Chavez seeks power to rule by decree for 1 year

[Thaihome]

Chavez seeks power to rule by decree for 1 year - Yahoo! News
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press Fabiola Sanchez, Associated Press – 18 mins ago
CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez asked congress Tuesday to grant him special powers to enact laws by decree for one year, just before a new legislature takes office with a larger contingent of opposition lawmakers.

The measure, which quickly received initial approval from the overwhelming majority of pro-Chavez lawmakers, would give the president the authority to bypass the National Assembly for the fourth time since he was first elected almost 12 years ago.

Vice President Elias Jaua made the request on Chavez's behalf, saying the president will use the authorization to ensure fast-track approval of laws aimed at helping the nation recover from severe flooding and mudslides that left thousands homeless and in government shelters.

"The measures we have to take are deep. Almost 40 percent of the country was affected" by the heavy rains, Jaua said.

Only five of the assembly's 165 lawmakers voted against the proposal Tuesday. The legislature, which is dominated by Chavez allies, is expected to give final approval to the measure before the end of the week.

Chavez's opponents accuse him of using the natural disaster to impose socialist-inspired measures and undermine the power of newly elected opposition lawmakers.

Hundreds of Chavez opponents protested outside the legislature Tuesday, saying Chavez is violating democratic principles and objecting to other planned laws that could impose regulations on the Internet and endanger Globovision, the country's last stridently anti-Chavez television channel.

Decrees planned in the next two weeks include laws to speed construction of housing and roads and increase the value-added tax, Jaua said.
"The situation continues to be critical, and we need to tend to it with a set of laws," Chavez said while visiting a Caracas military base along with President Rafael Correa of Ecuador.

Chavez said he has yet to determine how much to raise the value-added tax, which is now 12 percent. He said the government estimates damage from the heavy rains at about $10 billion.

A draft of the law says Chavez is also seeking powers to issue decrees in areas including the country's "socio-economic system," telecommunications, the banking system, information technology, the military, rural and urban land use, and a "new geographical regionalization of the country."

"All of these laws will be within the framework of the constitution," Chavez said on state television.

Newly elected opposition lawmaker Julio Borges said the measures being taken up by the National Assembly in its final days go against the will of the voters.
"As elected deputies, we're asking for a meeting between the new assembly and the old one, so that people are respected — the voters and the constitution," Borges told reporters.

Chavez announced the plan to seek decree powers Friday, and some critics suggested he intended to push through controversial measures during the holidays while many Venezuelans are focusing on their families.

Opposition newspaper editor Teodoro Petkoff called it a "Christmas ambush," writing in his daily Tal Cual that Chavez is preparing totalitarian measures that amount to "a brutal attack ... against democratic life."

In his nearly 12 years in office, the leftist Chavez has been granted temporary decree powers three times by lawmakers, in 1999, 2001 and 2007.


The last time, he enjoyed special legislative powers for 18 months and used them to seize control of privately run oil fields, impose new taxes and nationalize telecommunications, electricity and cement companies.

Chavez supporters have dominated the National Assembly since the opposition boycotted 2005 elections, but the opposition gained ground in September elections.
Starting Jan. 5, Chavez will face 66 opponents among the 165 lawmakers, a group large enough to challenge some government measures and prevent him from holding a two-thirds majority — the threshold needed to approve some laws, such as granting the president decree powers.

[Bettyboo]

What do you reckon, TH, good idea or bad?

[Thaihome]

I think it is how populist movements such as the one Chavez is running turns out. If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place, then you would probably agree it is a good idea.

Personally, I think Chavez is running out steam (and oil) and is trying put off the inevitable reckoning that will come when the country collapses do to his economic policies.
TH

[Butterfly]

^ nothing to do with socialism though,

[Boon Mee]

What a Stunner: Chavez's Socialist Dreamstate Crumbling

Hard to believe, eh? Socialism has a 100% track record: It's failed every time...

[harrybarracuda]

I think it is how populist movements such as the one Chavez is running turns out. If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place, then you would probably agree it is a good idea.

Personally, I think Chavez is running out steam (and oil) and is trying put off the inevitable reckoning that will come when the country collapses do to his economic policies.
TH

He's also running out of time, I believe, despite certain stories to the contrary.

[aging one]

Used to be a top South American attraction for Americans. Now nobody really visits there for holidays other than dive trips do they?
I havent seen many advertisements to visit Caracas thats for sure.

Hugo drove the country into the ground. Now it seems his karma is catching up to him. Sorry to be so blunt but one last try to cling to power before he dies. He knows the outcome of true elections I do believe.

