On Sunday in a free and fair and open democratic process, the people of Venezuela voted on a new National Constituent Assembly as per the laws in force in the country. The USA declared the elections were a "sham" and its Chihuahuas in Europe followed suit. Are they really that ignorant, or is this a campaign of pure evil?
The Western newspaper headlines were full of it Monday morning: Dictatorship in Venezuela, Sham election, sanctions mulled, a "strong and swift" reaction coming from the USA. What will that be, we wonder? Will Washington carry out a twin atomic terrorist attack in Caracas? Or strafe Venezuela's kids with napalm? Maybe they can invade with their NATO chihuahuas squealing like little pigs.
Seriously though, suppose someone for once spoke some sense. For a start, how can an electoral process in which people are invited to vote freely for the membership of the National Constituent Assembly be called a move towards dictatorship or a sham election? It was an election, period. Sure, the Opposition boycotted the process. Who? The Opposition, that motley bunch including saboteurs, traitors, vandals, criminals and murderers who led Venezuela to this mess, the ones whose governments stole millions of dollars before Chavez appeared. The ones who broke into the home of a candidate for the Assembly and murdered him in cold blood in front of his kids. I repeat, the ones who broke into the home of a candidate for the Assembly and murdered him in cold blood in front of his kids.
So if they boycotted the process, then they cannot complain can they? They chose not to vote, they placed themselves outside the process. So don't call it a sham or a move towards dictatorship. The sham is the opposition.
The whole idea behind the National Constituent Assembly is to create the conditions for Venezuela to be governable, since at present the Opposition elements in the legislative bodies are blocking the country's economy, forcing it into stagnation, disrupting chains of supply to create mayhem and blame the Government of the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela).
The National Constituent Assembly (NCA) is covered and provided for under the Venezuelan Constitution, whose Article 347 states "The people of Venezuela are the holders of the original constitutional power. In the exercise of this power the people can call a National Constituent Assembly with the objective of transforming the State, creating a new juridical order and drawing up a new Constitution"; Article 348 states clearly that it can be set up by the Executive or by not less than 15 per cent of the electorate. Article 349 prohibits the President and other State Bodies from blocking the deliberations of the NCA.
Secondly, the reason why the NCA was considered by President Nicolas Maduro was precisely because of the chaos sown in Venezuela by the Opposition, furious that oil money is being used to help finance social programs, to lift millions out of poverty, out of the slums and into homes, educate them, feed them, clothe them. This chaos has included acts of sabotage and blocking of supply routes. The NCA is therefore seen by President Maduro as a means for a deep reflection on the country's needs and ills and as a means to provide measures to help Venezuela out of the crisis. A dictator rules by himself, he does not call an election to set up a body to discuss policy openly.
Thirdly, what are the tasks to be entrusted to the NCA? One is the diversification of Venezuela's economy, away from dependence on oil; another is to create a climate of peace and dialogue and to cease the violence (created by the Opposition); another is to develop a democratic society and a society of justice (in the words of President Msduro himself); another is to create new means of participative democracy in Government (the Oligarchy would absolutely hate this, because they would lose all their vested interests and would not be able to make millions like the leeches they are). Other measures aim to sponsor schemes to help the country's youth and to protect the environment... Equals democracy.
Why could Venezuela's Parliament not deliberate on such issues? Why, because the Opposition controlled it and spent its time blocking legislature.
In summary, far from being a dictatorial measure, the NCA is not only Constitutional but also provides a valid means to circumvent the Fascist, treacherous elements in Washington's pocket in the Venezuelan oligarchy, scum which exists like leeches sucking the blood of the Venezuelan workers, keeping them down, holding them under and syphoning off the country's resources to hand to their imperialist masters in the USA.
The constitution of the NCA is a democratic measure and is in line with the law. No wonder Washington and its Euro-chihuahua's are squealing like the pigs they are.
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru.