(Giving an opinion in Venezuela is a common crime, because nobody gives an opinion in favor of the regime)
The Venezuelan Supreme Court, the same one that has yet to respond to important human rights and electoral cases and injunctions after years, acted very swiftly, faster than Nazi Justice, to eliminate the immunity of Deputy William Azuaje so that he can be detained for a common crime. And the Venezuelan National Assembly acted even faster ratifying the decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court less than six hours after receiving it and after a debate in which Azuaje was not allowed to defend himself. Azuaje was replaced in his seat in the National Assembly by a member of Chavze’ PSUV party.
The merits of the case are not the point. In the end it is Azuaje’s statement versus that of a policewoman that claims Azuaje abused her verbally and physically, while Azuaje says he did not abuse her physically and she asked for a bribe in order not to detain him.
The point is that Chavez has been going after Azuaje for quite a while, ever since he dared become a candidate for Governor in Barinas State, running against Chavez’ brother. Azuaje’s main campaign theme: That Chavez’ relatives have become large farm owners during the years of the robolution, growing their land and cattle holding by huge numbers. Azuaje went as far as presenting supporting documentation and presenting a formal accusation in the National Assembly.
Azuaje’s main accusation is that the Chavez family used their foreman in he family’s 50 Hectare farm La Chavera, to acquire an additional 600,000 Hectares and 5,000 heads of cattle, Azuaje’s main proof is that while the foreman is very well known to have been the family’s employee for years, he now owns the adjacent farm, without ever having had more than US$ 2,000 in his bank account, which Azuaje presented.
The National Assembly ignored the charges and decided instead to investigate Azuaje and even tried to remove Azuaje’s immunity, turning the case completely against him. Since then Azuaje became an independent Deputy continuing to accuse Chavez’ family of corruption and promoting his political career in Chavez’ home State of Barinas.
But now, the same Justice that is incapable of resolving cases in years or sentencing thousands of prisoners, in less than four days has jailed this enemy of the Dictator. As noted by Daniel, a rabid pro-Chavez Deputy Iris Valera was taped in a physical attack much more violent than the one that Azuaje is even accused of and no procedure was even started against her.
Such is the state of persecution, injustice and powers joined at the hip under the Chavez Dictatorship. This must clearly be another warning in Ramiro Valdes’ playbook: The media has been warned with Zuloaga, the opposition with Alvarez Paz, now the politicians have been warned. The question is simply who will be next?
If found guilty, Azuaje will not be able to run for reelection. All of those aspiring to be members of the National Assembly have been warned: The robolution will not tolerate anyone campaigning with accusations against Chavez and his Government.
The screws get tighter and tighter…
The Devil's Excrement 
April 1, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Have you guys read about the arrest of Emilio Palacios, a day after Correa “dismissed” international concerns about the crackdown of rights in Venezuela? Here is my post on it:
http://bit.ly/92xCos
March 31, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I’ll take a stab at the Israel connection, as I see it has some merit. Concern for Human Rights in this world(or lacktherof) is selective. I.e. the United States bemoans the situation in Venezuela and Cuba, yet will lend wholehearted support to Israel regardless of whether the latter ignores the Human Rights of the Palestinians. In other words, Humans are done in the long run because governments do only pay attention to Human Rights if it is in their interests(be it financial or political).
March 30, 2010 at 9:17 pm
m_astera :
Exactly what does Israel have to do with this?
I am INTRIGUED by your logic!
But please respond with facts.
March 29, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Venezuelans don´t care….Thats why chavez can do what he wants.
It could be a wonderful wealthy country full of high spending tourists !!
What a waste !!!
March 29, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Just imagine if Chavez were to delegate his’ whiting out’ of people’s opinions to his sycophants and then cry that it is not he who blots out or punishes comments, but rather the ” people” do so.
As comments are out there for others to see if they so wish, people will say that he allows freedom speech-but the message is that in one way or another , ” people” don’t like them,and after all we live in a democracy( mob rules).”
As Chavez is the’ people’ in his own mind, he doesn’t see a problem
I just heard from my daughter that people are depressed about the water and are sacrificing chickens in the Guri Dam therefore causing polluted water 🙂
But none seem to care much or understand the problem of diminishing freedom of speech….talk about inverted values.We can eventually improve the water situation but when we destroy freedom it is much harder to bring back, because we won’t have the freedom to do so.
March 28, 2010 at 6:12 pm
“Grimly and simply put, Venezuela won’t change until Chavez dies or flees the country. Chavez won’t flee the country because no one cares whether he’s there or not – unless he messes with gas prices (which he won’t). Since he’s young, Venezuela can then look forward to 20, 30, or more years of this man’s rule, by which time its economy should be on par with those of Cuba or Haiti…”
Not so, he and acolytes cannot or do not dare to be the robbers and rapists they admire (Castro and Che), they are rather drunken whoremongers with a well-stocked wallet out on a spree, with a gun they don’t have the guts to use at their side.
