Editor's Comment: We applaud New York-based, "Human Rights Watch" for removing the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from their list of "closed countries" and for acknowledging that this Latin American country is truly democratic. However, we also note and take vigorous exception to the following HRW allegations, published in the Miami Herald:

"Roth acknowledged that ''the trends were negative in Venezuela,'' saying Chávez stacked the Supreme Court and denied an opposition station a broadcast license, among other excesses."

A great deal has been written about both issues - (1) Stacking the Supreme Court and (2) Denying an opposition station a broadcast license. Both statements have been factually gutted many times over. Yet the charges persist.

One more time: The justices of the Venezuelan Supreme court are not appointed by the president of Venezuela as are the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Moreover, the Venezuelan Supreme Court has ruled against Chavez in dramatic ways since he has been president, one of which was to rule in August 2002 that there was not a "coup" in Venezuela but a "vacuum of power" and that Chávez kidnappers were "Pregnant with good intentions". These rulings effectively prevented charges being filed against those who led the coup against him in 2002. Imagine the US Supreme -Court aquitting anyone commiting these crimes against the U.S. government, much less never charging them. 

Regarding the broadcast license of an opposition station - Chavez could have easily shut down RCTV legally because of their participation in the coup d'etat but instead allowed them to complete their 30 year contract. When their contract expired last year, the government simply did not renew their license - just as 600 other TV stations did not have their licenses renewed - world wide.

Finally, the unsupported, general statements that "the trends are negative in Venezuela" and that the Chávez-led government is guilty of "other excesses" are obviously thrown into their rhetoric to cast a shadow on any positive things they've said about Venezuela. We witness this mixture of truth and falsehood every single day in the anti-Chávez, corporate media. The one who bears such a message is more far more dangerous than one whose lies are bare-faced. The devil never comes at you with horns, pitchfork and a tail. He comes dressed in the appealing, golden garb of the truth woven with threads of deception.

- Les Blough, Editor

Rights group: Venezuela is basically democratic

Human Rights Watch said Venezuela was actually more democratic than many nations, contrary to some popular U.S. perceptions.

By Pablo Bachelet
The Miami Herald
Fri, Feb. 01, 2008

Washington -- Human Rights Watch on Thursday said Venezuela does not belong to a group of nations like Pakistan and Russia that use the veneer of democracy to mask autocratic rule -- directly contradicting U.S. government assertions.

The New York-based group's position also runs contrary to allegations by many opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Ch¦Ávez that he is undermining democracy at home and around Latin America.

Ch¦Ávez and his government have long argued that Venezuela is fully
democratic, with regular elections, a free news media and an organized opposition. The president accepted his defeat in a close vote on constitutional revisions last year.

''We did not include Venezuela in the list of closed countries because it is not,'' Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said, unveiling the organization's 2008 World Report, which highlighted leaders who claim to be democratic but take autocratic measures.

Roth acknowledged that ''the trends were negative in Venezuela,'' saying Ch¦Ávez stacked the Supreme Court and denied an opposition station a broadcast license, among other excesses.

''There are serious problems in Venezuela, but we shouldn't pretend that Venezuela is a closed society,'' he said. "There still is significant political competition, and indeed the best evidence of that was the fact that Ch¦Ávez just lost his referendum.''

Roth also said Cuba's announcement in December that it will ratify two U.N. treaties that protect civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of citizens was "good news.''

The report also criticizes Cuba as "one country in Latin America that
represses nearly all forms of political dissent.''

The report identified Kenya, Pakistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Nigeria, Russia and Thailand as nations where rulers claim democracy but violate basic rights.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/401909.html