Tibisay Lucena

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lucena and the second or maternal family name is Ramírez.

Tibisay Lucena Ramírez (26 April 1959 – 12 April 2023) was a Venezuelan politician, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) between 2006 and 2020, one of the five branches of government of Venezuela. Since 2017, Lucena was sanctioned by several countries for her role in undermining democracy and human rights in the country.

Tibisay Lucena
Lucena in 2015
President of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela
In office 30 April 2006 – 12 June 2020
Preceded by	Jorge Rodríguez Gómez
Succeeded by	Indira Alfonzo Izaguirre
Personal details
Born	Tibisay Lucena Ramírez (1959-04-26)26 April 1959 Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
Died	12 April 2023(2023-04-12) (aged 63) Caracas, Venezuela

Early life and education

Tibisay Lucena Ramírez was born in Barquisimeto on April 26, 1959.^[1][2][3] She studied cello and performed with Venezuela's National Youth Orchestra and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra (1980–87). Lucena earned a B.A. in sociology from the Central University of Venezuela and worked as a researcher at the Institute of Advanced Studies of Administration. She then pursued graduate studies in the United States, earning an M.A. in sociology from the New School for Social Research in New York.^[4]

Career

In December 1999, during the transitional regime of the public branches, she was appointed by the National Constituent Assembly as alternate rector of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE).^[5] She was first elected as CNE president in 2006, and was reelected in 2009 for the 2009-2013 period.^[6]

During the 2006 presidential elections, around 5 p.m., Lucena officially announced the end of the voting process, but gave orders to keep polling stations open if voters still remained in line.^[7] She would later declare Hugo Chávez as winner of the elections against Manuel Rosales at 10 p.m.^[8] During the 2013 presidential elections, Tibisay rejected the audit requested by opposition candidate Henrique Capriles after declaring he was defeating, saying that it was "impossible to carry out the audit in the terms proposed."^[9]

Her position was slated to expire on 30 April 2013;^[5] however, she did not leave the post until October 2014 when the National Assembly swore in the Nominating Committee to appoint her replacement and that of two of her other colleagues, because the parliament could not reach an agreement with the majority required by law, so it proceeded to an appointment authorized by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.^{[10][failed verification]}

On 26 December 2014 she was reelected as the CNE's chief rector by designation of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, after the request for a declaration of omission of the National Assembly made by Diosdado Cabello, as president of the National Assembly, was admitted.^[11] On 23 May 2017, Tibisay officially approved President Nicolás Maduro's proposal for a Constituent Assembly shortly after Supreme Tribunal justices began to speak out against the proposal, announcing that the internal elections would be held in late-July on an unspecified date, paving a way to replace Hugo Chávez's 1999 constitution.^[12][13] During the 2018 presidential elections, Lucena announced that the political parties and individuals that promoted abstention would be sanctioned.^[14] She would later declare Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the elections.^[15]

On 12 June 2020, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of Venezuela appointed attorney Indira Alfonzo as the new president of CNE, ending Lucena's tenure.^[16] Lucena was considered to be pro-PSUV by the opposition, despite that the position she held must be exercised with neutrality.^[17][18][19]

On 7 September 2020, the University Education Ministry swore her in as rector of the Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Artes.^{[citation needed]} On 19 October 2021 she was appointed the new Minister of University Education.^[20]

Sanctions

Lucena was sanctioned by several countries and was banned from entering neighboring Colombia. The Colombian government maintains a list of people banned from entering Colombia or subject to expulsion. As of January 2019, the list had 200 people with a "close relationship and support for the Nicolás Maduro regime".^[21][22] In July 2017, thirteen senior officials, including Lucena, of the Venezuelan government associated with the 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly elections were sanctioned by the United States for their role in undermining democracy and human rights.^[23][24] Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including Lucena, in September 2017.^[25][26] The sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people were killed in the 2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship".^[25] Canadians were banned from transactions with the 40 individuals, whose Canadian assets were frozen.^[25] The European Union sanctioned seven Venezuela officials, including Lucena, on 18 January 2018, singling them out as being responsible for deteriorating democracy in the country.^[27] The sanctioned individuals were prohibited from entering the nations of the European Union, and their assets were frozen.^[28] On 29 March 2018, Panama sanctioned 55 public officials, including Lucena,^[29] and Switzerland implemented sanctions, freezing the assets of seven ministers and high officials, including Lucena, due to human rights violations and deteriorating rule of law and democracy.^[30] On 20 April 2018, the Mexican Senate froze the assets of officials of the Maduro administration, including Lucena, and prohibited them from entering Mexico.^[31]

Later life and death

Lucena had surgery performed in 2011 on suspicion of ovarian damage,^[32] and was known to have a malignant tumor in her pelvic region for at least the last 10 years of her life.^[3] She died on 12 April 2023, at the age of 63.^[1][2][33]

