1722) Him again: no surprise, no bets, Chavez on the spot...

Chávez furious as OAS rights watchdog accuses him of endangering democracy
The Guardian, 26.02.2010

Organisation of American States commission condemns Venezuela's president for intimidation and judicial interference

President Hugo Chávez vowed to withdraw Venezuela from the top human rights body in the western hemisphere last night after it accused him of endangering democracy and intimidating opponents.

In a televised press conference, the socialist leader called the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights a "mafia", and its leader "excrement". "We will leave it," Chávez said.

The commission, a branch of the Organisation of American States (OAS), published a report on Wednesday which painted an alarming picture of repression and intolerance in Venezuela.

The 319-page report used unusually strong language for a 34-nation forum which tends to shy away from criticising members' internal policies, reflecting growing concern about the South American country.

"The commission finds that the state's punitive power is being used to intimidate or punish people on account of their political opinions," it said. "Venezuela lacks the conditions necessary for human rights defenders and journalists to carry out their work freely."

The report said there was a "troubling trend" of harassment, violence and judicial action to deter and criminalise protests, leaving Venezuelans cowed.

It detailed cases of dozens of judges who were sacked or sidelined for issuing rulings the government did not like. "The lack of judicial independence and autonomy vis-á-vis political power is one of the weakest points in Venezuelan democracy," the commission said.

Chávez responded with a blistering attack of his own, branding the commission a politicised agency opposed to his socialist revolution. "We will prepare to denounce the agreement by which Venezuela is a member of this nefarious Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and we will leave it. What for? It's not worth it, it's a mafia there."

He accused the commission's Argentinian head, Santiago Canton, of backing a coup which briefly ousted him in 2002. "Santiago Canton, executive excrement, pure excrement."

The report praised Venezuela's government for reducing poverty and illiteracy and increasing access to healthcare, but said that did not justify eroding civil rights.

Venezuela has not allowed the commission to visit since 2002, so the report was based on hundreds of interviews conducted from Washington, where the organisation is based.

After 11 years in power, Chávez, a former tank commander, has won successive elections and remains popular with the poor. He recently declared himself a Marxist and promised to accelerate his revolution of "21st-century socialism".

However, inflation, violent crime and water and electricity shortages have chipped away at his support, especially in cities. Seven ministers have quit or been fired recently and this week a high-profile state governor, Henri Falcon, defected from the president's Socialist party.

On Wednesday, the supreme court annulled the election of an opposition mayor, Jorge Barboza, on the grounds that he had failed to pay $292 in local taxes. It replaced him with a Chávez supporter.