CARACAS — Venezuela’s National Assembly has begun reforming the 2017 “Law Against Hate,” one of the most criticized tools of repression under Nicolás Maduro. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Sept. 29 that the law had been “applied incorrectly” and “used abusively,” requesting that lawmakers change it.
The Assembly formed an 11-member special commission that same day.
First Vice President of the Assembly Pedro Infante said the commission will work on “despenalization” of the law and on “some necessary definitions” to ensure its “correct application.”
Infante described a process of “encounters, debates and reviews” with different sectors of society. No deadline has been given. The text must go from the commission to the Supreme Court for validation, then to the Assembly for debate and approval.
Until then, the law remains in force.
The Constitutional Law Against Hate, for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance was approved in November 2017 by the Constituent Assembly, at Maduro’s request, amid political unrest. It carries prison sentences of 10 to 20 years for promoting hatred, discrimination or violence. It also lets authorities revoke broadcast licenses and block websites and install censorship practices.
Critics say it lacks objective definitions and gives judges wide discretion. According to the NGO Foro Penal, 927 people have been accused under it. Six are imprisoned and 638 are under restrictive measures. IPYS Venezuela documented 85 cases through October 2025, 49 of them involving journalists. The child-rights group Cecodap reported 118 minors charged in 2024 and 2025.
Opposition deputy Juan Requesens was prosecuted under it, serving two years in prison and three under house arrest.
Opposition: “Derogated, Not Reformed”
The Plataforma Unitaria opposition coalition said the law “must be derogated, not reformed.” The Communist Party of Venezuela, which is separate from the government, took the same line. Pedro Eusse said: “Our position is that this law must be derogated or annulled, not reformed.”
Civil society groups, including CEJIL, have demanded repeal along with other rules used against dissidents.
U.S. Pressure
Washington has not publicly commented on the hate law. The reform comes as the relationship between the two governments is being renegotiated.
On Sept. 23, Rodríguez met President Donald Trump for about 15 minutes at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also attended. Trump said, “You have to have elections at the end of the day.” President Trump did not however, demand a date, and the meeting was described as “warm” but “direct.”
Reporting indicates that administration officials see 2028 as a realistic timeline, with 2027 possible.
Three days later, Venezuelan authorities freed dozens of prisoners. Rights groups documented at least 36 releases. Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón says about 450 political prisoners remain, including 20 foreigners. Caracas called the releases part of “national reconciliation” and made no official statement on the numbers.
U.S. pressure has led Rodríguez to make gradual concessions, including easing limits on news websites and pursuing judicial changes.
What it Means for U.S.–Venezuela Relations
These are assessments, not announced U.S. positions:
Washington gets a concrete test. The hate law’s scope shows whether “democratic transformation” — Rodríguez’s phrase after the releases — means changing laws or only individual gestures.
Reform versus repeal is the benchmark. A rewrite that keeps long prison terms and broad definitions would likely satisfy few critics. Repeal or real despenalization would give Washington something to point to.
Elections remain the main condition. Whether the hate law is repealed will likely shape how credible a campaign looks, since the law has been used against journalists and critics.
Meanwhile, oil keeps the relationship pragmatic. By outside appearances, the Trump administration seems to be prioritizing keeping oil flowing over possible future elections, which may limit how hard Washington pushes on any single law.
