THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-May 26, 2017- Topic 2
Maduro’s excesses
Even by
the standards of Latin America’s relatively volatile politics, there seem to be
few parallels in recent memory to the brutally authoritarian rule of Venezuelan
President Nicolás Maduro, who has plunged a prosperous nation into complete
paralysis. But Mr. Maduro seems in no mood to mend his ways, even after the
controversial move in March to nullify the popularly elected Parliament drew
strong rebuke from regional allies as well as the international community.
Of
course, few believed then that such condemnation of the Supreme Court’s aborted
dissolution of the nation’s highest democratic institution would result in a
rethink on Mr. Maduro’s overall approach. In a coldly calculated move, the
government in April disqualified Henrique Capriles, seen to be a key contender
for the 2018 presidential election, from holding public office for 15 years.
The move was reminiscent of the bar on another opposition politician by former
President Hugo Chávez. The current regime, unfazed by the groundswell of
resistance against its dictatorial rule, has persisted in deploying the
security forces to unleash violence and terrorise protesters. Any number of
broken families have been witness to the horrors of routine abduction of young
activists and murder of opposition leaders in the last few years. Instances are
legion of Mr. Maduro’s contempt for the rule of law and the will of the people
since the victory of the Opposition-dominated National Assembly in the December
2015 general elections.
In fact, a
month after those polls, an economic emergency was declared, concentrating
powers in the President’s office. Mr. Maduro’s policy of a ruthless clampdown
touched a low when a signature campaign to exercise the citizens’
constitutionally enshrined right to recall the President was crushed. He then
packed the judiciary with party loyalists, culminating in the unsavoury episode
of an attempt to dismiss the legislature. A 700% rate of inflation and chronic
shortages of food and medicines spotlight ruinous economic governance. But corrective
measures to counteract the effects of the collapse in oil prices have been long
overdue. It is ironical that the nation with the world’s largest oil reserves
finds itself in deepening civil unrest, with its people struggling to get
essential commodities. Amid all this turmoil, Mr. Maduro seems determined to
brazen it out. Signs of further intransigence emerged when Caracas recently
threatened to pull out of the Organisation of American States. The OAS, which
monitors democratic and human rights standards among member-states, has been
unequivocal in its criticism of Mr. Maduro’s autocratic style. Such defiance
risks further global isolation and chaos at home. Venezuela needs an immediate
end to its one-man rule. Only then will the nation see a semblance of normality
return to the lives of its citizens.
Vocabulary
Volatile: easily
evaporated at normal temperatures.
Example: Other
substances used in volatile substance abuse are solvents, which comprise one of
the other areas the Minister wants examined.
Synonyms: evaporative, vaporous, explosive, inflammable, unstable
Plunged: jump or
dive quickly and energetically.
Example: Our
daughters whooped as they plunged into the sea
Synonyms: dive, jump, throw
oneself, launch oneself
Prosperous: successful
in material terms; flourishing financially.
Example: Prosperous
middle-class professionals
Rebuke: an
expression of sharp disapproval or criticism.
Example: He hadn't
meant it as a rebuke, but Neil flinched
Synonyms: reprimand, reproach, reproof, scolding, admonishment, admonition
Aborted: bring to a
premature end because of a problem or fault.
Example: The pilot
aborted his landing
Synonyms: halt, stop, end, ax, call
off, cut short, discontinue, terminate
Condemnation: the
expression of very strong disapproval; censure.
Example: There was
strong international condemnation of the attack
Synonyms: censure, criticism, strictures, denunciation, vilification
Reminiscent: tending to
remind one of something.
The sights
were reminiscent of my childhood
Enshrined: place (a
revered or precious object) in an appropriate receptacle.
Example: Relics are
enshrined under altars
Culminating: reach a
climax or point of highest development.
Example: The
tensions and disorders which culminated in World War II
Synonyms: come to a climax, come to a
head, peak, climax, reach a pinnacle
Turmoil: a state of
great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.
Example: The
country was in turmoil
Synonyms: confusion, upheaval, turbulence, tumult, disorder, disturbance
Unequivocal: leaving no
doubt; unambiguous.
Example: An
unequivocal answer
Synonyms: unambiguous, unmistakable, indisputable, incontrovertible
Semblance: the
outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality
is different.
Example: She tried
to force her thoughts back into some semblance of order
Synonyms:
appearance, air, show, facade, front, veneer, guise, pretense
