Science in a banana republic

Humberto Fernández M orán must be rolling in his grave

Researchers from the Universidad Simón Bolívar, the Universidad Central de Venezuela, IVIC and Unimet are asking the Supreme Court to declare the new Law of Science, Technology and Research inconstitutional.

This law is the kind of concoction only a military regime in a banana republic can think of. Venezuela is supposed to be a pluralistic state and yet this law is slanted towards one single ideology. The law's objective is suppossed to be "the creation of the Socialism of the 21rst Century in accordance with the National Plan for Economic and Social Development of 2007-2013". That plan, by the way, was based on the work by a Chilean communist, Marta Harnecker. The term 21 Century Socialism is a fancy name proposed by Heinz Dieterich, a rather obscure figure mostly known within the Latin American hard-core left circles who a few days ago wrote an article explaining how he fell out of love with Chavismo.

This piece of legislation would mean only those projects that have the support of the government in office - a government that wants to stay forever - will get financial resources from the State.  

The new law is also against research by the private sector: all the money for research should go to the government, which will manage it as it sees fit. This means that basically no private company can legally be working on research and development unless Chavismo approves it.

It's quite amazing no one seems to tell the military pseudo-socialist regime that the Chinese are doing exactly the contrary to what Chavismo is trying to do.

This is the kind of thing 95% of Venezuelans won't grasp but it is also the kind of things that will affect 100% of Venezuelans for many decades to come unless we react now.