tisdag 27 november 2007

Venezuelan referendum on Sunday


The streets of Venezuela are boiling. Not so much from the sun anymore, with December close, temperatures has dropped to around pleasant 27 degrees centigrade and we have daily rains. But on Sunday the country will hold its fiercely debated referendum on a new constitution. In it, among several social security treaties, it is also confirmed that Venezuela is and shall be a socialist state, no matter what the people vote for in future regular elections. Critics of course claims that if supported, it will be the end of democracy in Venezuela. But since Chavez has spent substantial amounts of oil revenues into projects benefitting the poor, social security, health care, revamped popular education, support for him is strong among many, and chances are big that the constitution will pass. However, I betted our fiercely chavista taxi driver 20 bolivares fuertes, that it will fail. We´ll see on Sunday.
The constitution also allows the president to hold office without the time limits of today. It will also take away the citizens right to due legal process in a state of emergency. Press freedom has already been limited, and Mr Chavez interest in providing an open democracy is apparently small. He has also repeatedly said that Cuba and Venezuela has one common government, and never misses a chance to bash western democracies or brand their leaders as fascists. The sensible leftist leaders of Latin America, lke Bachelet of Chile or Lula of Brazil (my personal favourite amongst world politicians) are increasingly worried over the antics of the erratic senor presidente Chavez.

5 kommentarer:

Anonym sa...

Intressant att se resultatet av folkomröstningen på söndag. Verkar som om utgången är oviss? Om ja-sidan förlorar ska Chavez, enligt Sydsvenskan, inleda en grundlig självrannsakan... Vilken sida tror du vinner? /Matilda

Anonym sa...

Skriv och berätta hur det går och vilka konsekvenserna blir.....,,men skriv också om er själva!!!
Hur mår Emsan?
Åker ni till Trinidad o Tobago före jul? Kommer Abukar?

Pussar och kramar till er alla!
Nyfikna syrran Ingrid

Anonym sa...

Jag vet inte vem som vinner, men jag misstanker att Chavez forslag vinner, det ar tryfferat med sa manga progressiva sociala atgarder att "det andra" slinker med av bara farten.

Emily mar utmarkt for ovrigt. Vi ar alla friska, men ja, vi ar kanske lite raddare for myggorna...tyvarr ar det regnsasong sa de finns har o var.
palle

Anonym sa...

"Press freedom has already been limited" you write, although you can criticize as hard as you like

Anonym sa...

Congratulation! You won 20 bolivares fuertes.