Op-Ed Commentary
VenEconomy:
Following a confession….
“Following a confession, no further proof required!”
So goes a Spanish saying that hits the nail on the head in the
case of the statements made by three officials in Hugo Chávez’
administration, all published in the press this Friday. The opinions
voiced by José Vicente Rangel (Vice President), Erika Farías
(Food Minister) and Rafael Ramírez (Energy & Petroleum
plus PDVSA) leave no doubts as to what awaits the country if Chávez
is re-elected on December 3rd. It is crystal clear.
The statements made by these three very senior officials make
clear that the government (and those representing it) couldn’t
care less about what the Constitution, the laws, the rule of law
or, much less, the citizens of this country have to say. They
also prove that government institutions are being brazenly placed
at the service of a single political group, one that represents
less than 50% of the population. They also confirm that the political
project these people are espousing is dictatorial, autocratic
and “red, very very red…”
For example, the Vice President of the Republic, José Vicente
Rangel, corroborated an announcement made several months ago by
Education Minister Aristóbulo Istúriz:
The system of education that they intend to impose on the country
“is not neutral.” It is political education based
on an ideology that is in line with “21st century communism.”
Food Minister Erika Farías, in turn, minced no words about
their intolerance towards political dissent when she stated that
if “the enemy” (i.e., those who do not back Chávez)
were to get in the way, they will be “demolished”
by the Ministry that she heads.
The outrageous-statement-of-the-week award, however, goes to the
political harangue that Minister of Energy and Petroleum cum President
of PDVSA, Rafael Ramírez, let loose before a group of senior
and second-level government officials employed by the state-owned
oil company. A video of the event was made public by Gerardo Blyde,
a member of the campaign staff of unity candidate Manuel Rosales,
and the lawyer Alberto Arteaga.
Ramírez’ diatribe not only advocates unlawful behavior,
it is in open violation of the Constitution, the Criminal Code,
the Anti-corruption Act as well as the American Convention on
Human Rights. The brazen way in which he told his subordinates
to “rid your heads of any idea that we could be punished,”
shows just how sure they are of the impunity they enjoy with their
hold over the judiciary and all the institutions under the control
of their political forces.
Could it be that the members of government are beginning to understand
that the (legal) victory of their candidate may be at risk? These
virtual confessions by trusted officials of President (and candidate)
Chávez seem not to be gratuitous, but rather part of a
strategy aimed at coercing and instilling fear. Or it could also
be a ploy to foster abstention and try to discourage people from
voting, especially those who oppose a political project that goes
against the very nature of the Venezuelan people.
Whether Venezuela follows the course of communism as preached
by Chavez or chooses to take on the task of rebuilding democracy
may depend on the success or failure of this strategy.
VenEconomy
is a Venezuela's leading specialized publisher in the economic
and financial area. VenEconomy's Points of View on the issues
of the day, as seen by VenEconomy during the last week. Petroleumworld
not necessarily share these views.
Editor's
Note: This commentary was originally published by VenEconomy,
on 11/03/2006. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest
of our readers.
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11/06/06
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