Hugo Chavez is wasting no time in tightening his grip on Venezuelan society.
Strengthened by his victory in a recall referendum, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez set his sights Tuesday on centralizing power, including exerting control over the courts, local police and the nation's broadcast stations.The leftist government is "going to deepen the social and democratic revolution in Venezuela," vowed Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, the right-hand man to Chavez, who is praised by supporters for giving the poor majority better services and a voice in politics.
Chavez said at a news conference late Monday that the victory will give his government a "catalyzing energy" to carry out its initiatives, including "completing the transformation of the judicial branch."
Congress, which is controlled by Chavez supporters, recently approved a measure allowing that body to remove and appoint judges to the Supreme Court. One Supreme Court justice has already been ousted for allegedly falsifying his resume, a charge he denied.
The government is also seeking to exert control over TV and radio stations, many of which are deeply critical of Chavez and carry one-sided news reports against him. The government plans to submit a bill to Congress that would allow the government to ban programming it sees as slanderous or an incitement to violence and to punish violators.
The government is also studying the possibility of unifying municipal and state police forces into a national police force, wresting control from mayors and governors, many of whom are Chavez opponents.
Remember, Venezuela is the country on which we depend for 13% of our oil imports. Remember also that CITGO Petroleum is 100% owned by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the nationalized oil company that now fuels Chavez's regime.
Posted by Alan at August 18, 2004 12:43 AM