| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Venezuelans protest plan to give Chavez full power |
| 2007-01-24 |
| Blowing whistles and waving flags, hundreds of Venezuelans protested Tuesday against a congressional measure that would grant President Hugo Chavez unbridled powers to pass laws by decree in areas from the economy to defense. Raising their hands in the air, some 400 to 500 protesters stood in a Caracas plaza and shouted in unison: "Faced with authoritarianism, more democracy!" The protest came as lawmakers in the entirely pro-Chavez National Assembly announced they would postpone until next Tuesday a session to grant final approval of a so-called "enabling law" allowing Chavez to enact laws by decree during an 18-month period. "It gives him total power," said Greys Pulido, a 40-year-old protester. "We don't want a dictatorship." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #15 Liberhawk, Even in Socialized countries there are some private businesses. Of course Krupps, Mercedes, etc operated factories but the raw materials, transportation, and especially the manpower were controlled by the state. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-01-24 16:43 |
| #14 "Hitler was granted a similar decree, socialized the entire country" Im sure the execs at Krupp, Mercedes, IG Farben, etc would have been very surprised to hear that. Assuming by socialize you mean nationalize industry, like Chavez is doing. Some folks here use it much more broadly though. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-01-24 11:37 |
| #13 Frankly, we should have taken this bag of shit out long ago. When he came to the UN, only a look alike should have returned home. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-01-24 10:35 |
| #12 Ptah makes a very interesting historical point that I am sure is lost of the LLL Mo0b@+5. Hitler was granted a similar decree, socialized the entire country, built up his military, and then began looking for more territory. Chavez is every bit as dangerous because like Iran he is CRAZY and has petrol $$$ to fund his causes. 500 protesters won't keep him awake at night but given that he has a history of locking up dissenters, 500 is a large number. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-01-24 10:23 |
| #11 Chavez and his ego will self destruct, they always do. The question is how much of Venezuela will he take with him. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-01-24 10:08 |
| #10 Yeah, TW! While I'm born/bred from the South (GA actually), I apologize for this puke. Plains, GA: an old train depot, stifingly hot weather, red clay and no breezes. Kind of like Brunswick, GA w/o the mosquitoes, gnats and paper mill smells. |
| Posted by: BA 2007-01-24 09:44 |
| #9 1. I dont think anyone has suggested there was a miscount. The main undemocratic thing about the last Venezualan election was the Putinesque limits on press freedom in Venezuala. 2. I doubt the guys in question voted for Chavez. Over a third of the votes WERE counted against Chavez, and that certainly includes the 500 or so folks here. 3. Protests can matter at the appropriate time. But they would have to be far bigger. 500 is meaningless. 4. As long as the price of oil is high enough for Chavez to be able to fund social programs for the poor the way no one in Venezuala has seen before, its not going to be possible to get him out. Best strategy A. Containment - let him do what he wants in Ven, but watch vigilantly for him to do something to his neighbors that gives us a Casus Belli (dont count on anything, hes smart enough to know we're watching for that) B. Do something about energy. Seems to me someone talked about that last night. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-01-24 09:39 |
| #8 Mr. Carter is from the south. One presumes he likes his weather stiflingly hot. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-24 09:27 |
| #7 And Dhimmi Carter stops by to proclaim the election "fair and honest". So many around the world owe Dhimmi a debt of gratitude. Carter should have an "interesting" afterlife as the Chinese say. |
| Posted by: Lanny Ddub 2007-01-24 08:18 |
| #6 Senor Chavez counts the ballots in his own special way. looked fine to me. Congratulations, Comrade Hugo! |
| Posted by: Jimmy Carter 2007-01-24 08:13 |
| #5 It doesn't matter how they mark their votes -- Senor Chavez counts the ballots in his own special way. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-24 07:51 |
| #4 Chavitler arises! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2007-01-24 07:33 |
| #3 they protest, but still vote for him. /sympathy |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-01-24 07:23 |
| #2 ...I'm with Jackal. A day late and a bolivar short. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2007-01-24 07:08 |
| #1 The Russians protested Lenin's getting full power. Much good it did them. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2007-01-24 01:08 |