The Crossed Pond

Less noticed than the hullabalo in Pakistan is that Venezuela has passed from its National Assembly a series of constitutional amendments that would, among other things, allow Hugo Chavez to run for and keep the office of the Presidency indefinitely.

But that’s not all it’ll do:

The amendments would allow the government to expropriate private property prior to a court ruling and take total control over the Central Bank, create new types of property managed by cooperatives, and extend presidential terms from six to seven years while allowing Chavez to run again in 2012.

All but seven of the assembly’s 167 lawmakers voted for the changes by a show of hands.

“Today the Venezuelan people have a pencil in their hands to write their own history, and it’s not going to be the history of the elite,” said pro-Chavez lawmaker Earle Herrera.

Unless by “elite” you mean “the people that have all the power and make all the decisions for everybody else”. Otherwise know as….well, the definition of “elite”. So, I’m not quite clear on what elite Herrera is talking about there.

In any case, it goes to voters in Venezuela for final approval, which takes place on December 2nd.