Some people do get it. The Miami Herald editorial show that at least in Miami people are very aware of the Venezuelan "legal" dictatorship. Although the registration is free, for people that do not want to be bothered the full text below.
========================
A democratically enshrined dictatorship?
OUR OPINION: VENEZUELA'S INSTITUTIONS UNDER PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S CONTROL
Beware what you wish for: Six years ago, disgusted with a corrupt political system, a large majority of Venezuelans ushered Hugo Chávez into power with license to conduct his ''Bolivarian revolution.'' Today, the nation stands at the brink of being an elected dictatorship. With new pro-Chávez justices packed onto the Supreme Court, a new law that gags the largely opposition press, a pro-Chávez majority in the National Assembly and broad executive powers to rule by decree, its hard to imagine that any Venezuelan institution can check the president's reach.
Chavistas ask, What's wrong with that? Mr. Chávez promises to spread the wealth of an oil-rich country that has an embarrassing amount of poverty -- and he's already spent lavishly on social programs for the poor.
No watchdogs
The problem is that limitless power leads to limitless abuses. Without watchdogs such as the press and judiciary, a president can stifle dissent, discriminate against minorities, send enemies to jail, award fat contracts to cronies, take kickbacks, use the treasury as a personal piggy bank and impose policies that are not in the interest of the greater good. In the end, the poor end up worse off. And such a president could be reelected for life.
The result of absolute power can be seen just north of Venezuela, in Cuba. Ruled by Fidel Castro for 45 years, the island's economy has been destroyed and its people stripped of fundamental rights. Publicly challenging the one-party system can land a Cuban in jail, as it did 75 dissidents imprisoned last year with terms of up to 28 years.
It's not reassuring that Mr. Chávez looks to Castro, a dictator, as his mentor. Nor are we encouraged that one of the newly appointed Chavista justices to the Supreme Court recently suggested that Venezuela's current constitution -- written to Mr. Chávez's own specifications -- should be amended to allow the president to be reelected indefinitely.
Power consolidated
Other disturbing signs point to the Mr. Chávez's relentless consolidation of power. The recently enacted Chavista gag law gives the government broad discretion to fine and shut down media outlets that until now have given voice to Mr. Chávez's critics. The measure outlaws messages deemed to ''disrupt public order'' and other offenses so vaguely defined that anything might be considered a crime. A new penal code just approved by the pro-Chávez Assembly even criminalizes the cacerolazo, a popular protest method of banging on pots and pans.
Venezuela's opposition remains divided and weak after Mr. Chávez defeated the attempt to recall him from office, and other watchdog groups are under threat of prosecution. No one remains to stop his rule. The consolation is that Mr. Chávez will be the only one to blame when the country fails to prosper.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Human Rights violations in Venezuela, from the Tascon list to political prisoners.
- Amnesty International Venezuela's page
- Human Rights Watch Venezuela's page
- COFAVIC page (in spanish)
- Tell Chavez you will not accept his having political prisoners
- A review of the video "La Lista" detailing all the abuses of the Tascon list
- Miguel's compilation
- A summary of 20 lies about the video "The Revolution will not be televised"
- The video debunking the April 11 2002 governmental lies
- "La Cadena", a video explaining how Chavez tried to hide the reality of April 11 2002 by bloc king TV news
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments policy:
1) Comments are moderated except for the first day of the post publication where they will appear immediately. If you comment after the first day it may take up to a day or two for your note to appear.
2) Your post will appear if you follow the following rules. If you wrote in the open window period, I will be ruthless in erasing any comment that do not follow these rules, as well as those who replied to that off rule comment.
3)COMMENT RULES:
Do not be repetitive.
Do not bring grudges and fights from other blogs here (this is the strictest rule).
This is an anti Chavez blog, with 95% anti Chavez readers that have made up their minds over fourteen years and thus trying to prove us wrong is considered a troll. Still, you are welcome as a chavista to post, in particular if you want to explain us coherently as to why chavismo does this or that. Though I am not holding my breath.
Of course insults and put downs are frowned upon and I will be sole judge on whether to publish them.