Posted on 05/20/2016 4:53:47 PM PDT by fella
Venezuelan President Grants Himself New List of Powers in Response to "Threats"
Last Friday, May 13, the President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro signed a new decree establishing an economic emergency that extended the original decree made in January 2016, but which included something called a “state of exception” this time around.
The state of exception is intended to allow the government to take “exceptional” measures to control the country’s crisis, as well as to protect the Venezuelan people from whatever the government may consider a threat. But it’s still not clear what Maduro is going to do with such tremendous power.
What exactly is a state of exception and what does it allow Maduro to do?
Known also as a “restriction of constitutional gaurentees,” Professor of Administrative Law José Ignacio Hernández said he expects the new decree to restrict non-economic rights. In particular, freedom of movement, peaceful protest and freedom of speech. He now has the ability to sidestep the National Assembly, and there’s not reason to think that he won’t.
He wants to establish a “curfew,” for example, which is obviously intended to limit transit or any chance of peaceful protest.
Under the state of exception law, the president also has the ability to demand goods and private property if he thinks doing so could protect the nation. •Read more: Venezuela’s Socialism Has Triggered Looting Instead of Shopping
The constitution establishes that the acting president can take any measure to “ensure the maintenance of public order” and allow for “strong progress in the restoration of peace and sovereignty, personal security and control over security personnel.”
Scarily, this includes arranging for military mobilization, and suspending the right to carry a firearm.
Economically, Maduro is authorized by the decree to take measures that will help the growth and protection of the country’s productive markets and to “protect” the economy from threats.
What happened to the recall referendum?
According to Venezuela’s constitution, a state of exception should not affect a referendum. But during the economic emergency stretching back several months, the decree has restricted the Assembly’s functions — meaning it has potentially hindered the recall as well, according to Hernández. •Read more: Gasoline Shortage Looms in Oil-Rich Venezuela
The state of exception will last 60 days, and looks to be a “blank check” for President Maduro, which will allow him to act however he chooses under the guise of keeping the country safe. In reality, it is Maduro who poses the real danger to Venezuelans, and during a time of great tension across a country increasingly distressed by economic crisis.
It means we will start getting over run with Venezuela economic refugees...
Obama will welcome them with open arms and bennies glory...
Gee, it’s really a great big giant unfathomable mystery how this plays out. History begins today, but even if it doesn’t, this time we have the right person in charge.
Utopia is just around the corner, where unicorns fart gumdrops and dayglo toilet paper trees grow.
What are violence, hunger, and death, Alex?
Going to be a South American NORK state. Only the elites will be taken care of; the rest of the population, meh.
It means that they have transitioned from socialist, where the government fakes interest in the welfare of the peasants, to communism, where the guns come out and the government quits faking even the slightest interest in the welfare of the peasants.
bernie and hillary two flag bearers
Probably a couple hundred billion.
After it devolves to total chaos and the population is reduced about 25%, we should take over and give the land to Puerto Rico. Maybe call it Puerto Pobre con Petroleo.
Orlando Avendaño is a PanAm Post intern who resides in Caracas, Venezuela, where he studies social communication at Andrés Bello Catholic University.It means Orlando might not be writing any stories for a while.
“What Does Maduro’s New State of Emergency Mean for Venezuela?”
it means Maduro now has unlimited authority to “govern” by “executive order”, something that Obama has been striving for for nearly 8 years now.
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