Revenge against Sumate drives legislation
By Miguel Octavio
08/10/04 - From today’s Descifrado on the “Sumate” revision of the penal code: “During a meeting with reporters from the foreign media that took place on Friday, the Venezuelan Ambassador to Brazil, Julio Garcia Montoya, confirmed that the Government’s bill for reform of the penal code includes a severe penalty for NGO’s that receive financing from abroad, was taylor made to punish Súmate. “That organization was devoted to destabilize the Venezuelan Government and that can not be” said the official. In his judgment, however, the tough penalties proposed (up to thirty years in prison) for the NGO’s that receive foreign funding should be mad softer in the case of organization that are not devoted to destabilize “because Sumate is an exception” concluded the Bolivarian ambassador.”
This my friends is called intolerance and political persecution of your enemies. This has no place in a democracy. The Ambassador admits that they are creating a law specifically to punish an organization that promotes electoral participation. Participation used to be Chavez’ rallying cry in the old days when he was a candidate and in the first three years of his presidency until people started participating against him. But then the definition was changed and when it is promoted by the opposition it is called destabilization. This is the same President that refused to sign the declaration at the end of the Quebec summit because he did not believe in the concept of a representative democracy, but only in that of a participatory democracy. Is this a cynical and undemocratic revolution or what?
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