Venezuelan intelligence law draws protests, seen as potential tool against dissent

A new intelligence law that President Hugo Chavez enacted by decree is drawing protests from human rights activists who say it could lead to serious violations of civil liberties and become a tool for cracking down on dissent. Chavez argues the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Law will help Venezuela detect and neutralize national security threats, including any assassination attempts or plots aimed at spurring military rebellions. But human rights activists warned on Monday that the law infringes on suspects' rights to due process and defense. Under the law, which Chavez enacted by decree last week, Venezuelans who refuse to cooperate with intelligence agencies by acting as informants face up to four years in prison. Security forces are permitted to gather evidence through surveillance such as wiretapping without obtaining a court order, and authorities can withhold evidence from defense lawyers if deemed to be in the interest of national security.