The problem is that so many of our countrymen have become used to whoring to get at that wallet, and when they do not get some, become resentful and believe that everyone successful must be a whore.
They should try and be competent with their income, because they will get thrown out like sacks once money runs out. But they are actually gutting the goose that lays golden eggs, and now, they are insuring that some of that income will be literally burned to generate electricity. And that’s ONLY oil.
Now, let’s see if, AFTER, we can get Venezuelans to stop whoring.
March 28, 2010 at 4:38 pm
At the risk of sounding too esoteric for this blog, I’m seeing this as the time in which each gets to show their true colors.
We had around a year of an open window of opportunity for change, allowance, and forgiveness. That window closed in Jan/Feb of this year. Now comes the unveiling of those groups and individuals who did not choose to change or take advantage of the window of forgiveness. They are being exposed and exposing themselves.
Note what is happening in Iceland and Greece. Note the Wall Street and City of London bankers who chose to use their positions of trust and responsibility to loot the treasuries and the people. Note the worldwide paedophile scandals. Note the corporate warmongers and their mercenary killers for hire.
Note the 300 US Congress members who just signed a letter pledging their unwavering support of Israel no matter what it’s actions were. What would you think if the majority of the Venezuelan AN pledged their unwavering support of Cuba? Treason, pure and simple and in the open.
Get ready to see a whole lot more of the same during these times.
First, the offer of leniency and opportunity to change and make restoration, passed up by many.
Second, the presentation of irrefutable evidence, the unveiling, ongoing now.
Next, the judgment and the sentence. All very natural and above board, but working on a grand scale. I would not want to be in the karmic corner these ones are so boldly marching themselves into.
Newton’s third law says “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. In the English vernacular “what goes around comes around”. Like gravity, it’s not just a good idea, it’s the law.
Enjoy your front-row seat.
March 28, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I second Bois’s thoughts, although i’ve come to a harsher conclusion about Venezuelans: As a nation, they really don’t care one way or the other about democracy, tyranny, censorship, political prisoners or even Chavez, as long as they have cheap gasoline.
Grimly and simply put, Venezuela won’t change until Chavez dies or flees the country. Chavez won’t flee the country because no one cares whether he’s there or not – unless he messes with gas prices (which he won’t). Since he’s young, Venezuela can then look forward to 20, 30, or more years of this man’s rule, by which time its economy should be on par with those of Cuba or Haiti…
March 28, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Azuaje’s case appears to be a godsend for these opportunists rather than something carefully planned.
The CICPC (another ugly criollo acronym) harassed Azuaje beyond what is reasonable just because… He reacted, they concocted a false accusation, and it was rolling. It has happened in customs, and with law enforcement officers even in the developed world, I must admit. But the similarity stops here. Courts, the publicity, and the public’s outrage would eventually and with a decent probability set things right, sending those responsible to a well deserved hell of public scorn, if not outright indictment and civil suits.
But this is Venezuela. The AN and TSJ got in on the act faster than you can say it, and being in no way influenced by notions of individual rights or public opinion, they acted like the proverbial whoremongers, willing to use every expedient, incapable of taking by force like their idols in Cuba would have.
To me, that’s it.
Pardon me for the nagging off-topic question: Is “Chavze” a play on Goatse?
March 28, 2010 at 12:41 pm
There have certainly been forerunner situations similar to Venezuela’s. 1930’s Germany is one, which lasted until mid 1940’s. Everybody was, to different levels of degree, accomplices, only to wake up and find their country destroyed (literally) and in most cases deny involvment either because “they didn’t know” or because “they were forced to do what they did” [“we didn’t have any other option”].
Germany’s case had, obviously, worldwide repercussions. Venezuela’s doesn’t and won’t: it is a Latin American phenomenom. However, there are many similarities with what happened in Germany in the 30’s and 40’s.
One of these days we (those who live abroad and those who live in Venezuela) will wake up to a destroyed country, which will need to be rebuilt, and that will have in it a lot of people that was, to different levels, involved with the regime.
March 28, 2010 at 9:22 am
How can the people of Venezuela allow this to continue?
This has been going on for a decade, you surely must see how this government is abusing you and your rights, right in front of your face. The government has to be laughing at you for not taking a stance.
Everybody just talks and talks and talks and talks and talks – nobody has stood up and said, “This is bullshit, I’ve had enough, the time for change is right now”. Somebody has to take action.
You are way past the proverbial “frog in pan of water, raising the temperature ever so slowly, the gradual warming will make the frog doze happily . . . . the frog will eventually cook to death, without ever waking up”.
To an outsider – – – it looks as though you have already been cooked to death.
March 27, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Anyone of us could be jailed for using electricity just to write these comments!!!! I can hardly wait for the day when all these people in the AN, Ministries and Executive Office, as well as the Chavista judges finally pay for all ltheir criimes.
March 27, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Soon they will not need to accuse Chavez of anything, just being the opposition will be enough.