Chavez Troops Crack Down On Protesters - No “Freedom!”
CARACAS, Venezuela - Soldiers used tear gas, plastic bullets and water cannons to scatter tens of thousands who massed Thursday to protest constitutional reforms that would permit Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to run for re-election indefinitely.
Led by university students, protesters chanted “Freedom! Freedom!” and warned that 69 amendments drafted by the Chavista-dominated National Assembly would violate civil liberties and derail democracy.
It was the biggest turnout against Chavez in months, and appeared to revive Venezuela’s languid opposition at a time when the president seems as strong as ever. Students promised more street demonstrations over the weekend, but no opposition-led protests were planned for Friday.
“This is a dictatorship masked as democracy,” said Jorge Rivas, an 18- year-old student. “Chavez wants our country to be like Cuba, and we’re not going to allow that to occur.”
Authorities broke up the protest outside the headquarters of the country’s electoral council, reporting that six police officers and one student were injured. But students said dozens of protesters were hurt during the melee. The local Globovision television network broadcast footage of several police beating an unarmed protester with billy clubs.
Student leader Freddy Guevara said it was not immediately clear how many students were arrested, and he urged local human rights groups to help verify the number of detained protesters.
Students hurled rocks and bottles, and a few lifted up sections of metal barricades and thrust them against police holding riot shields. Students retreated later when police fired plastic bullets.
Rock-throwing clashes between students and Chavez supporters continued at a nearby university campus.
“Chavez wants to remain in power his entire life, and that’s not democracy,” said Gonzalo Rommer, a 20-year-old student who joined protesters marching to the National Elections Council.
Deputy Justice Minister Tarek El Aissami blamed students for the violence, saying they forced their way through police barricades.
But Vicente Diaz, one of the National Election Council’s five directors, accused National Guardsmen and police of using excessive force to disperse protesters. “We absolutely condemn the behavior of the authorities,” Diaz said.
The amendments would give the government control over the Central Bank, create new types of cooperative property, allow authorities to detain citizens without charge during a state of emergency and extend presidential terms from six to seven years while allowing Chavez to run again in 2012.
To take effect, the reforms must be approved by voters in a Dec. 2 referendum. Lawmakers are expected to give final approval to the amendments on Friday during a special congressional session.
Opposition parties, human rights groups and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church fear civil liberties would be severely weakened under the constitutional changes.
Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, denies the reforms threaten civil liberties.
He and his supporters say the changes will help move the country toward socialism, while giving neighborhood-based assemblies more decision-making power in using government funds for local projects like paving streets and building public housing.
(AP)
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I’ve been following the news on this communist bastard for a while now and it’s getting ridiculous. He has been elected through fraudulent elections in the first place and now he’s setting up to make sure he can keep cheating the elections. I’m also tired of his crap where he is always suggesting that George Bush is going to invade his country. Well someone needs to because you sure as hell aren’t taking care of it Mr. Chavez.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:24 pmRadical lefties look at this guy and admire him as a hero, while at the same time they hate George Bush and accuse him of doing the exact same thing that Chavez has done, often citing the 2000 and 2004 elections as reason enough to hate him.
Double standards much?
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:09 amI understand that part of the deal reached to end the Cuban Missile
Crisis is an assurance that we gave to the Soviet Union not to
invade Cuba during the lifetime of Fidel Castro.
Well he’s not going to live much longer and when he goes so does
that assurance. We should invade Cuba and turn it into a free
state.
Hugo will get the point.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:37 amI notice the justice minister is a muslim, now I understand the alliance with iran and chavez hostility to the catholic church. I suspect chavez not only admires castro but any dictator who manages, like stalin, to convert leftys into “useful idiots”
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:13 am@T Double Dash
I’ve been following the news on this communist bastard for a while now and it’s getting ridiculous. He has been elected through fraudulent elections in the first place and now he’s setting up to make sure he can keep cheating the elections.
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Just a reminder … I do believe Jimmy Carter was down there and claimed it had been a good and fair election … Carter also voiced doubts at our own 2000 and 2004 elections … As barometers go, I tend to believe the opposite of anything Carter says.
Also, I wonder how the Hollywood limo elites feel about this obvious violation of freedom of speech? Imagine, if you will, such things being done to Code Pink or the Westburough(sp)Church bastards. The MSM would be flopping around on the floor in constant climax. But here they won’t even put a paper bag over this story’s head and dry hump away …
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:10 am