Chavez gets sweeping new powers
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been granted new special powers after an extraordinary assembly vote in the main square of the capital, Caracas.
Mr Chavez will now be able to rule by decree for the next 18 months.
His planned reforms will affect the energy sector, telecommunications, the economy and defence, among others.
This is going to be great: I can’t wait to see how dKos and Glen Greenwald, the ACLU and the rest skewer the Latin American kleptocrat for his naked and extra-constitutional power grab. Those guys are soooo good at the whole outrage thing.
Update: Hmm. It’s still pretty fresh, so, you know: Be patient.
*cricket*
Shipmates,
I understand that, in the background, if one listened carefully, he might hear the strains of the “Horst Wessel” being played by a distant band.
Respects,
…and so democracy exits the Venezuelan stage, not with a bang, but with a whimper and another power-hungry thug ascends the throne. Sad codicil to Bolivar’s legacy.
- SJS
When Chavez annexes Cuba and declares it to be a Venezuelan state we will have to start paying attention to the ranting idiot…time to dust off the Monroe Doctrine.
OOPs, finish my thought…”time to dust off the Monroe Doctrine” and add Central and South America to the list.
I’d like to have the power to sweep Chavez off the frikkin’ planet….
*mumble mumble*
Oh good. More entertainment for the Communist and Socialist mimes to provide. See them complain about democracy in action? After all, he is supported by his Supreme Court, and by acclaim in the Parliament. Hugo, El Presidente por Todoa los Anos.
Is it 1969 yet? Haven’t we been there, done that?
Subsunk
I agree with Mr. Andrilla, however, I’d suggest the Roosevelt Corollary, more direct wrt S.A. imho.
Ole Bullet-head, meet old beady eyes…
Sheesh. What a show!
b2
I read recently that the Venezuelean economy deflated by something like 30% over the last decade. Skilled workers in the oil industry have bailed out of the country to be replaced by cronies. The oil industry infrasturcture is a mess.
But, this really cracked me up; The U.S. tried to blow up the oil pipelines in Venezuela to support a coupe against Chavez last year… So said a middle easterner, U.A.I., on a blog recently. Because, you know, it is all a clever plot by our imperialist gov’t.
It seems to me that the Bush admin. has been trying hard to IGNORE Chavez. Kinda like a screaming child you sent to their room while you fold the laundry in the kitchen…
We can all fight Chavez by boycotting Citgo Gas. Citgo profits flow straight to his coffers.
Lou Dobbs had an interesting story about a planned non-stop Caracas-Tehran airline route. Now that’s a little scary!
Citgo. Yeah. Sold on all the Navy bases on the east coast! True.
b2