President's changes to the constitution provoke riots in Venezuela by Barbora Kasparova

Venezuela's students were protesting in the streets of Caracas on Thursday Nov 11th 2007 against president's Chavez policy. According to the Reuters, the demonstrations were suppressed by the pro-Chavez police forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. A few participants were taken into the police custody, the international human rights observers are alert to watch the situation. Hugo Chavez, who has been the president of Venezuela since 1999, known also for his socially oriented Bolivarian missions, his goal of creating a well functioning democratic socialism in Venezuela, as well as for his "friendship" with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, seems to be moving towards authoritarianism, according to the protesting students. The National Assembly (with the majority of the members supporting Chavez ) is about to pass 69 amendments to the Venezuelan constitution, that would, besides other changes, enable him to get rid of the presidential term limits, as well as eliminate the autonomy of the Central Bank of Venezuela. The constitutional changes will be subject to a referendum in December. The protesting students claim the amendments are a serious thread to democratic principles; Chavez, on the other hand declares they are necessary for further reforms to be implemented effectively. "We're playing with our country's future,'' said Luis Rodriguez, a law student at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, in comments broadcast by the cable news station." (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a_Nzba6pNREw&refer=latin_america)

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_protest;_ylt=AhOmTMF8XUmFCabVk7aTDtms0NUE

by Barbora Kasparova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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