The Devil's Excrement

Interview/Article with Hugo Chavez in the Manchester Guardian yesterday. A few interesting innacuracies by our President:

-He claims he joined the military because he wanted to become an engineer. Interesting, he has always told Venezuelans that he did it to become a baseball player.

-Chavez always claims to have been poor. Both his parents were Government school teachers while he was growing up. Let me assure people that a family in Venezuela in the 70’s with the salary of two elementary school teachers was far from being poor, more so in the small town of Sabaneta where Chavez grew up. Salaries are/were uniform across the country and is much cheaper to live in a place like Sabaneta than Caracas. A family with two such salaries would have been (is) middle class even in Caracas. I guess it would sound worse if he said he was middle class. His older brother Adan went to the University, so his excuse is part of the Chavez lore that he has made up as he went along.

-The opposition is no small group as witnessed by Oct. 10^th.’s march of 1.2 million people in a city of less than five million.

-There were no massive protests in April. There was widespread looting because there was no police in the streets. Chavez came back because the military decided to.

-The Constitution respected by the Chavez Government? See my article below with 22 very specific and documented cases of violations of the Constitution. Chavez called a recent decision by the Supreme Court “the shit the Court took”. He personally orders intelligence police to detain people. This is done without following the law. Chavez issues decrees to stop legal rallies against him.Court decisions use the concept of “supraconstitutionallity”. Should I continue?

-Long-delayed land reform. What does that mean? The biggest land owner in the country is the State, who owns half the territory of the country. 80% of Venezuelans live in cities. Chavez passed a Law that allows the Government to take away private land. Is that democratic? It certainly is not Constitutional as the Constitution guarantees the right to private property. Moreover, it says the Government may regulate what people grow in their land.

One thing did please me about the article, while Mr. Chavez and most people and newspapers always talk about the 80% of Venezuelans that live below the poverty line, this article actually quotes the correct (and shameful nevertheless!!) value of sixty-some percent (67%, up significantly since Chavez became President)

The following is today’s Editorial from TalCual on the events that took place when opposition marchers were blocked by Government supporters, under the eyes of local authorities and the National Guard. The events led to six injured and one death which the authorities cynically blame on the marchers. For those abroad, this is the daily reality of Government-promoted impunity in Venezuela. Just in case, TalCual has always mantained a balanced editorial line by being tough on both the Government and the opposition. Its Director Teodoro Petkoff, can not precisely be accused of being right wing.

 What is one more death?

The events of last week in the La Cabrera tunnel and in the city of San Juan de Los Morros, led by violent groups which support the Government, the balance of which was six injured by bullets and one death, can not become a simple statistic. Impunity can not cover them. TalCual has carried out an investigation at the scene of the crimes, the first chapter of which can be read in pages 4 and 5.

A thick veil of cynicism clouds what happened. The victims are supposed to be responsible for the violence. The Governor of Guarico State and the now famous General Acosta Carle ”explain” the events as a confrontation between Government supporters and opponents, obviating the “insignificant” detail that armed groups which support the Government blocked both the highway and the Guarico road during six or seven hours, which constitutes an unqualified  abuse against people. What is worse, is that they were accompanied by the complicity of the corresponding authorities, which only acted after the shots fired by the “Bolivarian” hoodlums caused an injury in one case and a death on the other. It is the same impunity that protects those that attack the Metropolitan City Hall of Caracas and which distorts completely the rules of civilized life. The aggressors present themselves as the victims of police violence! In the case of La Cabrera, two trailer trucks were used to block the mouths of the tunnel on the Aragua side, completely blocking traffic from the very early hours of the morning. The monitoring of the road is the job of the National Guard, which has precisely in that tunnel an elite command unit. The National Guard did nothing during six hours and remained unperturbed while hooded men shot against the vehicles where the opposition marchers were driving towards Caracas. When the Carabobo State police showed up, the National Guard left its catalepsy and began doing something, but against the State police, with one cop injured by a bullet.

On the Aragua side, given the inactivity of the National Guard, it was the regional police which removed the trucks and arrested seven or eigth people which it handed over to the National guard command in La Cabrera. The scene of the arrest was taped and, nevertheless, those people vanished afterwards and General Acosta Carle, with an atomic cynicism maintains that there were never any detentions. Obviously, one can presume they were freed on his orders.