See also

• Gladys Gutiérrez
• Indira Alfonzo
• Jorge Rodríguez
• Sandra Oblitas Ruzza
• Socorro Elizabeth Hernández
• Elections in Venezuela

References

1. "Falleció ministra de Educación Universitaria, Tibisay Lucena, este #12Abr" [Minister of University Education, Tibisay Lucena, died this #12Apr]. Tal Cual (in Spanish). 12 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
2. "Tibisay Lucena has died". Últimas Noticias. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
3. Maza, Jesús (12 April 2023). "Tibisay Lucena: ¿quién fue, de qué la acusaron y cuántos países la sancionaron?" [Tibisay Lucena: who was she, what was she accused of and how many countries sanctioned her?]. La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
4. "Tibisay Lucena" (in Spanish). Poderopedia. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
5. Scharfenberg, Ewald (20 March 2013). "La oposición cuestiona la imparcialidad del árbitro electoral de Venezuela". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 April 2023.
6. "La eternidad de Tibisay Lucena en el CNE" (in Spanish). Lapatilla. 7 December 2014.
7. "CNE declara fin oficial del proceso de votación". El Universal (in Spanish). 3 December 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
8. Resultados de la elección presidencial del 3 de diciembre de 2006 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2006-12-06)
9. "Lucena: Es imposible realizar la auditoría en los términos planteados - Elecciones 2013". El Universal. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
10. Asamblea Nacional juramentó al Comité de Postulaciones Electorales
11. TSJ Expediente n.° 14-1343 Archived 2014-12-27 at the Wayback Machine
12. . ABC News. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
13. "Venezuelan gov't proposes constitutional assembly election on July 30". EFE. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
14. "CNE castigará a quienes promuevan la abstención en comicios del 20 de mayo". El Estímulo. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
15. Phillips, Tom (21 May 2018). "Venezuela elections: Nicolás Maduro wins second term". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
16. Alonso, Juan Francisco (13 June 2018). "Indira Alfonzo asume como nueva presidenta del CNE". El Universal. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
17. "Tibisay Lucena sale al paso de acusaciones de parcialidad" [Tibisay Lucena responds to accusations of partiality]. RTVE (in Spanish). 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
18. "El chavismo llora a la "imparcial" Tibisay Lucena y el país recuerda su complicidad" [Chavismo mourns "impartial" Tibisay Lucena and the country remembers her complicity]. NTN24 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-04-16.
19. "Cinco claves de cómo Tibisay Lucena contribuyó con el socavamiento de la democracia en Venezuela" [Five keys to how Tibisay Lucena contributed to the undermining of Venezuelan democracy]. Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-04-16.
20. "Maduro designó a Tibisay Lucena ministra de Educación Universitaria". El Nacional. 19 October 2021.«El nombre de la expresidenta del Consejo Nacional Electoral Tibisay Lucena vuelve al ojo público en la política nacional, pues Nicolás Maduro anunció este martes en la tarde su designación como ministra de Educación Universitaria.
21. "Maduro encabeza lista de 200 venezolanos que no pueden entrar al país" [Maduro tops list of 200 Venezuelans who can not enter the country]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). 30 January 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
22. "Primera parte de lista de colaboradores de Maduro que no pueden ingresar a Colombia" [First part of list of Maduro collaborators who can not enter Colombia] (in Spanish). RCN Radio. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
23. Lane, Sylvan and Rafael Bernal (26 July 2017). "Treasury sanctions target Venezuela president's allies". The Hill. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
24. "Treasury Sanctions 13 Current and Former Senior Officials of the Government of Venezuela" (Press release). U.S. Department of the Treasury. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
25. "Canada imposes sanctions on key Venezuelan officials". CBC Canada. Thomson Reuters. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
26. Zilio, Michelle (22 September 2017). "Canada sanctions 40 Venezuelans with links to political, economic crisis". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 3 April 2019. Also at Punto de Corte and El Nacional
27. "Quiénes son los 7 funcionarios de Venezuela sancionados por la Unión Europea y de qué se les acusa". BBC Mundo (in Spanish). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
28. "EU imposes sanctions on 7 senior Venezuelan officials". Associated Press. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
29. "Los 55 funcionarios sancionados por Panamá por 'blanqueo de capitales'". El Nacional (in Spanish). 30 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019. Also at Panama Economic and Finance Ministry
30. "Swiss impose sanctions on seven senior Venezuelan officials". Reuters. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019. Also at Diario Las Americas
31. "México rechaza elecciones en Venezuela y sanciona a siete funcionarios". Sumarium group (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2018. Also at VPITV
32. "EXCLUSIVO: A presidenta del CNE le descubren tumor canceroso en región pélvica". Runrunes (in Spanish). 20 November 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
33. Maza, Jesús (14 April 2023). "Fallece Tibisay Lucena, ministra de Venezuela y aliada del chavismo, a los 63 años" [Tibisay Lucena, minister of Venezuela and ally of Chavismo, dies at the age of 63]. La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.