Lost freedoms 1

You know that Venezuela has been in trouble for years if you follow this blog. Go here to see massive lines of people waiting at grocery stores, big migrations to neighboring countries, health care and medical facilities barely functioning.

This is the country which has more reserves of oil than any other country in the world. Under leader Maduro, the people live in desperate poverty. Somehow he manages to hold on to power.

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With the legislative (law-making) and judicial (courts) branches of government under Maduro, the nation  lacks what we in the U.S. call "separation of powers." His executive branch of government will freely use all powers to maintain his control.

Amnesty International published a report last year enumerating the ongoing loss of civil liberties:

• excessive use of force
• unlawful killings
• torture
• criminalization
• unfair trials

Hardly any news outlet is willing to go out on a limb to report any of this. But the newspaper El Nacional was such a one. Its end may be near. It reported that Maduro's second-in-power, Cabella, was being investigated by the U.S. for ties to drug trafficking. For that, Cabella sued. The courts have now issued a decision that the paper will pay a fine which they cannot possibly pay.

(cont'd tomorrow)