Attorney General mum, his office will appeal

March 17, 2003

Venezuela’s Attorney General showed once again his class, or lack thereof, when after the Appeals Court dealt his office and the Government a severe defeat, which questions the independence of judicial decisions, he failed to appear publicly to explain himself. Instead, he had a prosecutor from his office announce that his office will ask for an injunction on the decision by the Court, in the belief that the Appeals Curt exceeded its powers. Obviously, the Attorney General would have had to approve such a decision. What is not said or mentioned by the same office, is anything about the “manifest incompentence” of the judge to hear the case or the charges that the oil executives were actually denied their right to due process or a defense by the Court’s decision. Bear in mind that this was not simply a decision by a Court that was overturned by the Appeals Court. This was a decision by a Court, at the direct request of the Attorney General, to detain some very important opposition and union leaders on suspect charges. Thus, having their rights violated like that or using improper Courts to attempt to jail opponents, certainly smells like a political vendetta and appears to have nothing to do with justice.

This entry was posted on March 17, 2003 at 10:53 pm and is filed under Venezuela.

Leave a comment