Venezuela Blunts Opposition’s Rise Months After Landmark Victory
Venezuela Blunts Opposition’s Rise Months After Landmark Victory
“If the legislature can’t legislate and the Supreme Court is not independent, by definition that is an assault on democracy,” points out AS/COA’s Eric Farnsworth.
CARACAS—Four months after the Venezuelan opposition swept elections to control congress, the victory looks hollow.
Although socialist President Nicolás Maduro conceded the results, he has since undermined the National Assembly.
Since January, when the new assembly was sworn in, Mr. Maduro has stripped it of economic-oversight powers and his ministers have skipped hearings on corruption and the economic meltdown. Through his allies on the top court, the president has blocked legislation, even uncontroversial measures like food subsidies for the elderly….
…“The government is using every maneuver it can to resist the opposition congress because it recognizes it as a threat to its own existence,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, which promotes trade. “If the legislature can’t legislate and the Supreme Court is not independent, by definition that is an assault on democracy.”…
