August 01, 2005
Herald Takes on Chavez
(Cross posted from 26th Parallel)
Last week, on July 26th, the Miami Herald published an excellent editorial blasting fidel and his regime. Today, the Herald editorial board takes Chavez to task for its charges against the group Súmate, a pro-democracy group that helped organize the recall election last year.
You remember, the election that Jimmy Carter approved and deemed to be fair?
Here's the editorial in its entirety:
A vengeful prosecution
OUR OPINION: CHARGES AGAINST SUMATE ATTACK VENEZUELA'S CIVIL SOCIETY
When does democracy building and voter education land you in legal trouble? When you are a civic group trying to check government abuses in Venezuela. The case in point involves María Corina Machado and three other leaders of Súmate, a pro-democracy group that helped organize the recall election that ultimately failed to unseat President Hugo Chávez. The four now are charged with ''conspiracy to destroy the nation's republican form of government.'' They face trial and possible prison terms of up to 16 years.
As evidence of the crime, government prosecutors cite a $31,000 grant that Súmate accepted from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a foundation funded by the U.S. Congress. They argue that Súmate leaders took U.S. government money to dislodge Mr. Chávez from power. What Súmate actually did with the money was teach Venezuelans about their constitutional, voting and other legal rights.
Admittedly, Súmate encouraged people to participate in the recall election. The group would have done the same with any other government in power. This is exactly what groups, such as the League of Women Voters, do in a democracy. Prosecuting Súmate's leaders now smacks of vengeance.
Accepting money from foundations such as the NED, and similar institutions funded by Canadian, European, Japanese and other governments, also is routine for civic groups worldwide. Groups like Súmate form the backbone of civil society; they check and balance governments, a vital role in weak democracies.
Mr. Chávez has accumulated sweeping powers, blurring the boundaries between government branches. A ''content'' law already exists to intimidate the press. Now the target is civil society. By eliminating all checks on government, Mr. Chávez may yet achieve absolute power.
Posted by Robert M at August 1, 2005 11:15 AM
Comments
Chavez is Castro's putative heir, only instead of destroying Venezuela as quickly as Castro did, it will, thanks to oil money, take decades. Yet that does not mean the suffering won't start much earlier. Indeed, the suffering has already started. Since he (hopefully only) tricked Carter into certifying the fraudulent victory, Chavez has realized that only a rapid move to oppression will preserve his power. He is making that move at the expense of public services, civil law and the national good. One can only hope that if patriots in Venezuela get another chance to remove him from office, they will not hesitate as they have before.
Chavez inflicting Castro's oppressive revolution onto not only his people but also on the region is something we have no business in permitting. We should do to him what was not done to Castro so many years and so much blood ago.
Posted by: hunter at August 1, 2005 11:23 AM
Chavez is clearly modeling himself on Castro, so this is no big surprise. The Venezuelans have more of a culture of expressing dissent, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Chavez may change the Penal Code to include the charge of "dangerousness."
Posted by: Regina at August 1, 2005 11:23 AM
too bad the editorial doesn't mention the constitutionally illegal funding that Chávez received from hispanic financial groups for his electoral funding in 1998 through a Curazao-based offshore company called Concertina NV. Among the funders were the Spanish Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria, and Santander Central Hispano. Additionally, the Chile-based Corp Group was involved. The funding amounts were well over 1 million dollars.
(B, to the tune of millions of dollars, from the
Posted by: SydneyHedderich at August 1, 2005 01:44 PM
scratch that last phrase.
Posted by: SydneyHedderich at August 1, 2005 01:45 PM