Journalists’ Association (CNP), which want the law repealed outright, say the changes do not go far enough.
What To Watch
The bill is now in public consultation led by a special commission, and the Assembly must hold a second discussion before it becomes law. No date for that vote or for the next hearing has been published.
González said “veremos cuando la comisión hable” (we will see when the commission speaks). Watch whether the final text keeps administrative fines at all, the point González disputes.
What Is Not Known
The vote count in first discussion was not published, and the full bill text was not available to us. Which unit inside the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace would impose the fines is not yet specified.
What It Means for You
For readers outside Venezuela, the test is practical: whether people there can criticise the government without facing an official penalty. Anyone with relatives, business partners or sources in Venezuela should expect the rules on public speech to stay uncertain until the second debate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Venezuela’s Law Against Hatred?
A 2017 law issued by the Constituent Assembly that punishes inciting hatred, discrimination or violence with up to 20 years in prison. Critics say it has been used against opponents and journalists.
What does the reform change?
It replaces prison terms with administrative fines for most offences, deletes some penalties for parties and broadcasters, and renames the law. The Assembly passed it in first discussion on 3 November.
Who is Stalin González?
He heads the Libertad bloc of opposition deputies in the National Assembly. On 13 November he said his bloc opposes keeping even administrative sanctions.
When will the reform become law?
That is not yet known. A second discussion is required, and no date has been published.
Sources: Supreme Court Constitutional Chamber ruling 1,034 of 15 October 2026 (https://accesoalajusticia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/SC-1034-151026.pdf); Foro Penal (a Venezuelan legal-aid group) figures of 30 September 2026 (https://eldiario.com/2026/09/30/acusaciones-incitacion-odio-venezuela/); El Diario, 3 November 2026 (https://eldiario.com/2026/11/03/an-aprobo-proyecto-de-ley-de-reforma-de-la-ley-contra-el-odio/) and 29 September 2026 (https://eldiario.com/2026/09/29/reforma-ley-contra-odio/); Monitoreamos, 13 November 2026 (https://monitoreamos.com/venezuela/stalin-gonzalez-reforma-ley-contra-el-odio-sanciones-administrativas). Read more: Venezuela news, earlier coverage of the hate law reform.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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