The Venezuelan congress granted President Nicolas Maduro emergency decree powers Tuesday that will strengthen the embattled leader’s hand as he goes after businesses the government accuses of sabotaging Latin America’s biggest oil economy. With the National Assembly’s vote, widely expected since Maduro requested expanded powers a month ago, the president will be able to enact laws without consulting congress for up to a year. The same tactic was employed four times by Maduro’s mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, to promulgate dozens of laws that dramatically boosted state control over the economy. But unlike the charismatic Chavez, who had near-absolute command over his party, doubts about Maduro’s leadership have risen since he defeated opposition leader Henrique Capriles by a razor-thin margin in April’s presidential election and as worsening shortages of basic goods and galloping inflation have eroded popular support for his rule In what […]