Venezuela rejects church criticism that it tries to restrict rights

Published: 2005-01-27

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNS) -- A Venezuelan official has rejected criticisms by Catholic officials who say the government is trying to restrict democracy and could be on the road to authoritarian rule. The January exchanges have worsened the long-running confrontation between the bishops and President Hugo Chavez on civil rights issues. A Jan. 12 bishops' statement criticized the National Assembly for passing "laws of punitive character" that contradict the constitution and "threaten citizens' liberty through their arbitrary application." The statement cited a reform of the penal code, which Chavez opponents say threatens to restrict traditional forms of political protest. The statement also warned of a possible concentration of power in the president's hands, which "could open the doors to a dictatorship with the appearance of legality." Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel called the Jan. 12 bishops' statement "disappointing."

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