When thousands of Venezuelans came forward last year to exercise their legally guaranteed democratic right to sign a petition to recall their president, precious few realized the kind of use dictator Hugo Chavez could and did make of that signature list afterward.

It was published on the Internet – the names, addresses and social-security-number equivalent of all those who signed. It was used to blacklist signers, deny people work, target dissidents. Thousands of people were affected, not just in those who were not hired for jobs, but for those who were denied services, lost rights, got harassed and were brutalized.

That was how Hugo Chavez, fresh from a fraudulent recall referendum victory, got revenge on his millions of opponents. He used their signatures against him like a captured weapon. His betrayal of the polity is stunning, and a good reason why people cannot trust civic institutions in Venezuela any longer.

Bloggers Daniel and Miguel each have important essays on this appalling abuse of state power here and here. UPDATE: Daniel has another essay here. What Venezuelans have been put through for trying to get rid of dictator Hugo Chavez democratically will utterly disgust you.

Miguel has additional background essays translated from Tal Cual newspaper’s Teodoro Petkoff here, here, here, here and here.