January 11th., 2007

Socialism or Death

Country, Socialism, or death!  I swear”.  With his left hand over a “dying” Constitution and with the Presidential band diagonally placed over the left shoulder, Chavez performed, at the Capitol, for the fourth time, the formality of being invested as President.  He recalled that three thousand days had passed since he was first sworn in.  On that particular time, he described the Constitution as “a dying one”, over which he placed his right hand, and the Presidential band was placed diagonally over his right shoulder.  The Constitution he was sworn in was truly dying, since after less than one year, his Constitutional Convention, with ninety percent of his party men, approved a new Constitution that extended his term and allowed immediate re election.  This time there were other novelties.  It was not done before Congress, which was not on his side at the time and was therefore dissolved, even thought it had just been elected a few months ago.  Now, the National Assembly before which he was sworn in is totally comprised of his party men, which gave frenetic cries of support when he insisted in the indefinite re election and one sole vanguard party of the permanent revolution, as conceived by Leon Trotsky, he stated.   “An integral and profound reform of the Constitution” is urgent.  Given his condition as being re elected, there was no, as contrary to 1998, an exiting president corresponding to the historic role of a witness. He was not accompanied, as in 1999, of numerous Latin American Presidents, Prince Felipe, qualified delegations of the American government and of European governments.  The physical absence of Fidel Castro, always present in similar events since 1959, is self explanatory, but Chavez assured that his Cuban colleague was following the event by television.

“Nothing nor nobody will stop the car of the socialist revolution”, he claimed upon presenting the guidelines for the National Project Simon Bolivar (2007-2021).  He highlighted that the former 8 years represented a transition and that the people want to accelerate the revolution, that in the political order, the old structures that survived the former regime must be demolished, such as the Mayor’s  Offices, Municipal Councils and Parishes (currently of popular election), to transfer their functions to community councils, which confederation will constitute the Popular Power, elevated to first national power, prevailing over other branches of the national public power.  Regarding economic measures, he rectified his own measure (1999) of authorizing foreign investment in the natural gas industry.  The State will assume its control.  Regarding the effects of his speech on Monday, he affirmed:  “The Stock Market may fall, but not the economy”.

Before leaving to Managua and Quito he received military honors in an impressive parade, under the rumble of Russian planes.  He affirmed that in the new deepening phase, “the revolution will be peaceful but armed”.  In Ortega’s oath he offered all the help Nicaragua needs to consolidate socialism.  He signed the respective agreements and will attend the swearing in of the president of Ecuador to ratify the agreement signed in December last wherein the Ecuadorian government will receive from Chavez all the energetic, financial, and political cooperation needed.

AGRESSIONS AGAINST THE MEDIA, THE CHURCH AND THE OAS

In previous weeks, Chavez sent several messages over the orientation of the regime.  Uniformed as a parachute commander, in an event saluting the Armed Forces, he manifested that the revolution had been institutionalized.  “We soldiers must feel everyday more revolutionary because the people expressed its will and we are the people in uniform…the popular will imposes a new offensive of the revolution…what has been done up to now is only a prelude”.  It was not verbal fire crackers.  He announced that Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) will disappear from the radio electric space.  “I already have drafted the measure… we will not tolerate insurgent means that conspire against the revolution… no means of communication may be against the people”:  He added that Hello President will be turned into an “education classroom” with the possibility to effect it on a daily basis.  Marcel Granier, President of RCTV, declared that the channel was being harassed to try to change its line of information.  The Anti-American Press Society, the International Radio Association, No Boundary Journalists, the International Press Institute and similar organizations manifested concern for Chavez threats.  The channel informed the Inter American Commission for Human Rights, the entity that has knowledge of its denounces regarding violation of rights of expression.

In the Christmas Holyday frame, Cardinal Jorge Urosa, Archbishop of Caracas, called for peaceful living, dialogue and the search for consensus.  He insisted in grace measures for the processed for actions dealing with political events.  He informed that the Ecclesiastic Hierarchy had sent a letter to the President requesting the former and reiterated the expectations of the Christian community with respect to freedom of education and the proposal for XXI Century Socialism. 

