Hugo Chavez vs.Manuel Rosales

Chavez has acted what he publicly said in Maracaibo this past February, that is that he is going to put Manuel Rosales in jail. Manuel Rosales is the elected mayor of the city of Maracaibo, a former governor of the state of Zulia elected for 2 terms and was candidate against Chavez in the 2006 presidential elections.

The legal rationale behind Chavez´s intentions is an undeclared amount of roughly Bs. 147,000 (or $25,000) in gains that according to the Comptroller´s Office could not be accounted for. According to Rosales the amount was a product of yearly gains of his family´s cattle ranch in rural Zulia (cattle ranch La Milagrosa). Last week a Public Prosecutor (Ministerio Publico) flew in from Caracas to engaged a criminal action based on unjust enrichment against Rosales. The accusation was admitted by the Criminal Court in Maracaibo. Now this week on Monday, the Public Prosecutor requested a change of venue (radicacion) due to the stress of the public opinion in the legal criminal process. Obviously the change of venue was ordered by the Court and now the case will be heard in Caracas.

This is obviously a politically motived legal action against an opposing political leader that Chavez simply does not want in the picture right now. Or perhaps he is trying to steer the public opinion from the financial abyss that we are heading into...In any event Manuel Rosales prepares his defense and publicly stated that he will give face.

The list of political prisoners in Venezuela grows constantly, the problem resides in the fact that the Executive government exerts all its leverage to the Judicial System, who practically kneels and follows orders. Ivan Simonovics and Lazaro Forero, two Policemen who are in prison for more than 3 years and still have not been rendered a legal decision. Also former Zulia Police Commisioner Mazuco has also remain in prison for more than 1 year without a court hearing whatsoever.

I think the solution is a Civil Resistence movement against the ilegitimacy of the Presidency on account of its violation to the Venezuelan constitution, international human rights agreements and treaties. The acting party would be a General of any component of Armed Forces along with a representative group of social groups. The President should be held in custody with a public criminal process for every Venezuelan to see...Only time will tell.