sábado, 7 de diciembre de 2013

VENEZUELA DEVELOPMENTS, DECEMBER 2013







Editorial
Unprotected Property Rights in Venezuela 
By Un Estado de Derecho*
The right of every Venezuelan citizen to own private property is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is also defined and protected by several universal and regional human rights instruments ratified by Venezuela. Despite its constitutional and international recognition, in the past 14 years the Venezuelan government, by different means and with the consent of the judiciary, has implemented a systematic policy against property rights.


The Inter American Commission of Human Rights expressed its concern over the assassination of José Chirinos and the arbitrary detention of Alejandro Silva.
November 30, 2013

Venezuela losing clout in region
November 30, 2013 (by Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald)

According to Oppenheimer, Venezuela’s influence in Latin America seems to be diminishing as rapidly as the country’s dwindling foreign reserves.

Latest measures seek to bring illegal forex to an end
November 30, 2013 (by Victor Salmeron, El Universal) 
Nicolás Maduro passed a decree to create the National Center for Foreign Trade and the Foreign Trade Corporation, which will allocate dollars for both the public and private sector and oversee the Currency Administration Commission (CADIVI), the Ancillary Foreign Currency Administration System (SICAD), the Foreign Trade Bank (BANCOEX) and all State-owned financial institutions. Also, the National Foreign Trade Corporation will choose companies from both the private and public sector to coordinate all aspects connected with import and export activities.
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Economic tsunami
November 30, 2013 (by Francisco Olivares, El Universal) 
The course taken by President Maduro heads towards radicalism and further state controls over the economy, on the pretext of an "economic war." In the meantime, indicators keep showing a crisis that seems unstoppable.