Upon the opening of their yearly Assembly, the President of the Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Ubaldo Santana, he requested the government to revise the decision against RCTV, recalling that upon the beginning of the new government period, it is not a good democratic sign to take measures against the means of communication.

The threats against RCTV alarmed Secretary General of the OAS.  Insulza, in a press communication affirmed that the closing of a means of massive communication “is a very uncommon event in the history of our continent, and it has no precedents in the last decades of democracy…Without entering into legal considerations over a measure of this nature, it is necessary to take into account the political repercussions that such measure could arise”.

Chavez reaction was harsh.  His Chancellor requested Insulza to take it back, qualifying him as “deceitful”.  A spokes person for the regime, Andrés Izarra, anticipated part of Chavez announcements on Monday, January 8:  “All television operators must be evaluated…Socialism needs the information and communicational hegemony of the State…in the new strategic panorama, the struggle is for the mind and heart of the people”.  The thesis was explained by Chavez in the January 10 speech that once again replaced his name in the news.  For El Tiempo of Bogotá, the announcements regarding XXI Century Socialism remind of the XX Century Communism.  For the Brazilian press, it means that in Chavez´ Venezuela, there is only room for the State and his sole party.  For El País, of Madrid, the regime, already totalitarian, may end up in a dictatorship, even if a soft one.  ABC, of Madrid, expresses that “Chavez drives Venezuela towards totalitarianism”. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVOQUE CRISIS IN THE ECONOMY

In the good bye speech for Vice President José Vicente Rangel and other high ranking officials, and praising the merits of the substitute for Rangel and of the new members of the higher government, the phrases used to title news, in national and international means, were about Insulza.  “His position is shameless.  He should renounce.  He is a real “pendejo” (coward or idiot).  Pendejo from the letter P to the letter O.  I do not permit him to meddle with Venezuela.  The tasteless OAS Secretary assumed the role of the Viceroy of the Empire.  In whatever international assembly he dares to be present, I will denounce him.  I hope I find him now in Managua, I will let him know straight at the face, in front of the Presidents that attend to the honors for President Daniel Ortega”:

Other news directed to Cardinal Urosa and the Episcopal Conference were in first pages.  He questioned that the Church had defended RCTV.  “They pretend an explanation regarding what the new Socialism means.  Let them read Marx and Lenin”.  He commissioned the new Minister of Interior and Justice to send them the bibliography regarding socialism, along with a sample of the Bible.  “So, that they realize that Jesus Christ was socialist”.  He personified with disgust in the Archbishop of Caracas.  “The gravest of all is that of the Cardinal.  He defends what is not defendable”.

The speech was a media success.  He requested Parliament, wherein all its members are unconditional of Chavez, to allow him to elaborate, from the Presidency, the legal framework of the socialist economy, specially the financial and commercial legislature.  “We must eliminate the autonomy of the Central Bank.  Nothing can be autonomous before the power of the people”.

With a pending deadline character, he highlighted, the nationalization of strategic sectors that control private capital, with an express mention  of the National Anonymous Venezuelan Telephone Company, (CANTV), and made implicit the nationalization of the Caracas Electricity company (ELECAR) and in general, the fundamental sectors for sovereignty, security and defense, as well as telecommunications and electric energy.  “Not long ago we were at the Orinoco basin and there still exists an aspect of capitalist economy that must be eliminated.  I am referring to the international companies that have control of the improvement processes of heavy oils.  That must turn to the property of the nation”:

It was also one of the most effective speeches in the eight years he has governed.  The Stock Market collapsed.  CANTV shares plummeted 30% and ELECAR ones 20%.  In similar terms, several banks.  The Stock and Exchange Commission took the determination to freeze them for 48 hours.  In total, shares of at least 20 important private enterprises were seriously affected.  In the international markets, the debt bonds fell and the country risk factor raised.  The un official Dollar experimented its highest price since the establishment of the currency exchange control.  It almost duplicated the difference.