Sunday, September 21, 2008

In another sign of increasing intolerance, Hugo Chavez orders the expulsion of HRW's representatives In another step defining the increasing intolerance of the Chavez administration, the Venezuelan Government expelled the Director for the Americas for Human Rights Watch (HRW), Jose Maria Vivancos, and one other HRW worker on direct orders of President Hugo Chavez. Vivancos was in Caracas participating in a seminar in which he presented HRW’s latest report on the state of Human rights in Venezuela entitled “A Decade Under Chávez. Political Intolerance and Lost Opportunities for Advancing Human Rights in Venezuela”. The report may have gone largely unnoticed, except for the local press, if it were not by the decision by the Government to expel Vivancos. The Government once again hid behind its empty rhetoric of calling HRW a puppet of the Empire and an institution financed by the US Government, ignoring similarly critical reports by HRW of not only the US, but human rights abuses in countries such as Colombia. The expulsion came after that of the US Ambassador over a week ago, the refusal to grant passage to student leader Nixon Moreno, who requested political asylum at the Vatican’s Embassy in Caracas and the refusal by the Government to investigate the many corruption accusations of the last few weeks. Any charge against the Government is repelled by calling it a conspiracy, support for the US Government, anti-Chavez, treason and the like, while there are almost daily new scandals everywhere and economic life gets harsher for the average Venezuelan. Vivancos and his coworker at HRW were simply picked up at their hotel and placed on the first flight out of Venezuela, which happened to be going to Brazil. There was no legal procedure followed, as established by law a fact noted by Amnesty International. It was like so many other events, “a direct order from the President”, and adding signs of the increasing autocratic levels of the Venezuelan Government. Remarkable that a Government that controls all judicial instances does not even bother to fulfill even the simplest requirements of the laws. Vivancos’ expulsion ruffled feathers in many countries. Chile’s Foreign Minister criticized the decision and Venezuelan snapped back quickly, creating more tensions between the two countries. Brazil’s Lula was said to be worried about the expulsion, as Vivancos showed at his doorstep and even OAS’ President Insulza, ever the consummate diplomat who stays away from controversy, said he did not like the expulsion. But they better get used to it, as the Chavez administration seems to be getting ready to bypass democracy altogether, not that there was much left of it.  Because while the PSF’s defense of Hugo Chavez has always been based on the fact that he was elected democratically, their arguments has become meaningless now that Chavez decided to ignore the results of the December referendum, passing 26 Bills which turn into law much of what was rejected by the Venezuelan electorate in an election where the Chavez controlled Electoral Board has refused to tell us what the margin of victory of the rejection was. And while Chavez relished himself today in saying 70% of the people support what he is doing, a number he has never reached in any election, the truth is that numbers for Chavez’ candidates in the upcoming regional elections are looking increasingly and surprisingly worse to this blogger. But rather than deal with his problems, Chavez once again leaves today in one of his useless trips, most likely to buy new weapons, hug world leaders and sign agreements that will never do anything for Venezuela. Meanwhile, the HRW report is there for the world to read. It has little that has not been said or denounced in this blog and thanks to Chavez and his stupid impulse to expel Vivancos, has been read by ten times more people that would have done so without the scandal. In fact, I myself feel compelled to make the report part of the record of this blog in order to extend its reach, as these ten long years have not only been wasted for the development of Venezuela, but also for the cause of human rights in my country. Thus, if you are curious, here is the HRW report with all its details: A Decade Under Chávez. Political Intolerance and Lost Opportunities for Advancing Human Rights in Venezuela I. Executive Summary Political Discrimination The Courts The Media Organized Labor Civil Society The Future of Venezuelan Democracy II. Political Discrimination Political Discrimination under International Law Political Discrimination under Venezuelan Law Political Patronage and Discrimination Before Chávez Blacklisting: The “Tascón List” and “Maisanta Program” Discrimination in PDVSA Discrimination in Other Areas Recommendations III. The Courts International Norms on Judicial Independence Background The 2004 Court-Packing Law A Compliant Court Recommendations IV. The Media Venezuela’s Polarized Media Toughening Speech Offenses Regulating Media Content Restricting Information International Norms Access to Information under Venezuelan Law Failure to Respect the Right of Access to Information Controlling the Airwaves Community Radio and Television Lack of Judicial Protection of Freedom of Expression Recommendations V. Organized Labor Freedom of Association under International Law Freedom of Association under Venezuelan Law Organized Labor Before Chávez Electoral Interference and the Denial of Collective Bargaining Rights Government Favoritism and the Denial of Collective Bargaining Rights Government Reprisals: The Oil Sector New Workers’ Associations: Risks to Freedom of Association Lack of Judicial Protection of Freedom of Association Recommendations VI. Civil Society International Norms on Civil Society Deteriorated Relations with Civil Society Two Divergent Approaches to Rights Advocates Prosecutorial Harassment Public Condemnation Attempts to Exclude NGOS from International Forums Proposed Legal Restrictions Judicial Rulings Affecting Civil Society Recommendations Acknowledgments 7:42:03 PM    comment []