In the case in Guarico, the road block in the highway, from 1:30 AM, took place in front of the Army Conopaima Fort, a few blocks from the National Guard and without the State police doing anything to stop the abuse. When Governor Manuitt explains the events he overlooks this detail which could only lead to a confrontation once the vehicles with the marchers going to the capital began arriving. It is as if it were normal to create a roadblock and as if those responsible for the violence are precisely the victims of it. Information gathered by TalCual indicate that the shot that killed Mr. Mendez came from those blocking the way and this appears to be confirmed by the regional Attorney General, which would explain the request to fire her, made by the Guarico Government. Another life has been lost.

Will this just end here?

From todays’ Tal Cual (page 7) cartoon by WEIL:

Chavez from the podium: Given the hunger I have generated in my country and the excess luxury that I have thanks to the State….Gentlemen…what the f……am i going to say here?

(If the President were honest)

Venezuelans know that Hugo Chavez is a cynic. Well, the international community saw it first hand today. When Hugo Chavez came back in April, he was contrite. He promised there would be an independent committee to investigate the truth of what happened on April 11th. On May 15th., the Chavez controlled National Assembly approved the first draft of the Bill creating that commission, with the joint vote of the oposition. Since then Chavez’ MVR has shelved the discussion of that Bill.

Today Hugo Chavez calls for an international committee because he “gives an extraordinary importance to finding out the truth about what happened in April”. Come on Hugo, call Caracas and have your party approve the Bill in Congress. For those abroad who don’t follow the details of what happens in Venezuela, read the Editorial in local newspaper Tal Cual on September 10th., which describes how the Government sabotaged the bill to establish the truth commission. The Editorial that day also notes the “coincidence” that the Attorney General has jailed 7 members of Chavez’ MVR as the only suspects in the April deaths. By the way that paper’s Editor is Teodoro Petkoff, who irks the opposition with his attempts to be balanced.

Chavez talking about Human Rights, come on!

As I write this Governement supporters that took over downtown Caracas this morning continue shooting a the police. The group is led by Lina Ron , a Chavez supporter, who is asking the Mayor to resign.The Mayor, Alfredo Peña was the first Minister of the Interior during the Chavez administration. The police are using tear gas, while Chavez’ supporters are using guns. Such nice people!

Venezuela’s new Constitution establishes a number of mechanisms for citizen participation in the political process. This includes anything from input on new bills, planning and decision as well as the possibility of calling refrenda on issues or to revoke anyone elected within the terms of the Constitution. Some of these rights are, in my mind, too cumbersome for a working democracy, but they are there. Now the Chavez administration and his party Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) are getting ready to propose to the National Assembly (which they control) a bill that will regulate these mechanisms of participation.

If anyone still believes that Hugo Chavez and his MVR have any concern for democracy, free speech or civil rights. I quote directly from the proposed bill, written, proposed and supported only by Chavez’s Deputies in teh National Assembly (Translated by me as acurately as possible);

“Article 6. paragraph 2. Participation requires of a State policy in all its instances and levels, to guarantee true and plural information to all citizens and to facilitate access to the same media for the free exercise of freedom speech”

Imagine this, the State is the guarantor of truth and plural information. Sounds like censorship to me, but read on.

“Article 52 Paragraph 3. Any call for a referendum…..Equally, the next day following publication, it will be broadcast for free through the communications media, both private and public, if it is a natioanl refrendum and by those of teh areas affected by it in the other cases. This publication will bee done for free up to three times during teh campaign”

Paragraph 4. All communicatiosn media, both private and public, will have to disseminate for free an isntitutional campaign to promote citizen participation, without the possibility of giving an opinion as to the content of the vote.

Again I ask why? If private media have to do this for free, why should the state have radio or TV stations or even newspapers. I thought that these were in charge of doing this. Once again this is like a new tax.

Now it gets even better

“Article 59, pargraph 4. The National Electoral Council will have to watch so that all communications media, both public and private, provide an equilibrated treatment in news broadcasts, opinion programs and debates of the positions for or against the question taht is the object of a referendum. Not fullfilling this by any media will be sanctioned according to this law and others that regulate the matter”

Read: CENSORSHIP. This is simply outright censorship. As an example, imagine a referendum to impeach President Chavez, the media will have to provide balanced views of for and against, even in the case that 90% of tehe popalation is in favor of impeaching him. Moreover, if you don’t do so, your concession may be closed. Hello!! Freedom of Speech???. Imagine the minimun group of people possible get together to ask for a referendum and they have to have 50% propaganda. Sounds like limiting freedom of speech  to me.

So, no matter what teh topic, how many people, or anything the media will have to provide free services. Why? Is this a new tax, only on the media?

