For those of you nostalgic for Pravda
Simon Romero reports in the New York Times about Hugo Ch?vez’s proposed constitutional changes: President Hugo Ch?vez will unveil a project to change the Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that would enhance his authority to accelerate a socialist-inspired transformation of Venezuelan society. The removal of ...
Simon Romero reports in the New York Times about Hugo Ch?vez's proposed constitutional changes: President Hugo Ch?vez will unveil a project to change the Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that would enhance his authority to accelerate a socialist-inspired transformation of Venezuelan society. The removal of term limits for Mr. Ch?vez, which is at the heart of the proposal, is expected to be accompanied by measures circumscribing the authority of elected governors and mayors, who would be prevented from staying in power indefinitely, according to versions of the project leaked in recent weeks. Willian Lara, the communications minister, said Mr. Ch?vez would announce the project before the National Assembly, where all 167 lawmakers support the president. Supporters of Mr. Ch?vez, who was re-elected last year with some 60 percent of the vote, also control the Supreme Court, the entire federal bureaucracy, public oil and infrastructure companies and every state government but two. The aim of the overhaul is ?to guarantee to the people the largest amount of happiness possible,? Mr. Lara said at a news conference on Tuesday. The story has a whiff of the old Soviet-era Pravda. Not because Romero is Ch?vez's mouthpiece, but rather the tone of the comments made by Venezuelan officials. And, of course, Ch?vez's apparent fondness for democratic centralism.
Simon Romero reports in the New York Times about Hugo Ch?vez’s proposed constitutional changes:
President Hugo Ch?vez will unveil a project to change the Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that would enhance his authority to accelerate a socialist-inspired transformation of Venezuelan society. The removal of term limits for Mr. Ch?vez, which is at the heart of the proposal, is expected to be accompanied by measures circumscribing the authority of elected governors and mayors, who would be prevented from staying in power indefinitely, according to versions of the project leaked in recent weeks. Willian Lara, the communications minister, said Mr. Ch?vez would announce the project before the National Assembly, where all 167 lawmakers support the president. Supporters of Mr. Ch?vez, who was re-elected last year with some 60 percent of the vote, also control the Supreme Court, the entire federal bureaucracy, public oil and infrastructure companies and every state government but two. The aim of the overhaul is ?to guarantee to the people the largest amount of happiness possible,? Mr. Lara said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The story has a whiff of the old Soviet-era Pravda. Not because Romero is Ch?vez’s mouthpiece, but rather the tone of the comments made by Venezuelan officials. And, of course, Ch?vez’s apparent fondness for democratic centralism.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
More from Foreign Policy

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.