I think its a lot more to do with corruption and a complete dictatorship in reality as opposed to socialist economic policies.

[Mid]

bad .

[socal]

^ nothing to do with socialism though,

[socal]

I think its a lot more to do with corruption and a complete dictatorship in reality as opposed to socialist economic policies.

Take his place then Aging one... But Butterfly thinks he has the right plans for the ultimate socialist state.

[Thaihome]

I like the way they phrase it here:
TH

Venezuela Economy: Facts, Data, & Analysis on Economic Freedom
President Hugo Chávez styles himself the leader of Latin America’s anti–free market forces and has sought allies in China, Cuba, Russia, and rogue states like Iran. He has hobbled political opponents, outlawed free speech, done away with property rights, nation­alized private businesses, pursued a military buildup, imposed foreign exchange controls, and antagonized neighboring Colombia. A 2009 constitutional revision permits Chávez to rule as president for life, although his many treatments for prostate cancer in 2011 may presage the ultimate term limit. Legislative elections in 2010 split evenly between pro- and anti-Chávez forces. Venezuela has Latin America’s highest infla­tion rate, a chronic electricity crisis, food shortages, an epidemic of crime, and the lowest economic growth rate currently measured in the Americas

[Butterfly]

Go Chavez, go

[leemo]

I think it is how populist movements such as the one Chavez is running turns out. If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place, then you would probably agree it is a good idea.

Personally, I think Chavez is running out steam (and oil) and is trying put off the inevitable reckoning that will come when the country collapses do to his economic policies.
TH

I read on the MSM over the past couple of days that Venezuela has overtaken Saudi for top spot in known oil reserves. It seems they're discovering oil all over the place, and with Chavez said to have cancer it may be he would like to create a lasting ultra-socialist dynasty while he can and to hell with the consequences. Or become the richest corpse in the cemetery.

But of course the MSM have been known to fib occasionally.

[Thaihome]

^

Why Venezuela’s World-Beating Oil Reserves Are 'Irrelevant'


Published: Thursday, 14 Jun 2012 | 8:49 PM ET

By: Sri Jegarajah
Reporter, CNBC Asia Pacific


Source: Rodrigo Buendia | AFP | Getty Images

Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, but the country led by President Hugo Chavez (pictured) lacks the expertise to unlock it.

Venezuela now boasts the world's largest proven oil reserves but the claim is “irrelevant” because the Latin American producer is struggling to secure enough investment and technical expertise to unlock the resource, Ed Morse, Managing Director and Global Head of Commodities Research for Citigroup Global Markets told CNBC.

A founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Venezuela's total deposits stood at an estimated 296.5 billion barrels at the end of last year, according to the annual Statistical Review of World Energy published Wednesday. That compared to Saudi Arabia's 265.4 billion barrels.

“It has no bearing whatsoever,” Morse, a former adviser to the U.S. Departments of State, Energy and Defense and to the International Energy Agency, told CNBC Asia’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday.

“The issue is not what's in the ground and commerciable, rather how quickly it can be put into production and so long as there's no capital flowing into the upstream in Venezuela, especially capital by the companies that have the technology to develop the heavy oil reserve base, the resource levels are going to remain kind of irrelevant,” he added.


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, seeking re-election in Presidential polls scheduled for October 7, said he will more than double the country’s oil-production capacity to 6 million barrels a day by 2019 mainly from the resources-rich Orinoco oil belt if he wins a popular mandate.

Following his re-election in 2006, Chavez nationalized oil, steel, cement and banking assets, hurting foreign investor sentiment. Production and investment in the country's oil sector has also stagnated under the Chavez administration. The country’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA invested $11 billion, or just 9 percent of its income in the oil sector last year.

That’s much less than Mexico’s state oil company Pemex, which invested more than $19 billion or about 17 percent of its income in 2011, while Brazil's Petrobras [PBR 18.35 -0.48 (-2.55%) ] spent $42 billion, or 29 percent during the same period.
By CNBC's Sri Jegarajah
© 2012 CNBC.com

[Cthulhu]

although his many treatments for prostate cancer in 2011 may presage the ultimate term limit

Y'all, except for Thaihome, are missing that obvious point above. He doesn't have that long to live anymore.

Venezuela has Latin America’s highest infla[at]tion rate, a chronic electricity crisis, food shortages, an epidemic of crime, and the lowest economic growth rate currently measured in the Americas[/I]

If Venezuela were the "ultimate socialist state" it wouldn't have these issues. It's not socialism, that's the problem, it's the dictators heading such countries..

