Venezuela: Overcoming an Election Setback

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has until mid-December to push through a series of laws designed to strengthen the executive's power after his ruling Partido Socialista Unido party lost its parliamentary supermajority in September. These laws also seek to endow the thousands of communal councils loyal to the president with greater funding at the expense of state governments, undercutting his opposition. Passage of these laws will give Chavez better control of foreign assets in Venezuela and put him in a better position to stifle opposition supporters.