Former Chavez ally: Referendum on constituion

[Cheung Mo]

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/29064...endum_uncertain (http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/29064/outcome_of_venezuelas_referendum_uncertain)

Another reactionary coward admits their fear of democracy.

[Louis Pio]

Yeah we have been discussing it also in the danish hands off venezuela.
A "funny" thing is that Baduel wrote an introduction to one of Heinz Dietrichs books, shows a bit about how rightwing Dietrichs vision of "21 st century socialism" is.
It's a step forward getting these people to show their true colours and siding with the opposition, Podemos for example is now also a part of the opposition.

[BobKKKindle$]

Ironically, this article provides plenty of implicit evidence of Chavez's respect for the democratic process and the right of the opposition to express their views free from the interference of the state - for example, the fact that a petition signed by a relatively small proportion of the population was sufficient to force an election - no similar mechanism exists in the United States.

Of course, no mention is made of the local councils (and other democratic reforms, including those that will be implemented when the amendments are passed) which now give communities the ability to manage the use of government expenditure, thereby expanding accountability and the participation of ordinary citizens. The proliferation of slanted analysis (for example, http://www.economist.com/world/la/displays...ry_id=10136480) (http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10136480)) poses an imperative to educate the public about what is really happening in Venezuela and to aggressively oppose charges of authoritarianism.

[RedAnarchist]

How can it be a coup d'etat when the person he is accusing is already in power?

[BobKKKindle$]

How can it be a coup d'etat when the person he is accusing is already in power?

It is of course even more ironic that the opposition forces tried to dispose Chavez without popular consultation in 2002, in cooperation with the country's most power media organizations, not to mention the USA's long history of using force to changes foreign regimes in order to preserve economic assets.

[Demogorgon]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20, 2007 12:55 pm
How can it be a coup d'etat when the person he is accusing is already in power?
Not that I agree with the acusation against Chavez, but it is possible. See Musharaff's current behaviour in Pakistan for instance. And the accusation frequently flies around, back in the fifties future French President Mitterand accused De Gaulle of it.

As for Chavez, the accusations are ridiculous. True these reforms will let him stay in office longer (only a year longer if he can't get re-elected mind you) but they actually decrease the power of the Presidency in many ways. Sime Coup D'etat.