TalCual: Hate Crimes Law in Venezuela By Tal Cual Latin American Herald Tribune August 26, 2017
If the regime of Nicolás Maduro is not interested in what is being broadcast, or simply does not suit it, the media doing so will have "generated" hatred or promoted intolerance or violence
Every dictatorship worthy of the name, such as that of Nicolás Maduro, always seeks to keep the media under its total control. The censorship of information is vital for authoritarian governments and having a strict control is their premise: from traditional to digital. It’s simply not safe for anyone.
To achieve this objective, and make it "legal" as well, the fraudulent and unlawful National Constituent Assembly (ANC) is going to pass a "law," something that can’t be done according to the existing Constitution, since constituents are convened to draft a Constitution. But dictators and their underlings never go into legal details.
LastTuesday, the constituents began the "discussion" of a "law" against hate, intolerance and violence crimes. In reality this "law" is a good definition of what chavismo has been since its appearance on the national political scene on February 4, 1992, until present day. Hatred, intolerance and violence have been the main banners of this political movement.
The "debate" held during the ANC session last Tuesday shed light – if that was necessary – on the true purpose of the instrument.
The crimes will be to inform what happens in Venezuela. If the regime of Maduro is not interested in what is being broadcast, or simply does not suit it, the media doing so will have "generated" hatred or promoted intolerance or violence. In a nutshell, it is a "law" that best suits the censorship needs of those who rule the country.
The father of hatred, intolerance and violence reigning in this country is the late Hugo Chávez. From the first day he fostered division among Venezuelans, exalting all negative values that may exist. He always made very denigrating remarks about all those who opposed him.
His "children" have done nothing but follow suit.
Samples of intolerance have been more than enough over these past 18 years. In the past month alone, hundreds of public officials were able to test the effects of disagreeing with the ANC.
They suffered persecution and dismissals. There are artists who cannot make presentations in public premises and opposition lawmakers who cannot travel in state-owned airlines.
Talking about hatred, just turn on the TV or radio and tune in for public media programming. Or any of the addresses of Maduro. There is enough evidence of hatred in all of them.
The fact that Diosdado Cabello and Mario Silva are two of the co-drafters of this legal absurdity known as ANC makes us realize how serious this matter is and what their real intentions are.
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