[Takeovers]

If Venezuela were the "ultimate socialist state" it wouldn't have these issues. It's not socialism, that's the problem, it's the dictators heading such countries..

That is the funny part, always. As soon as some socialist experiment fails, they all cry out this was never real socialism.




And such experiments invariably fail, even with vast resources like the oil revenue to back them up.

Some time later the next bunch of morons starts the next socialist experiment and claim we will get it right.

[Bettyboo]

If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place

I'm a bit of a capitalist meself, but greed can go too far, and has done under the US/European crony capitalism. To have a democracy with a free market that provides opportunities for all and a safety net for those less able/fortunate is ideal, imho; just like, errm, well, perhaps how the Scando countries were? Not sure, maybe human nature fuks it all up. I just finished reading Utopia...

Ed Morse, Managing Director and Global Head of Commodities Research for Citigroup Global Markets told CNBC.

Well he would say that wouldn't he...

[sabang]

the opposition gained ground in September elections.
Starting Jan. 5, Chavez will face 66 opponents among the 165 lawmakers, a group large enough to challenge some government measures and prevent him from holding a two-thirds majority — the threshold needed to approve some laws,

He must be doing something right. That is a solid majority.

[Takeovers]

I'm a bit of a capitalist meself, but greed can go too far, and has done under the US/European crony capitalism.

Sadly I have to agree.

[socal]

[quote=Bettyboo;2129954]

If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place

I'm a bit of a capitalist meself, but greed can go too far, and has done under the US/European crony capitalism. To have a democracy with a free market that provides opportunities for all and a safety net for those less able/fortunate is ideal, imho; just like, errm, well, perhaps how the Scando countries were? Not sure, maybe human nature fuks it all up. I just finished reading Utopia...

Crony capitalism is not capitalism. Interest rates and currency values are set by governments and central banks. Furthest thing from capitalism.

There is also lots of private charities to provide safety nets

[Cthulhu]

Capitalism applies to a market / business model, not an economic or political model.

[hazz]

If you think socialism is the answer to closing the gap between rich and poor and makes a country a better place

I'm a bit of a capitalist meself, but greed can go too far, and has done under the US/European crony capitalism. To have a democracy with a free market that provides opportunities for all and a safety net for those less able/fortunate is ideal, imho; just like, errm, well, perhaps how the Scando countries were? Not sure, maybe human nature fuks it all up. I just finished reading Utopia...

You need both capitalism as the bases of production and socialism as the basis of society.

One only has to look at the last 30 years of free market capitalism to see that it is incapable of creating stable societies, infact if you look closer capitalism is quite efficient but only taking into account short term costs, it starts failing when long term costs become an issue.

During these 30 years the 99% have seen their share of income drop by a third, whilst the top 1% are taking 300% more. These people have so much money they cannot invest in sensibly, so some of it goes in to loans to the 99% to help them subsidise their lifestyles on the back of a housing boom the loans are fuelling, the rest gets dumped into commodities creating the bubbles that are and are about to burst. non of this investment is really productive in the sense of sustabibly growing the economies or improving the wealth of the nation, it create the mess we are in today.

If you look at the more successful socialist countries, the governments success has stemmed from controlling the short comings of capitalism, preventing too much money setting where it cannot to used productively, preventing the 1% from impoverishing the other 99% to the point that it kills the economy and wrecks everything for the 100%.

[Takeovers]

infact if you look closer capitalism is quite efficient but only taking into account short term costs, it starts failing when long term costs become an issue.

Socialism did not do better on this account. See the state of the environment in the former communist block. So much worse than in the West.

During these 30 years the 99% have seen their share of income drop by a third, whilst the top 1% are taking 300% more.

I agree that the Western capitalist system failed badly after the pressure from the Communist block disappeared. A new balance needs to be found. Globalisation did not help any as it mostly meant that big capital goes easily somewhere else when they don't like restrictions placed on their greed in one place. A global balancing system is what is badly lacking.

[hazz]

^To be honest, all of the ideologically based political and economic systems have failed to deliver, mainly because the proponents for these systems have routinely rejected real life evidence over ideology.

Don't mix socialism and communism... politically and economically they are very different. And since the collapse of the berlin wall they have become a beacon for all that is wrong with unrestrained capitalism.

What is needed is a few simple decisions on what are desirable outcomes; combined with the will and fortitude to pragmatically mix and match what has worked well from each system. We need to start basing our political and economic decisions based upon evidence and not ideology.

[dobella]

Hasn't this Chavez [at][at][at][at] died yet ?