A democratic test for Venezuela (Washington Post)
A new Venezuelan congress is due to take office in January in which opposition representation will rise from virtually zero to nearly 40 percent. A presidential election is scheduled in two years, and with the country suffering from one of the worst economic crises and highest murder rates in the world, the chances that Hugo Chavez would win a free and fair vote are not looking good.
So it is no surprise to anyone in Venezuela that its self-styled "Bolivarian" caudillo has set out to finish installing his "21st-century socialism" before he runs out of time. Last week the lame-duck, rubber-stamp National Assembly granted Chavez the power to rule by decree for the next 18 months. It also prepared new laws that could force the closure of the last television network sympathetic to the opposition, and subject the Internet and even mobile messages to a ban on any speech that would "foment anxiety" or "ignore the authorities." Internet traffic would be routed through a central node controlled by the state, as in China, Iran and Cuba. (...)
So it is no surprise to anyone in Venezuela that its self-styled "Bolivarian" caudillo has set out to finish installing his "21st-century socialism" before he runs out of time. Last week the lame-duck, rubber-stamp National Assembly granted Chavez the power to rule by decree for the next 18 months. It also prepared new laws that could force the closure of the last television network sympathetic to the opposition, and subject the Internet and even mobile messages to a ban on any speech that would "foment anxiety" or "ignore the authorities." Internet traffic would be routed through a central node controlled by the state, as in China, Iran and Cuba. (...)
Nota: Perante a eminente consolidação das forças opositoras ao regime Bolivariano, em particular, com a alteração da composição das forças adversas ao governo na nova Assembleia que entrará (ia) em funções em Janeiro do próximo ano, Hugo Chavez recebe, a dias do fim da legislatura poderes especiais para Governar por Decreto nos próximos 18 meses. Pois bem, a este respeito, gostaria de conhecer as opiniões daqueles que há anos defendem a legalidade do regime perante semelhante atropelo à democracia e à vontade popular expressa nas últimas eleições legislativas!
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