Critiquing a government proposal to overhaul this country’s environmental laws, the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce (VenAmCham) did not hide its alarm. “No less than 195 articles are devoted to fines, administrative and criminal sanctions!” the chamber exclaimed in a written statement. Industry has fretted over the proposed Organic Environment Code since the sprawling, 1,056-article bill emerged in draft form earlier this year. (See “Quietly, Venezuela plans environmental overhaul”—EcoAméricas, April ’00.) Its concern, in part, is that populist President Hugo Chávez might use the code as a platform from which to attack business. So far, Chávez has not played the part of anti-business eco-crusader. Despite tough talk on the need for conservation, his environmental policy has been in a virtual state... [Log in to read more]