Venezuela: Amidst Protests, Chavez Expands His Powers and Curbs the Media

On Thursday, Venezuela’s fledgling student movement held mass protests in Caracas. Amidst the demonstrations, the real story was muffled: the Bolivarian Revolution usurped some more power from the country’s people.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez managed to breeze some more "reforms" through the Congress, controlled by his supporters, which now gives him power to rule by decree for 18 months. The sudden need? From 4 January, the Congress will have a substantial number of opposition members who won’t allow quick passage of Chavez's socialist reforms.

Hundreds of students and faculty members held a rally outside the main university in Caracas. However, their march towards parliament was blocked by dozens of riot policemen who managed to disperse the protesters temporarily, leaving at least 4 people injured.

In the last two weeks, Venezuela's legislators have passed 17 laws, including the Enabling Act, giving e Chavez expanded powers until June 2012. Another measure limits the autonomy of universities, a source of the opposition movement against Chavez.The law creates a system where professors can be removed from their posts for committing such acts as public disrespect against patriotic signs.

Chavez clamped down on the internet in a separate law:

The new measures, covering content from the Internet and electronic subscription services, make webpage managers "responsible for the information and content" published on their websites.

They aim to crack down on media content that "makes an apology of crime," "promotes unrest in the population" or "challenges legally established authorities".

I spoke to Mafe Pérez Rincones, a radio journalist in Caracas, about the net restrictions and the Enabling Act. She says the laws are a way for Chavez to ensure that, for the next year or more, he will be able to both curb the legislative power of the opposition and stop people from getting on-line information about the opposition.

According to Perez, the country only has one television station that remains independent. The government has already banned dozens of mass media organizations, all the while increasing funding for pro-government media. Under this system, journalists will be too afraid to post dissenting opinions on websites, analysts claim.