August 26

Venezuelan opposition to support plan to seek OAS intervention against decree-laws
The Venezuelan opposition party Primero Justicia announced on Monday, August 25 that it will support the initiative of the union and professional associations to collect signatures to endorse a request to the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss in a plenary session the alteration of constitutional order in Venezuela by President Hugo Chávez after the enactment of 26 decree-laws that could be contrary to the Venezuelan Constitution. .

Elenis Rodríguez, a member of the direction of the Venezuelan national party, said that the signatures will not repeat the negative experiences of Tascón and Maisanta lists, since the forms with signatures will not be disclosed by the OAS. In February 2004, pro-government legislator Luis Tascón collected copies of signatures of petitioners for the recall referendum and published them on his website. After the publication, there were reports of government reprisals against people appearing in the list.

August 27

Chávez: The opposition loses time
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on Wednesday, August 27 that dissenting leaders are losing their time by appealing to foreign agencies to claim that the 26 presidential directives issued under the enabling law violate the Constitution.

"They are losing your time by going, as it were, to the Organization of American States. The OAS has nothing to do with a country's laws. This is an absolutely internal affair," he said.

He regretted that Leopoldo López, the leader of opposition Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party, and other opposition representatives showed up at the Mercosur Parliament Commission on Human Rights and other international bodies to talk about the issue of politicians barred from elected public office.

Governor Cabello views "nothing unusual" in decree-laws
Miranda state governor Diosdado Cabello downplayed the criticism made by multiple sectors of the directives issued by President Hugo Chávez by means of a recently expired enabling law.

In his opinion, "there is nothing weird" in them and they are just in addition to the 1999 Constitution.
 
Cabello said that those against the package of laws attempt at electioneering as they try to tie the issue to the local polls that will be held next November 23rd, or to a referendum on a failed constitution reform that was held on December 2nd, 2007.

Dissenting groups to rally against package of laws
Oscar Pérez, a member of opposition Comando Nacional de la Resistencia (National Resistance Command, CNR), called to a rally next Saturday, August 30 against the package of laws, or the 26 decree-laws enacted by the Executive Office early August.

Additionally, he urged people to "set their hands onto the forms that will be forwarded to the Organization of American States (OAS) against these laws that run counter to the National Constitution."

Further, he does not think that the National Assembly will be able to discuss a new telecommunications law which, in his opinion, "would restrain Venezuelans' freedom of expression."

Minister Jaua clarify that decree-laws were not consulted, but based on people's needs
A set of 26 directives recently issued by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez by using his special rulemaking powers was not consulted, but prepared in view of people's needs, said Minister of Agriculture Elías Jaua.

During a public event involving growers, the minister justified the declaration of public utility of the food industry for being essential goods.

"These laws are the result of thousand, hundred meetings, protests, demonstrations in front of ministries, institutes, assemblies across the country, little notes received by the president, complaints, proposals made by any and all as we go by the country," said Jaua.

"Some say that the laws were not consulted. No, it is not that they were not consulted, but they were made based on the needs of the Venezuelan people."

August 29

Venezuelan front to ask OAS to review decree-laws 
Gustavo Briceño, a lawyer specialized in administrative law and representative of the Venezuela's Front of Professional Associations, expects that a milestone of one million signatures is enough to call the attention of the Organization of American States (OAS) about the decree-laws enacted by President Hugo Chávez.

"While this number (one million signatures) in not required under any law, we consider that it is meaningful enough to call the attention of the OAS General Secretariat, so that the body convenes the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member countries to deal with the issue of the constitutional character of the newly enacted laws in Venezuela," Briceño said.

The front's major goal is to meet with OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza to show him the new decree-laws, so that the regional body to take the relevant steps as established within OAS legal framework.