Taking it into their own hands


Power to the Venezuelan people
Hugo Chavez has been blaming the U.S. for all of Venezuela's problems for years. President Bush played it smart here and didn't rise to the provocation.

And now the people are fed up with Chavez.

The violence broke out after anti-Chavez demonstrators -- led by university students -- marched peacefully to the Supreme Court to protest constitutional changes that Venezuelans will consider in a December referendum.

The amendments would abolish presidential term limits, give the president control over the Central Bank and let him create new provinces governed by handpicked officials.

The protesters demand the referendum be suspended, saying the amendments would weaken civil liberties in one of South America's oldest democracies and give Chavez unprecedented power to declare states of emergency.

"Don't allow Venezuela to go down a path that nobody wants to cross," student leader Freddy Guevara told Globovision.

Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, denies the reforms threaten freedom. He says they would instead move Venezuela toward what he calls "21st century socialism."

The Supreme Court is unlikely to act on the students' demands, given that pro-Chavez lawmakers appointed all 32 of its justices.

Watch this one carefully. I think it may settle itself without American intervention.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - November 13, 2007 at 02:06 PM  Tag


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