September 4 marks one month since Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly (ANC) was sworn in, following a July 30 vote that has been widely condemned as fraudulent. In the subsequent weeks the body has rapidly consolidated power, laying bare an authoritarian power grab. Since being sworn in the ANC has approved (in most cases unanimously) the following actions with wide-ranging impact:

For all that the ANC has done, however, it is worth noting that some of the pre-August 4 speculation over what the body would do upon its creation has not come to pass, at least not in the way that was expected. For instance, the weeks leading up to the July 30 election saw widespread conjecture that PSUV Vice President Diosdado Cabello (considered an internal rival of Maduro’s within Chavismo) and his circle would assume greater control of the government once the ANC was established, with suggestions of a supposed “Diosdadato.” The fact that Rodriguez, a Maduro ally, was chosen as ANC President complicated those speculations. Nevertheless, despite not holding a formal leadership position in the ANC, Cabello has played a central role, and has sponsored a number of the body’s major decrees, including the extension of its mandate and the removal of Ortega.

Prior to the installation of the ANC, there was also speculation that the body would rapidly change Venezuela’s form of government into a “communal state.” As we wrote in July, the fear was that the government would create “a pyramid-like structure that begins with communal councils, which are aggregated into communes, then communal cities and every larger structures with the executive branch at the top.” The fact that the ANC has apparently supported holding regional elections—which will likely take place under highly unfair terms—suggests that while such a transition could still be a feature of a new constitution, it is not part of short term plans. There has still been little actual discussion of Chavismo’s plans for a new Constitution.