link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24456056
president nicolas maduro has requested of parliament to give him special powers so that he can fight corruption and "economic" sabotage. apparently this request is something that has been requested and granted in the past with president chavez.
while it's unclear what special powers maduro would have if parliament granted his request, it is obvious that there is opposition to him having the power. after former president chavez passed away, henrique capriles ran against maduro in elections, and narrowly lost. capriles suggests that giving maduro this power would simply allow him to scrutinize any dissent, and that it will only be used as a distraction from the real issues.
i did this article because i had the pleasure of talking with someone who was born in venezuela. from what he has to say, there is a lot of corruption in the country, and that it's likely that no president will be able to make change without the people wanting to change first. he also thinks that it is unlikely that the majority of the people will want change, because the government is providing the ability to live without working or contributing to society. even though they are ridiculously poor, they get food, and can rob what else they need with no repercussions.
so, based on that information while reading this article it seems as though the non majority want change, and less corruption, but when it comes time to voice it, the poor majority keep the country in the state that it is in.
abby keele 10.09.2013
