Venezuela's Congress Prepares to Grant Hugo Chavez Power to Rule by Decree (Translation)

El Universal ( Caracas ) ^ | January 18, 2007 | El Universal Staff Article ( translated by self )

[StJacques]

(03:02 PM) Enabling Law approved in first discussion

Caracas. - The National Assembly this afternoon approved unanimously and in first discussion a law which enables President Hugo Chavez to legislate by decree during [a period of] 18 months.

The second debate will be carried out next Thursday, a day in which its definitive passage is forecast.

Chavez was authorized "to dictate by decree . . . with the force of law, with statutory urgency," the President of the National Assembly, Cilia Flores, said after deputies approved the petition of the Chief Executive by a show of hands, as reviewed by Agence France-Presse.

The Enabling Law grants the President the ability to decree ordinary laws (which require a simple majority) and organic laws (which need a qualified majority)¹ as the the Supreme Tribunal of Justice² established in 2001.

"Welcome to the Enabling Law which has the support of this National Assembly that supports the [nation's] leader," Hugo Chavez, the President of the National Assembly proclaimed in an exposition of [their] motives.

About the objections of opponents who consider the special powers as a "totalitarian abuse" of power, Flores replied: "The are always going to fight tooth and nail and more when they know that these laws are going to give depth to the revolution."

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Translator's Notes:

¹  The distinction between "ordinary" and "organic" laws in Venezuela is that ordinary laws can be passed by the Venezuelan National Assembly by a simple majority vote while organic laws require a two-thirds majority.

² The Supreme Tribunal of Justice is Venezuela's Supreme Court.

[StJacques]

I guess none of us should be surprised at what is now transpiring in the immediate aftermath of Hugo Chavez's victory in an electoral campaign which saw the emergence of a viable, motivated, and well-organized opposition. Forget the rhetoric about Democracy, the truth is being revealed as we watch. The Venezuelan Congress is preparing to grant Hugo Chavez virtual dictatorial power and the role of the opposition in Venezuelan Democracy will be that they stand and watch.

In the few weeks since Chavez's reelection, he has moved forcefully to establish greater control over the communications media and telephone services. The head of CANTV, Venezuela's model phone company, has openly criticized the Chavez government for its move to seize control of telephone services, specifically raising the question as to whether this may be designed to enable Chavez to exercise control over the population, rather than attempting to address some need. And Chavez is moving against the communications media as well. The regime is closing Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), by refusing to renew its license, thus pulling the plug on their most important and popular critics. And Chavez has also promised to redraw the internal political map of Venezuela, which one prominent anti-Chavez Venezuelan blogger has described in the most serious terms. Chavez is preparing to destroy the municipal and state governments in the country in order to replace them with his own appointed bodies. These various objectives, and perhaps others equally nefarious, are behind Chavez's latest moves.

A tragedy is unfolding in Venezuela which should show very clearly that the Latin American Left is about anything BUT Democracy. But can we get that story told here in the U.S.? It was just a couple of months ago that I sat and watched guest commentators on MSNBC and CNN tell me that Venezuela's elections were more secure than those in the U.S. and that their model of Democracy worked better than our own. Can we do anything to bring these spokesmen for Chavez back on the air now to explain these recent developments? The answer is that we may expect to see little if anything at all in the way of such reporting in the American mainstream media, even though the Washington Post has surprised us all with making this known (see 2nd link in previous paragraph), so we are left with little to do but stand and watch as Venezuelan Democracy circles the drain.

[StJacques]

A Latin American Left Watch ping for you all.

Anyone wishing to be included on the ping list may either ping me from this thread or contact me via Freepmail.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[SoCal Pubbie]

Hmmm, "enabling" legislation, where I have I heard that before. I think it was in 1933, but where....?

[AuH2ORepublican]

So the National Assembly of Venezuela is making de jure what was already de facto. Jimmy Carter must be ecstatic.

[patton]

Those who fail to understand history, are doomed to repeat it.

Didn't even require a fire this time.

[marron]

This is not new, Rule by Decree has been re-instated for this term of office, but it was actually granted to him several years ago shortly after he took office the first time.

He ruled de facto by decree during the transition period, between the time he revoked the old Constitution and the writing of the new Constitution (written by himself and his cronies). Once the new Constitution was in place, the congress passed a law "granting" him Rule by Decree. It seemed unnecessary at the time, since the new Congress was packed with his people, and the new Supreme Court was also packed with his people, and they already were acting as his rubber stamp. But really it was the other way around. It is Congress and the Supreme Court (and his made-to-order Constitution) that are irrelevant.

He rules over their heads, and has from the beginning. If they dare to question him, he threatens them with arrest (even including Supreme Court justices).

Anyway, the new Rule by Decree law is really a re-enactment of something they gave him 5 years ago.

[StJacques]

"Hmmm, "enabling" legislation, where I have I heard that before. I think it was in 1933, but where....?"

Congratulations SoCal Pubbie, you get the StJacques Award for Historical Acumen for today.

I was waiting to see if anyone remembered the Enabling Act the Reichstag passed on March 23, 1933.

And I think it will also be useful to compare what transpires in Venezuela over the next few months as their equivalent of Hitler's Gleichschaltung.

[sgtbono2002]

Reichsfeuhrer Chavez

[Enchante]

"enabling" law.... reminiscent of how Adolf Hitler proceeded to gut the shaky democracy of Weimar Germany in 1933..... Chavez, like Saddam Hussein, has modeled himself after both Hitler and Stalin.

About the objections of opponents who consider the special powers as a "totalitarian abuse" of power, Flores replied: "The are always going to fight tooth and nail and more when they know that these laws are going to give depth to the revolution."

translation: ....when they know this is how ruthless dictators get control of all the machinery of government....

[mylife]

Its Amazing that half the yukapuks at DU believe this is a fine move my a man who really cares and in the next breath declare GWB a dictator

[StJacques]

"Reichsfeuhrer Chavez"

You're more right than you may realize sgtbono.

Go to the 2nd to last paragraph of the translated article and you will see . . .

". . . Welcome to the Enabling Law which has the support of this National Assembly that supports the [nation's] leader . . ."

I inserted the word "[nation's]" to qualify the word "leader," in the original text the Spanish word is lider, for the benefit of American readers.

Can anyone guess the German translation of lider?

Answer = Führer

I would argue this is not a coincidence.

[SoCal Pubbie]

"Chavez is preparing to destroy the municipal and state governments in the country in order to replace them with his own appointed bodies. "

This also seems reminiscent of Hitler's move to liquidate the German states' autonomy and make them mere administrative districts of the Fatherland.

[Chode]

he's gettin a work out tonight...

do I really have to say it???

[OldArmy52]

One man. One vote. One time.

[StJacques]

"do I really have to say it???

Chode, I know it's Claude Raines and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, but I still can't figure out what it is you don't have to say. "Play it Again Sam" is supposed to be the big line from the movie, but that's not it.

I am so fearful that you're going to state something so obvious that I will have to confess a sudden attack of the "dumbs."

[sgtbono2002]

I am on your side of that argument.

This mans ego has driven him past sanity.

[Chode]

chavez acting like a dictator???

I'm SHOCKED SHOCKED I TELL YOU!!! 8^)

[oldenuff2no]

They need to send Jimmy Carter back down there. He wound want to miss the party as all his socialist wishes come true!!!!!

[StJacques]

Oh Yes!

Claude Raines was a little wry at times in the movie.