Day Eighty-Four: political prisoners granted amnesty in Venezuela

I decided to head off to the Caribbean today - must have been the FREEZING weather here at the moment - though the story I found relates to Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan President. According to this article from Caribbean Net News, Chavez recently granted amnesty to a group of 'political prisoners' and others being prosecuted for 'political crimes', a move that has been welcomed by the Organization of American States as a move along the "path of democratic progress". True enough. This was an important move for Chavez domestically - those granted amnesty include those put on trial for their involvement in a coup that briefly ousted Chavez from power in 2002 and any residual tension around that may dissipate with this move. But it's also important to Chavez's credibility beyond Venezuela's borders and specifically in relation to his role in negotiations with FARC rebels in Colombia. Many would say there can be no justification for imprisoning people for 'political' reasons, just as there can be no justification for taking hostages for 'political' reasons. It seems as if Hugo Chavez agrees.

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