BYE BYE CHAVEZ

On August 15 Venezuelans will vote in a referendum on whether or not to revoke the presidential mandate of Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chavez, writes Humberto Calderon Berti, ex-foreign minister of Venezuela, ex-president of OPEC, and a leader of the opposition umbrella group Coordinadora Democratica. In this article, the author writes that the Venezuelan people have struggled for years against the current regime, which has attempted to establish a totalitarian-style government. The referendum is the culmination of a long chain of events in which the electoral authorities, rather than facilitating the process they are charged with managing, did nothing but obstruct it. After the convocation of the referendum, the government began a campaign of intimidation and blackmail against those who had signed, resorting to the usual mechanisms preferred by totalitarian systems. In recent days there have been accusations that the opposition is preparing violent acts. If violence does occur, the regime will be responsible.