“Article 131: For the control of the fullfillemnt of the acces to all media, truth and impartiality by all citizens……the National Council of Supervision of the media is created”

The actual word in Spanish for supervision used in the bill is “vigilancia”. I guess the name of the Council says it all. Censorship, censorship, censorship.

There are many others articles such as one with penalties for devoting unequal time or presence of one group over the other. The absence of groups. The absence of contrasting opinions. Need I say more? This is the Government that some international Human Right and Freedom of Speech organizations want to support. Wake up HRW, OAS, Carter Center at al., this miltaristic, repressive and dictatorial Government may charm you into beliveing in them, but we see it everyday and can’t be fooled!!

For those that still don’t believe that the march supporting Hugo Chavez on Sunday was MUCH smaller than that of the opposition here is a very complete set from urru.org. It explains why Granma had to use the picture of the opposition march. Here is a set of the opposition march. And another set from carlanga.com. As the chinese say a picture is worth 10,000 words.

When I read a statements by an organization called the International Human Rights Seminar defending Hugo Chavez and his upcoming seminar Thursday at Oxford University, I thought of replying to them. However, after thinking about it I decided not to, based on:

-Any organization for human rights who invites Hugo Chavez to give a human rights seminar can’t have it all together.

-The Statement by this organization is so full of lies and imprecisions that I will not waste my time even rebutting them.

-I can only conclude that this Seminar received funding from the Venezuelan Government to have Hugo Chavez participate in this Seminar, if not, I challenge them to deny it.

-Hugo Chavez has been accused of Crimes against Humanity in front of the Venezuelan Supreme Court. the Court ruled that there was evidence that some crimes were committed and they should be investigated. This alone would preclude his invitation to a reputable human righst seminar, at least until a final decision was made on the case.

-Finally, in articles I,II and III below, I show 22 documented cases of violations of both Human Rights and the Constitution by Hugo Chavez and his Government. If only ONE of them were true, that would be sufficient to have the Human Rights Seminar withdraw the invitation. I challenge IHRS to refute the 22 cases with evidence, not with the infantile comments with no supporting material  made in their statement.

This closes the three Chapters on Hugo Chavez’ Government 22 documented violations of the 1999 Constitution, based on the third part of the article in El Universal:

XIII.- 9/2001 In a ruling by the Supreme Court, the Court interpreted in restrictive fashion the exerecise of freedom of expressionviolating not only the Cosntitution, but also Interamerican Democratic Letter. The full Court also ruled that it decisions were not subject to revision by International Courts in violation of International Human Rights Treaties.

XIV.- 11/2001 The President issued 49 decrees that became law under the enabling bill. However, the Presidency obviated the steps for citizen participation established by The Constitution as well as the consultation required by the Constitution to discuss with all states on matters which may be affected by the bills. Some of these bills violate International Human Rights Agreements.

XV.- 11/8/2001 The Miltary High Command pledged its allegiance to the political process led by Hugo Chavez in a violation of article 328 of the Constitution which says that the Armed Forces may not be partial to anyone and be in the service of the Nation.

XVI.- 12/10/2001 Two Deputies of the National Assembly publicly present telephone conversations made illegal by the Government in violation of the Constitution.

XVII.- 12/10/2001 In a speech the President calls for the blacks and indians to control teh country and says he will use the weapons of the armed forces to deepen the revolution in violation of the Constitution.

XVIII.- 11/04/2002 The President promoted threats against the peaceful demonstrators. Threaten the Supreme Court Justices if they decided against him in any cases. This violated the principle of separation of powers and autonmy of the judicial system.

XIX.- 9/2002 The President issued a decree creating special military areas affecting huge areas to prevent teh free movement of people and in particualr a demonstration which was to take place the next day. This decree affects the right to property guaranteed by teh Constitution and was based on a Law that was no longer valid under Title VI of the new Constitution. It also violated the American Convention by limiting the right to demonstrate and in that it extehnds these security areas to unreasonable levels.

XX.- 9/2002 The People’s Defender adhered to the contents of the decree on special security areas violating the charter that created the position in the 1999 Constitution which says that he is supposed to defend those rights taht were vioalted by the decree.

XXI.- The Government through the President has refused consistently to fulfill the precautionary measures of the Interamerican Commsiion of Human Rights since January 2002 issued to protect reporters in violation of the Constitution and  international agreements on human rights.

XXII.- Chavez’ party has yet to fullfil the Constitutional requirement for political parties to have free elections of leadership. Moreover, Chavez’ MVR party uses public funds for its activites and those of the bolivarian circles. This violates articles 19, 67 and 145 of the Constitution.