We have seen first the "inhabilitaciones". Through an administrative decision a certain number of people were deprived of their political rights, which I must remember readers are also human rights. In any civilized country political rights can be restrained after a formal judicial decision. In Venezuela the word of the office of the comptroller of the nation is enough. That his word does violate the constitution, that the High Court decided that a law can go ABOVE the constitution do not change a thing about the violation of human rights we saw last summer in Venezuela. No one is fooled, not chavistas, not opposition, not even the European Parliament: all know that this was done to remove people that were very well placed in polls to stop them from running and henceforth improving the chances of mediocre chavista candidates that cannot run on their own record.
But this has not been enough for the regime of Chavez. Having eliminated 4 front runners in 4 states, the regime finds polls still very bad in the three largest states of the country. So, the courts are once again activated to remove these three front runners.
As soon as Chavez announced that he would jail Zulia's governor Manuel Rosales, who has been serving for eight years, the state apparatus moved in an unusual swiftness to collect "evidence" and process it. We will see if the nation's prosecution will move as swiftly when they examine the evidence against Di Martino deposed 24 hours later
As soon as the regime saw that its dismal candidate in Carabobo could not win whatsoever, they reactivated a suit already settled by the Electoral Board, CNE. In this suit Salas Feo inscription would be made illegal and thus he would be tossed from the ballot, probably AFTER the deadline that would allow his followers to replace him in the ballot. This way the chavista candidate would run "unopposed" which is the only way he could ever win. That Salas Feo accuses rivals from within the opposition to be the agents changes nothing: the pro Chavez courts are only too willing to accept a frivolous lawsuit that helps their guys.
As soon as the "inhabilitacion" of Mendoza in Miranda showed signs of not working as his substitute started gaining on the chavista running for reelection, a settled trial for murky events at the Cuban embassy was reopened. We are not talking here of double jeopardy, something already banned in civil societies, were are talking here of multiple jeopardies. Capriles Radonsky has even served several month of jail for events of which no court, no matter how controlled by chavista minions, has been able to declare him guilty of wrong doing. Videos and and all record coincide in pointing that the Cuban ambassador requested the intervention of Capriles Radonski, an intervention for which he was falsely judged and served unjust jail term for which he has not been compensated.
Meanwhile the Venezuelan judicial system ignores the corruption trial of Miami, with the general prosecutor of the nation, Luisa Ortega, allowing herself to make fun at the length of the trial in Miami. Yes, in a "desfachatez" that we did not think possible, the general prosecutor of the country forgets all of her failures about the hundreds and hundreds of cases that have been in the Venezuelan court dockets for years and years and makes fun of what has taken only one year from the investigation and arrest to the trial and eventual sentence.
Furthermore, notorious political cases such as the investigations of the Chavez family landholdings in Barinas, the massive corruption of the CAEZ, the expulsion of pro Chavez Governor from Yaracuy for corruption and a myriad other remain incomplete as the perpetrators of these alleged crimes walk free in the streets of Venezuela. Those opposed to the regime meanwhile fear constantly for their arrest, or are in jail or in exile, WITHOUT a court sentence or even a trial opening date.
The point I am trying to make here is not of the double standards of the regime judicial system: we all have known that for quite a while. the point I am tying to make is not about the honesty of some Venezuela politicians: I doubt that more than a handful have a clean sheet. the point that I am trying to make is not that the regime is afraid of losing the November elections: the regime is afraid of losing ANY thing and thus acts accordingly its anti democratic nature.
The point here is that all of these judges and lawyers that lend themselves to this maneuvers are making irreparable damage to the country, are allying themselves with moral corruption and thus are tying their fate to the fate of the regime. We can only expect more engagement form their part, more crass maneuvers and rights violations form their part as they feel the heat and their boss losing the grip. We must also as of now start seriously wondering what we are going to do with these people when the regime will fall as it will do sooner or later. Removing form their job will not be enough. Disbarring them form judicial work will not be enough. They will have to be brought to accounting if we want Venezuela to ever regain a semblance of justice. Otherwise eventually their successor will feel empowered to act the same way. We must be willing to assume the cost of what it will mean to put in jail Luisa Morales, Luisa Ortega, Isaias Rodriguez, German Mundarain, Clodosvaldo Russian and so many other in high positions. We can maybe forgive them from a jail term for national reconciliation but only after they have accounted for their abuses in a court of law. They have hurt too many people to walk free of blame once Chavez leaves office. We cannot accept the excuse of "I was following orders". A de-chavization of the government and law is now an imperative.
-The end-