LEGAL TROUBLE: Maria Corina Machado (l.) met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month during a meeting of the Organization of American States in Florida. CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS
LEGAL TROUBLE: Maria Corina Machado (l.) met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month during a meeting of the Organization of American States in Florida. CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS
All such politicians have big egos but Chavez has double the pure conceit. Now he is out to jail opponents to his majesty.
There has not been a coup d'etat in Latin America in many years but expect a bit of nostalgia and retro-style politics before too long.
Chris Dodd's hero.
"Venezuela: Four who led recall vs. Chávez face trial"
Sounds like the days of the Clinton administration. (Remeber the Mendoza's?)
Chavez has criminalized political opposition.
His opponents are charged, and then must either go underground, take the family and move to Miami, or face trial in a court with a judge Chavez appoints, under laws that Chavez has put in place, under a constitution that Chavez wrote, which Chavez has given himself permission to violate at will.
The Supreme Court was personally appointed by Chavez himself, and as they have grown insufficiently servile over the years, he has now decided to add another dozen or so judges to the Court, again appointed by him, in order to assure the Court rules as it should.
After personally controlling the writing of the Constitution, he got his Congress to grant him Rule by Decree, so that he isn't hindered even by his completely servile Congress.
Machado has no hope at a fair trial. Her only hope to avoid prison is the mere fact that she will make a very charismatic martyr in a prison cell. That was Chavez' key to victory, after his original coup attempt, and he may not want to risk giving her that same key.
