Chavez the autocrat

June 11, 2003

Hugo Chavez was his usual autocratic and intolerant self today when he condemned the Venezuelan Supreme Court for “not jailing” the leaders of the oil workers saying “there is enough evidence”. Chavez added ” it is worrisome that these terrorists remain free” and that they are “allowed to go free on a technicality”. Only Hugo Chavez is capable of calling denying the right to due process “a technicality” and it shows his limited understanding of the separation of powers and legality. As if this was not enough, Chavez accused the Deputies who were elected under his platform of the Polo Patriotico of being “traitors to the people”. Obviously, substitute the people for “my whims and desires” and you get the right picture of what he really meant. Chavez added that he has not lost control of the National Assembly. While true, it is also true that the Podemos Deputies (former MAS Deputies) are now the deciding vote in the Assembly giving the President a very flimsy control over that legislative body.

This entry was posted on June 11, 2003 at 7:50 pm and is filed under Venezuela.

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