Chávez's Legal Weapon
By Jackson Diehl (THE WASHINGTON POST, 30/10/06):
Is Hugo Chávez an autocrat? His propagandists argue that he has won two democratic elections for president and faces vigorous opposition in his bid for reelection in December. What's more, they say, the self-styled "Bolivarian" revolutionary is assailed daily by Venezuelan newspapers and television networks sympathetic to the opposition.
All true enough, but what matters most in measuring freedom is the trend. Venezuela had free elections and a free press for 40 years before Chávez was elected. It also had an independent judiciary. Two years ago Venezuela's would-be liberator gained control of the legal system, in part by packing the Supreme Court.… Seguir leyendo »