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Hugo Chavez Wins Big

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 10:43:50 PM EST
Tags: Hugo Chavez, Venezuela (all tags)
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It doesn't surprise me that Hugo Chavez won by a big margin in Venezuela.

With 78 percent of voting stations reporting, Chavez had 61 percent to 38 percent for challenger Rosales, said Tibisay Lucena, head of the country's elections council. Chavez had nearly 6 million votes versus 3.7 million for Rosales, according to the partial tally.

Turnout among the 15.9 million eligible voters was 62 percent, according to an official bulletin of results, making Chavez's lead insurmountable.

Here's more on Chavez and his promises for his next administration.

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    Hugo Chavez Wins Big | 11 comments (11 topical)

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    Doesn't Matter (none / 0) (#1)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 11:41:39 PM EST
    We only respect democracy in Latin America when it yields the results we want. Chavez grossly mistreats the millionares in Venezuala, and is not letting the IMF rape and plunder his economy, and therefore his landslide election is null and void as far as we are concerned.

    Just gotta love watching the maladministration, and its media shills (including the NY Times) spin things to suggest he's a dictator.

    What did they vote for? (none / 0) (#2)
    by jarober on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 07:49:05 AM EST
    Hmm.  Since he took office, violent crime has spiked:


    Walk into an emergency room in many poor parts of this booming, oil-rich nation on a weekend night and you will be overwhelmed--victims of gunshot wounds and drunken clashes line the corridors. Homicides are up 67 percent since 1999, and violent crime is the top concern of Venezuela's voters as they head to the polls Sunday.

    And the unemployment rate is still very high, at 15%.  It seems demogaguery and class warfare work as an election tactic, even when the "benefits" are all negative.

    And as to the US "not respecting" the election, we can be unhappy with the results - it's not our country, and if they want to elect a bozo who squanders their oil wealth, that's their problem.  I'm not sure what Chavez has done that anyone, inside Venezuela or outside, should be happy with.  Unless you call anti-American rhetoric a strategy.

    Were you concerned way back when (none / 0) (#3)
    by aw on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 08:44:18 AM EST
    When Mr Chavez was swept into power in the 1998 elections, the old Venezuelan order was falling apart.

    Unlike most of its neighbours, the country had enjoyed an unbroken period of democratic government since 1958.

    But the two main parties that had alternated in power stood accused of presiding over a corrupt system and squandering the country's vast oil wealth.

    BBC

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    Don't worry.... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 02:53:06 PM EST
    jarober, I'm sure the CIA is planning a coup as we speak.

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    Interesting Defintion of Squandering (none / 0) (#10)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 08:11:19 PM EST
    who squanders their oil wealth

    You mean by spending it on universal health care and education rather than putting it in the Swiss bank accounts of an oligarchy?

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    What a waste..... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by kdog on Tue Dec 05, 2006 at 08:35:44 AM EST
    Ernesto, what a waste.  Those poor folks are gonna die eventually anyway, why spend oil money on their health care?  There are Ferraris to buy and caviar to eat!....lol

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    From the link: (none / 0) (#5)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 03:27:15 PM EST
    Chavez says he would convene a commission upon re-election to propose constitutional reforms, likely including an end to presidential term limits. Current law prevents him from running again in 2012.

    The benevolent dictator?

    Odd coincidence (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 03:43:36 PM EST
    The resolution repealing the 22nd Amendment was introduced by Maryland Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer and co-sponsored by Berman. It also earned the support of James Sensenbrenner, the conservative Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

    The 22nd Amendment repeal, if it passes and is approved by the states, would not go into effect until after the Bush presidency, making him ineligible for multiple consecutive terms.

    Berman, a lifelong Democrat, made a point of noting that fact when discussing his support for the amendment's repeal. But he also said even the possibility of another third Bush term would not have caused him to back off the resolution.

    "If we can't beat 'em on the third try, then we don't deserve it," he said

    link

    Maybe Bush can declare war on Venezuala to help Chavez along.

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    Squeaky (none / 0) (#7)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 03:58:03 PM EST
    I sit in awe.

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    Not so long ago when Condi was... (none / 0) (#8)
    by Bill Arnett on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 04:56:19 PM EST
    ...going around most of the South American countries bad-mouthing Hugo, the president of Brazil finally had to interrupt her and tell her that, "We do not speak ill of and plan the overthrow of governments that are our friends."

    Would that America would or could have such a sense of decency and propriety as most "third world" countries do.

    Hugo's major crime was nationalizing the oil fields, cutting out the big oil companies of America, and actually distributing oil wealth to the benefit of his people.

    Clearly a terrorist unworthy to live.

    Yeah Bill..... (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 05:17:31 PM EST
    the nerve of that guy....lol

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    Hugo Chavez Wins Big | 11 comments (11 topical)

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