A new intelligence law brought in by Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has caused concern among rights groups who say it threatens civil liberties. Mr Chavez argues the law will help Venezuela guarantee its national security and prevent assassination plots and military rebellions. The new law requires Venezuelans to cooperate with intelligence agencies and secret police if requested. Refusal can result in up to four years in prison. The law allows security forces to gather evidence through surveillance methods such as wiretapping without obtaining a court order, and authorities can withhold evidence from defence lawyers if it is considered to be in the interest of national security. One part of the law, which explicitly requires judges and prosecutors to cooperate with the intelligence services, has caused concern among legal experts.
“Here you have the president legislating by decree that the country’s judges must serve as spies for the government,” Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas Director for Human Rights Watch, said. “Among other problems with this law, any suspect’s right to defence can be violated, and that’s unacceptable,” Carlos Correa, a leader of the Venezuelan human rights group Provea, said. Mr Chavez – who called the US Patriot Act a “dictatorial law” – denied the Venezuelan law would threaten freedoms, saying it falls into “a framework of great respect for human rights”.
*Yawn*. Hugo needs to get his own shtick, this emulation of Bush is just pathetic.
It’s Mussolini’s 10 step plan.
10 easy steps
Oops. I think I may have used someone else’s name. I suddenly seem to remember posts from some other “Coward”. This is a new Coward. I’ll go back to using my own name when posting something a little less scary.
two words: Patriot Act
#2, as a liberal, i must point out that it was liberals who pushed the bush administration to give the department of homeland security cabinet-level ranking, arguing that the intelligence services needed better oversight.
bush was opposed on the usual conservative grounds that it was just more bureaucracy
just sayin’
#5 – Google is your friend:
“President Bush called on Congress to set up a Cabinet-level homeland defense agency Thursday to protect the nation amid ‘a titanic struggle against terror.'” – June 7, 2002
I wonder…
Would our new democratic president be able to undo the police state imposed by George Bush within four years? The good news is that even with a McCain win, a more free and respected America would result.
The key to healing is to turn Dick and Bush over to interpol for a speedy World Court trial at the Hague.
#7 What you need to be concerned with is what a Democratic President will do with those new powers. Let’s keep in mind virtually all of the Democrats in congress voted for the Patriot Act and then again to extend it. Including Hillary.
Why do you think shehas such a hard-on to be President? Her panties are dripping with thoughts of such power.
#9 – GigG,
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It doesn’t matter who is in power. We need to roll back the USA PATRIOT Act (an acronym that should be in all caps, it stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act”) as well as the John Warner Defense Authorization Act.
Thanks #9 – I now have the image of Hillary’s dripping panties burned into my mind. Somebody please gouge my eyes out.
>>Her panties are dripping with thoughts
>>of such power.
Better that her panties be dripping than that the dicks of all the male wannabes from years gone by be dripping. Nothing worse than “drippy dick”.
“Spreading Democracy” (just like here….)
J/P=?
We better not fuck with them. They might move their tank to the border.
#12 – Mister Mustard,
Nothing worse than “drippy dick”.
Nixon? Oh no. That was Tricky Dick. Anyway, he was probably more liberal than any of today’s candidates.
Remember El Salvador and the FMLN that Reagan had a secret war against?
Thanks to our ‘great leader’s’ diplomatic skills, the FMLN will take power in El Salvador during their next elections. So in Latin America we now have Venezuela, Peru, Paraguay and soon El Salvador as Cuba-like countries.
The effectiveness of the Bush administration in promoting freedom and democracy has been a staggering success.
The only difference is that they actually ARE trying to depose president chavez.
Bush is just a paranoid wierdo. The masses adore dear leader.