Venezuela following Ukraine and Syria has the worst migrant and refugee crisis in the world. Venezuelan inflation was the highest in the entire planet and is still among the highest. The size of economic activity in Venezuela, measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was reduced to the size we had in 1940.
But none of this is on the agenda of the National Assembly, which, under the control of Chavismo, continues with its agenda of hegemony and control.
The deputies elected in 2020, obviously, are not focused on facing or debating the neuralgic problems. None of the underlying problems in Venezuela are an essential part of its legislative agenda. I recently read that progress is being made, for example, in approving a reform of the law on national holidays with the explicit purpose of including February 4 within the national anniversaries.
And so we go, the project of hegemony and control advances and covers various aspects of national life.
For these reasons, and many others, I was not surprised when out of nowhere the intention of the Chavismo deputies to approve a reform of the law on the exercise of journalism in Venezuela was put on the public table.
A quest to strengthen hegemony
Independent journalism, NGOs, universities and, before that, the Catholic Church, have been a kind of totems to be demolished by those who control power. Since Chavismo’s long exercise of power, such a position is understood as hegemonic without counterweights and without voices that criticize or question it.
Venezuela, it must be said, is a legal exception in Latin America. For many years, both the Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have maintained that the existence of mandatory membership laws for journalists is at odds with freedom of expression. Although, in conceptual matters we agree with such a position of expert entities, when the issue lands in Venezuela it has another reading.
The issue of who proposes the reform of the law becomes a central issue to be taken into account.
In its more than two decades exercising power in Venezuela, Chavismo has had a restrictive perspective and a punitive application of laws, decrees or legal instruments when it comes to journalism, the media and freedoms of expression and information.
To date, unfortunately, power has not issued a rule that genuinely promotes pluralism or freedom of information. Chavismo in a utilitarian way appeals to the words “people” or “popular”, but in reality it is power that controls communications, strengthening a hegemonic voice, usually the president’s. There is no democratization, that is not what has happened in the last two decades.
In this particular case, I am afraid, beyond having another tool that allows independent journalism to be cornered or fenced in, Chavismo might be aiming at the definitive dismantling of the professional union grouped in the National College of Journalists and its branches throughout and country width.
break with criticism
Although not all the CNP sections are critical of power, there are some that have a clear and vital public role, many others have documentation of the violations, workshops and discussions are generated here and there. All this takes place, until now, without Chavismo being able to control or prevent such activities.
Breaking with these structures that in very diverse cases bring together critical or independent voices, might ultimately be the objective of the reform, as has been appearing in the declarations of the exegetes of power, once journalists.
Also, Such an initiative of the National Assembly takes place when precisely in various states processes have been activated to electfollowing long years of obstacles from the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court of Justice itself, some new directives for the different instances of the CNP.
If we are guided by historical experience, and we already have two decades of experience, when people in power want to reform or approve a law, basically they are planning how to co-opt or control a sector or activity. I don’t think journalism is going to be the exception.
