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Country Background

Venezuela is located in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It shares borders with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. The capital of Venezuela is Caracas. The official language of Venezuela is Spanish. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 31 million. Venezuela is a predominantly Christian country, with about 96% of the population Roman Catholic. Venezuela is an observer state of the Arab League.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Venezuela is referred to as a federal presidential republic comprised of 23 states, two federal territories, one capital district, and 11 federal dependencies (groups of islands) comprising 72 individual islands. It is one of four federal republics in Latin America. There have been 29 constitutions since the country became independent in 1830; the most recent constitution was ratified in a referendum in 1999. The 1999 Constitution added two additional branches to the government bringing the total to five: legislative, executive, judicial, citizen, and electoral. The citizen branch consists of the Attorney General (Fiscalía General de la República); Ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo); and Comptroller General (Contraloría General de la República). The electoral branch consists of the National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral), which is responsible for organizing elections at all levels.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Venezuela.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Venezuela.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Venezuela has no official school of Islamic law.

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Asamblea Nacional consisting of Senado and Camara de Diputados
  • Gaceta Oficial [Official Gazette]
• Executive
  • Presidencia
• Judicial
  • Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (if site is down, see archived versions here)

• Citizen
  
  • Defensoría del Pueblo
  • Contraloría General de la República
• Electoral
  • Consejo Nacional Electoral

 Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Venezuela (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Venezuela (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Venezuela (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Venezuela (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English and Arabic translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].