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Controversial amnesty law continues to divide Venezuela

Xinhua, February 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The proposed Amnesty and National Reconciliation Law continues to bitterly divide politics in Venezuela, despite the fact that it was approved in its first reading by the parliament Tuesday.

Its legitimacy will now depend on it being approved by the country's Supreme Court (TSJ).

Ahead of the vote on Tuesday, Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) lawmaker Delsa Solorzano said: "this law seeks to end an era of prison and persecution. We cannot talk of justice when we have political prisoners and exiles."

The law, which would seek to free around 75 dissidents, was approved by the parliament exactly two years after Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader, was arrested. He was sentenced in September to 14 years in prison for public incitement to violence and criminal association.

On Wednesday, Pedro Carreño, from the ruling Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) coalition, noted that the TSJ would certainly shoot down the law, as he believes it violates numerous articles of the constitution that deal with human rights.

"If the Supreme Court declares this freak law to be unconstitutional, which is what will happen, this law will simply be shelved," Carreño told the state-owned Venezolana de Televisión.

The legal project is made up of 45 articles, one of which Carreño blasted for providing amnesty to "scammers, delinquents and the corrupt". He added that the opposition MUD was seeking to free those responsible for inciting riots in 2014, which left 43 dead and over 800 injured.

"This legal project shows us who is behind efforts to overthrow the revolutionary process since 1999...this is a confession from those who have committed crimes for 17 years," continued Carreño.

Furthermore, he added that the amnesty law could also be used to pardon drug dealers and those accused of crimes against humanity. As an example, the deputy pointed to the case of Syrian businessman, Walid Makled, jailed for over 14 years in Venezuela for drug smuggling.

"I see the involvement of Makled and many drug dealers here. They (the GPP) know this law is unconstitutional. It gives amnesty for crimes against humanity, for rape, drug dealing and terrorism," concluded Carreño.

In recent weeks, such accusations have been pronounced from the GPP lawmakers, who are appalled at the growing confidence of the opposition majority.

Seeking to dispel such concerns, MUD executive secretary Jesus Torrealba stated during the vote on Tuesday that "there would not be a coup d'etat...but only a transition from authoritarianism to democracy." Enditem