Special Powers against Economic War

Yesterday the National Assembly approved the law granting President Maduro especial powers to rule by decree. Maduro had asked the Assembly for those powers, at first instance to fight corruption, but lately to also to fight the “Economic War” he claims is being waged by the enemies of the Fatherland.

After receiving the published law from the President of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello, Maduro addressed a crowd of supporter outside the Presidential Palace. The event was transmitted in cadena by all radio and television channels of the country.

Maduro affirmed that he will continue taking economic measures to “safeguard the income of People”, but that the end result should be the defeat the capitalist ethics of consumerism and “to allow for the construction of a new human and socialist ethics, an ethics of honesty.”

He also emphasized his own conspiracy explanation of the current economic situation in Venezuela: The main agents of “economic sabotage” are, according to Maduro, the three main business owners unions CONSECOMERCIO, FEDECAMARAS, and VENENCHAM. These agents of the “parasitic bourgeoisie” are politically supported by what he calls “the trilogy of evil”, meaning opposition leaders Machado, López and Capriles. They are all in cahoots with the ultimate agent of the economic war, the US Empire.

Maduro also advanced that the first measure he will take using his new powers will be to ask the Supreme Tribunal (TSJ) to grant the status of “Organic Law” to his recent decree that limits business profits to up to 30%. Maduro denied that his recent measures are unsustainable and that they will create shortages because, according to him, “99% of the shops we have visited had received official rate dollars. It is false that there will be shortages. We have come up with a control system for stocks, and all the factories and shops are full. They have [stock] reserves to last them for a year.”