Venezuelan lawmakers granted President Hugo Chavez the authority to broadly legislate by decree Dec. 17. Chavez will be granted the decree powers for 18 months, which he claims are needed to help flood victims and transition Venezuela to a socialist state, AP reported.
The National Assembly was asked by the executive powers to approve the Enabling Law that would allow the executive powers to sanction laws. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the special rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, stated their concerns that the bill will damage human rights.
The bill “assigns the president of the republic ample, imprecise, and ambiguous powers to dictate and reform regulatory provisions in the telecommunications and information technology sectors,” states an IACHR press release.
It adds that other bills being considered by the Venezuelan National Assembly would change laws on telecommunications and social responsibility in radio and television, and “in order to extend their application to the electronic media, impose disproportionate obligations that would make impossible the continued operation of critical outlets such as Globovisión, and interfere with the content of all communications media.”
The laws would prohibit media from reporting content against the Venezuelan regime, and make Internet service providers also restrict such content. They would also establish new laws for broadcasters, “which appear to be directed at restricting the influence of independent audiovisual media outlets in Venezuela,” states the IACHR.
The National Assembly was asked by the executive powers to approve the Enabling Law that would allow the executive powers to sanction laws. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the special rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, stated their concerns that the bill will damage human rights.
The bill “assigns the president of the republic ample, imprecise, and ambiguous powers to dictate and reform regulatory provisions in the telecommunications and information technology sectors,” states an IACHR press release.
It adds that other bills being considered by the Venezuelan National Assembly would change laws on telecommunications and social responsibility in radio and television, and “in order to extend their application to the electronic media, impose disproportionate obligations that would make impossible the continued operation of critical outlets such as Globovisión, and interfere with the content of all communications media.”
The laws would prohibit media from reporting content against the Venezuelan regime, and make Internet service providers also restrict such content. They would also establish new laws for broadcasters, “which appear to be directed at restricting the influence of independent audiovisual media outlets in Venezuela,” states the IACHR.
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