CARACAS, Venezuela — Prominent Venezuelan nongovernmental organizations warned Thursday that a bill being drafted by lawmakers loyal to President Hugo Chavez could be used to financially strangle groups that criticize the government.
Ruling-party lawmakers argue the proposed law is necessary to increase oversight of foreign funding destined for the groups, although they’ve promised to hear concerns from critics before taking up the bill for likely approval.
The bill says foreign donations would no longer be sent directly to organizations but instead would first be deposited in a government-controlled fund.
Officials then would dole out the donations at their discretion.
"The law would give the government discretional power to restrict the work of some NGOs or eliminate them,” said Feliciano Reyna, director of the human rights watchdog Sinergia.
Liliana Ortega, who leads the human rights group Cofavic, echoed those concerns, saying "it puts in danger the existence of organizations.”
Dozens of Venezuela’s charities, Reyna said, depend almost entirely on financing from foreign groups and governments.
Ruling-party lawmakers argue the proposed law is necessary to increase oversight of foreign funding destined for the groups, although they’ve promised to hear concerns from critics before taking up the bill for likely approval.
The bill says foreign donations would no longer be sent directly to organizations but instead would first be deposited in a government-controlled fund.
Officials then would dole out the donations at their discretion.
"The law would give the government discretional power to restrict the work of some NGOs or eliminate them,” said Feliciano Reyna, director of the human rights watchdog Sinergia.
Liliana Ortega, who leads the human rights group Cofavic, echoed those concerns, saying "it puts in danger the existence of organizations.”
Dozens of Venezuela’s charities, Reyna said, depend almost entirely on financing from foreign groups and governments.
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