Just as the enabling law was about to expire, Chavez signed 26 new law-decrees that are applicable as of today. And he had the nerve to publish only their title in the Official Journal so even though the laws are already under application we might be unknowingly breaking many a law.
A quick survey of the titles already announce us very delicate times:; the army law for example is modified, something that should be modified only with adequate consultation. Others such as housing, tourism and social security were also affected. Not to mention that in Venezuela behind a name anything can go. Expect trouble ahead.
26 laws! Without consultation, without anyone expecting decisions on many of these topics! And coming on a week end without knowing at all what is inside these fiats!
But I tell you what, a lot of these laws are to push the Constitutional Reforma that was rejected last December. Their undemocratic nature, from the start, is a sure sign of conflicts ahead. Just as it happened in 2001, leading us straight to he 2002 coup. The situation is different now and in fact the result might be different for Chavez: a major defeat in November which would almost certainly imply a recall election on the National Assembly.
And this would be the best and most pacific outcome for the country. I let you imagine other outcomes, just as Chavez nationalized the third biggest bank in the country yesterday.
-The end-