Ban on foreign funding leaves Venezuelan activists in limbo about whether they are targets

[Judi Lynn]

Ban on foreign funding leaves Venezuelan activists in limbo about whether they are targets
IAN JAMES
Associated Press
1:02 p.m. EST, January 30, 2011

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A single number topped the front page of El Nacional one recent morning: 1,734. It was the number of violations of private-property rights attributed to President Hugo Chavez's government since 2005, as tallied by an advocacy group that promotes economic and personal freedoms in Venezuela.

Now that group is one of many that could be affected by a new law that bans certain vaguely defined organizations from accepting foreign money. The law is one of multiple efforts during Chavez's 12 years in power that have given him new tools to clamp down on critics.

"There's great uncertainty in Venezuela today because many organizations are in doubt about whether to continue projects that were financed by U.S., European and Asian organizations," said Alonso Dominguez, whose nongovernmental organization, Liderazgo y Vision (Leadership and Vision), compiled the property rights tally.

He said his NGO relies largely on Venezuelan donors, but has also used foreign funding to run courses in leadership training and community policing. Some of it has come from the U.S.-funded National Endowment for Democracy and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

More:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-lt-venezuela-crackdown,0,2220742.story

[Peace Patriot]

1. See my comments at the GD post of this article...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x308894

Why this was bumped from LBN to GD, I don't know. The article is dated today.

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And remember that I don't call them the Associated Pukes for nothing.