In a very interesting about face, President Hugo Chavez “vetoed” the same University Bill he sent to the National Assembly he controlled. Despite the staunch defense of the Bill by his Ministers and supporters, President Chavez showed up on TV tonight and vetoed the Bill in the name of “discussion” and being “open”
Of course, he can’t even veto it…but the new Assembly is not about to ratify it either.
It appears as if the protests almost up to Christmas Day by the students unnerved the Government, which knows it’s losing support. Vetoing the Bill tonight is a slap in the face of the outgoing National assembly, which leaves today, and implies that it will be impossible to approve a new one in the new National Assembly, where Chavez does not have the two thirds super majority necessary. He could approve it within the Enabling Bill, but the reaction may be tough from the students.
Chavez also backtracked on the increase of the Value Added Tax, saying that the “funding” for the emergency caused by the flooding had been found. This must be the only poor country in the world, where a Government “finds” a couple of billion dollars lying around just like that.
But for now, Hugo “reculo“, a sign that the Dictator does not feel as strong as many think.
And that, my friends, is good news. But don’t believe we have won much…just temporary…
The Devil's Excrement 
January 10, 2011 at 5:33 am
In my opinion this is obviously all a show of the typical Chavez theater that gets the opposition (and the rest as well) looking away from the actual problems.
The law was obviously a lot stronger and more absurd than usual. So I believe he did it knowing from the start that he would “veto” it. This way everyone is now the opposition feels less bad about the laws that did get passed in a so undemocratic way, and also gets a false sense of power over Chavez.
And to the other countries he looks like a benevolent president that “hears” his people.
January 5, 2011 at 3:15 pm
And… Danny Glover was left out of the pool because of his skin color, mabbe? 😀
Ha, Chavistas, really.
About the university law don’t have much to say but QUE VIVAN LOS ESTUDIANTES.
Chavez KNOWS he cannot mess with them. Applause to the brave ones.
It wouldn’t be a good idea to show the police messing with those kids in the international news, right Hugo?
January 5, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Funny link, Speed. Clinton would be really funny; he would macerate Hugo and spit him out before breakfast.
Either Sean Penn or Oliver Stone I would fully support for ambassador to Venezuela. We would see how long their starry-eyed fantasies about the glorious revolution lasted. Not long.
January 5, 2011 at 9:26 am
you all must be so proud
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0111/stone_penn_clinton_d1fca8c5-5a10-42d9-aed0-cee96116e145.html
January 5, 2011 at 7:55 am
It is a concession. It shows weakness, and a desire to close off an area where its popularity was substantially threatened.
They don’t seem to have stepped back on the main parts of the autogolpe, though.
January 5, 2011 at 7:06 am
This is just like chess. Hugo took back a tower. Big shit. I wonder if the opposition is now so exacted that it wants to put forward their queen just thinking it will go in two steps to Chávez’s king while Chávez’s crooks (no, not rooks) are slowly moving towards our king.
Sorry, mates, but we need to take this very cautiously. We win when Chávez is gone for good. Meanwhile we fight and try to calculate the different moves Chavistas will take.
January 5, 2011 at 6:10 am
“Autoridad Socialista Cubana de Ocupacion, ASCO”
Good one, Carlos.
January 5, 2011 at 12:03 am
When the US Army’s tank rolled down Baghdad, the gringos installed a Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). A couple of months later, Paul Bremer, as a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar was deciding over life and death in the cradle of civilization.
With 50K+ agents on Venezuela and heavyweights like Ramiro Valdez, Barbara Castillo or the VP deployed on-site, the Cubans are not listening to the radio to learn what’s going in Venezuela. They are at the center of the decision making process.
It may soothe someone’s aspirations for a return to democracy, but it is almost certain that chavez is not listening to the Venezuelan people. If there was a backtracking, it was not due to the pressure of a handful of students. Those poor guys have done their utmost trying to counter the government’s absurd policies, even baring their asses, to no avail.
The “recule” has to be the result of Cuban instructions.
We also have an occupation authority in our country. It is known as the Autoridad Socialista Cubana de Ocupacion, ASCO.
January 4, 2011 at 10:40 pm
liz i had forgotten about that.
Must be some cuban strategy to fuck us up.
Im not kidding,let’s keep an eye out
January 4, 2011 at 10:19 pm
I am afraid of his next poison… Nothing is free.
OTOH, maybe the Cuban VP is in the country to assess the political situation -instead of the damnificados- and it is his hand we see here. Just saying.
January 4, 2011 at 10:12 pm
Finds? He probably has billions stashed all over the planet.
All he has to do is remember where he left the check books( Iran, Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc.)