A turbulent week for Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez
By Aleksander Boyd
London 06 Mar. 04 – Many people have died in the last six days and judging the behaviour of Hugo Chavez and his minions many more will. The country has been thrown on a rollercoaster, no one knowing what the ruthless and whimsical president will do next. A string of stupid acts of government's officials have demonstrated that the system prevailing in Venezuela, as it stands today, is not one that could be defined as democratic. When one sees the top judge of a country dismissing others, for the annoying reason of enforcing the law, one realizes that something is terribly wrong.
Ivan Rincon Urdaneta’s feat is not the only one worth of comment. Assemblyman for the Socialist Party Nicolás Sosa promoted a motion to create an investigative commission to analyze thoroughly the recent abuses to human rights perpetrated by the National Guard and the army and requested the scientific, criminal and penal investigative police (CICPC) to produce a detailed account of those missing, beaten, assassinated, wounded and tortured in order to establish responsibilities. During Thursday’s session he tried to get the motion approved by the assembly only to get 45 votes in favour out of 121 assemblymen/women who were present at the time.
And then we have to put up with the endless accusations of American interventionism made by Chavez and his crooked cabinet members. If such were to be the case, I have not compunctions of mind in saying that Carrasquero, Battaglini and Rodriguez are indeed CIA operatives, for they are the ones who have forced this unfortunate and violent situation upon Venezuela. They are the ones destabilizing the country. They are ones violating our constitutional rights.
A positive outlook has come out of the tragedy; Hugo Chavez can no longer fool anyone, lest of course the brainwashed leftists for whom Chavez’ make believe stories are so thrilling. His democratic mascara has been washed with Venezuelan blood. Condemnation statements against his regime have been made by:
1. the United Nations,
2. the European Union,
3. the OAS,
4. the Carter Centre,
5. the Group of Friends of the OAS,
6. the Inter American Court of Human Rights,
7. the International Society of Human Rights and the Andrei Sajarov foundation,
8. Amnesty International,
9. Human Rights Watch,
10. Latin American presidents,
11. European Parliamentarians,
12. American congressmen,
13. Human Rights NGOs.
Our freedom message is finally getting across at a sad and hefty humanitarian cost. The government response is of course one of denial; everything is excessively normal for them. A new bright day seems to be in waiting for the people of Venezuela but before that day comes the international community must remain vigilant for the worse of the wee hours of this long and tragic night is yet to pass.
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