Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: [Venezuela]A testimonianza di chi sia dalla parte della democrazia

Venezuelan court suspends Chavez referendum
Opposition angry over decision
Thursday, January 23, 2003 Posted: 1:46 AM EST (0646 GMT)
 
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- In a setback for opposition efforts to oust
Hugo Chavez, the Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely postponed a
nationwide referendum that would have asked Venezuelans whether the
president should quit. 
Hours later, President Hugo Chavez moved to bolster Venezuela's
strike-damaged economy, saying he would impose foreign exchange controls
to prevent Venezuela's currency from further plummeting. The Central
Bank had suspended foreign currency trading earlier in the day. 
The high court decision came just 11 days before the scheduled vote. The
decision stunned the opposition, which had delivered 2 million
signatures in November to demand the referendum and backed it up with a
strike that has lasted 52 days. It was also to pay for the vote because
Chavez's government refused to do so. 
Opposition leaders reacted angrily to the court's decision, contending
that Chavez's government was acting through the court to cling to power
despite international pressure to find an electoral solution to end
Venezuela's political crisis. 
Government leaders rejected the claim, noting that the opposition has
embraced past court decisions against Chavez -- including a ruling
clearing four high-ranking officers of rebellion charges in a brief
April coup. 
Justices ruled that no national vote -- a referendum or election -- can
be held until it decides whether elections council member Leonardo
Pizani, who helped organize the referendum, is eligible to serve on the
panel. 
Pizani had resigned from the council in 2000, only to rejoin last
November. He insisted he could rejoin because Congress, by law, had
failed to formally accept his resignation. 
Pro-Chavez lawmakers filed suit arguing that Pizani's two-year absence
from the council made his resignation legally binding. 
"This goes beyond my appointment, this is about politics," Pizani said
after the ruling. 
Chavez opponents vowed to step up street protests -- a stark contrast to
hopes raised Tuesday by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter, who
presented both sides with electoral proposals to end the crisis. 
"Today there is a dictatorship in Venezuela," said lawmaker Julio
Borges, whose First Justice party led the petition drive in November
calling for the referendum. 
"The government doesn't care about the people's will," Borges said. "It
only cares about staying in power." 
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel described the court decision as
crucial. "I hope all sectors of the country will respect and adhere to
it," he said. 
 
The referendum wouldn't be binding, but opponents hoped that a poor
showing would increase political pressure on Chavez to quit. 
Chavez argued that Venezuela's constitution allows a binding referendum
midway through his six-year term, or August. Opponents cited a
constitutional clause that allows citizens to petition for referendums
on "matters of national importance" at any time. 
The strike has slashed oil production in the world's fifth-largest
petroleum exporter by more than two-thirds -- crippling an industry that
provides half of government revenue and 70 percent of export revenue. 
Chavez, speaking during a military ceremony, said he would impose the
new currency controls by early next week. The move will limit the amount
of U.S. dollars or other currencies Venezuelans can accumulate. The move
is aimed at protecting the bolivar currency, which has lost 25 percent
of its value this year. Chavez did not provide further details on the
new policy. 
Though the move could strengthen the local currency, it could also
increase costs for businesses that depend on dollars to pay for imported
goods. Venezuela's economy is highly dependent on imports -- about 50
percent of food is imported. 
Meanwhile, Carter proposed two plans in Caracas on Tuesday. 
The first calls for an end to the strike in exchange for a government
pledge to amend Venezuela's constitution to shorten presidential and
legislative terms of office and allow early elections. 
The second plan calls for both sides to prepare for a binding referendum
on Chavez's rule in August. 
Diplomats from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United
States were to meet at the Organization of American States in Washington
on Friday to discuss Carter's proposals. The six countries, called the
"Friends of Venezuela," are trying to strengthen mediation efforts by
OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria. 
Chavez was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000 on promises to help
the country's poor majority, but he has failed to remedy the nation's
economic ills. 
Opponents blame Chavez's leftist policies for an estimated 8 percent
economic contraction in 2002. Chavez blames it on opposition attempts to
destabilize the country. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

¦ Copyright 2003 The Associated Press...
Lo hanno eletto perché avevano creduto alle sue promesse.
Aveva promesso. Non ha mantenuto.
Non solo, ha fatto di peggio. E ancora fa di peggio.
* Venezuela quiere Vida y Libertad *
-- 
Ciao,
    Mariuccia® /Maracay(Edo. Aragua) *Venezuela.

 Non solo, ha fatto di peggio. E ancora fa di peggio.
LOL. perche' sta cercando di investire i proventi del petrolio in Venezuela
?
--------------------------------
Inviato via 
http://usenet.libero.it

Non solo, ha fatto di peggio. E ancora fa di peggio.
Se lo dici tu :))
Sembra che le centinaia di migliaia di persone che erano in piazza non
siano del tuo stesso parere :)
-Stefano