Boycott of elections was right

December 5, 2005
Miami Herald
Op-ed by Senator Bill Frist

By boycotting yesterday's legislative elections, Venezuela's major opposition parties sent a stark message to the world: Democracy has taken an enormous step backwards in one corner of the Western Hemisphere.

Since taking office in 1999, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has displayed clear dictatorial tendencies. In the run-up to Sunday's elections opposition leaders say that Venezuelan election officials blatantly favored pro-government candidates and failed to correct egregious errors in the nation's voter registry.

Under Chávez's government, broadcasters have faced mandates to air propaganda, laws have banned criticism of the president, and secret police officers have begun to keep dossiers on every officer in the Venezuelan military. Groups of armed government supporters called Bolivarian Circles have roughed up opponents and enforced the will of his Movement for the Fifth Republic political party. Yesterday, his candidates ran without real opposition.

Click here to go to full article.