Chavez Loses!
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Chavez loses constitutional vote
By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago
President Hugo Chavez suffered a stunning defeat Monday in a referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and impose a socialist system in this major U.S. oil provider.
Voters defeated the sweeping measures Sunday by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council, with voter turnout at just 56 percent.
She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was irreversible.
Opposition supporters shouted with joy as Lucena announced the results on national television early Monday, their first victory against Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats.
Some broke down in tears. Others began chanting "And now he's going away!"
"This was a photo finish," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace, adding that unlike past Venezuelan governments, his respects the people's will.
Exactly a year ago, Chavez won re-election with 63 percent of the vote.
"Don't feel sad," Chavez urged supporters, especially given the "microscopic differences" between the "yes" and "no" options in a referendum that opponents feared could have meant a plunge toward dictatorship.
Chavez's supporters said he would have used the reforms to deepen grass-roots democracy and more equitably spread Venezuela's oil wealth.
The changes would have created new forms of communal property, let Chavez handpick local leaders under a redrawn political map, permit civil liberties to be suspended under extended states of emergency and allow Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely. Now, Chavez will be barred from running again in 2012.
Other changes would have shortened the workday from eight hours to six, created a social security fund for millions of informal laborers and promoted communal councils where residents decide how to spend government funds. The reforms also would have granted Chavez control over the Central Bank and extended presidential terms from six to seven years.
"To those who voted against my proposal, I thank them and congratulate them," Chavez said.
But he also urged calm and restraint. "I ask all of you to go home, know how to handle your victory," Chavez said. "You won it. I wouldn't have wanted that Pyrrhic victory."
Yet he made it clear he would remain a formidable foe.
Echoing words he spoke when as an army officer he was captured and jailed for leading a failed 1992 coup, he said: "For now, we couldn't."
The ever combative Chavez had warned opponents ahead of the vote he would not tolerate attempts to incite violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to the U.S. if Washington interfered.
All was reported calm during Sunday's voting but 45 people were detained, most for committing ballot-related crimes like "destroying electoral materials," said Gen. Jesus Gonzalez, chief of a military command overseeing security.
At a polling station in one politically divided Caracas neighborhood, Chavez supporters shouted "Get out of here!" to opposition backers who stood nearby aiming to monitor the vote count. A few dozen Chavistas rode by on motorcycles with bandanas and hats covering their faces, some throwing firecrackers.
Opponents — including Roman Catholic leaders, press freedom groups, human rights groups and prominent business leaders — feared the reforms would have granted Chavez unchecked power and threatened basic rights.
Cecilia Goldberger, a 56-year-old voting in affluent eastern Caracas, said Venezuelans did not really understand how Chavez's power grab would affect them. She resented pre-dawn, get-out-the-vote tactics by Chavistas, including fireworks and reveille blaring from speakers mounted on cruising trucks.
"I refuse to be treated like cattle and I refuse to be part of a communist regime," the Israeli-born Goldberger said, adding that she and her businessman husband hope to leave the country.
Chavez, 53, is seen by many as a champion of the poor who has redistributed more oil wealth than any other leader in memory.
Tensions have surged in recent weeks as university students led protests and occasionally clashed with police and Chavista groups.
Lucena called the vote "the calmest we've had in the last 10 years."
___
Associated Press writers Frank Bajak, Edison Lopez, Fabiola Sanchez, Jorge Rueda, Christopher Toothaker and Sandra Sierra contributed to this report.
By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago
President Hugo Chavez suffered a stunning defeat Monday in a referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and impose a socialist system in this major U.S. oil provider.
Voters defeated the sweeping measures Sunday by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council, with voter turnout at just 56 percent.
She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was irreversible.
Opposition supporters shouted with joy as Lucena announced the results on national television early Monday, their first victory against Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats.
Some broke down in tears. Others began chanting "And now he's going away!"
"This was a photo finish," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace, adding that unlike past Venezuelan governments, his respects the people's will.
Exactly a year ago, Chavez won re-election with 63 percent of the vote.
"Don't feel sad," Chavez urged supporters, especially given the "microscopic differences" between the "yes" and "no" options in a referendum that opponents feared could have meant a plunge toward dictatorship.
Chavez's supporters said he would have used the reforms to deepen grass-roots democracy and more equitably spread Venezuela's oil wealth.
The changes would have created new forms of communal property, let Chavez handpick local leaders under a redrawn political map, permit civil liberties to be suspended under extended states of emergency and allow Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely. Now, Chavez will be barred from running again in 2012.
Other changes would have shortened the workday from eight hours to six, created a social security fund for millions of informal laborers and promoted communal councils where residents decide how to spend government funds. The reforms also would have granted Chavez control over the Central Bank and extended presidential terms from six to seven years.
"To those who voted against my proposal, I thank them and congratulate them," Chavez said.
But he also urged calm and restraint. "I ask all of you to go home, know how to handle your victory," Chavez said. "You won it. I wouldn't have wanted that Pyrrhic victory."
Yet he made it clear he would remain a formidable foe.
Echoing words he spoke when as an army officer he was captured and jailed for leading a failed 1992 coup, he said: "For now, we couldn't."
The ever combative Chavez had warned opponents ahead of the vote he would not tolerate attempts to incite violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to the U.S. if Washington interfered.
All was reported calm during Sunday's voting but 45 people were detained, most for committing ballot-related crimes like "destroying electoral materials," said Gen. Jesus Gonzalez, chief of a military command overseeing security.
At a polling station in one politically divided Caracas neighborhood, Chavez supporters shouted "Get out of here!" to opposition backers who stood nearby aiming to monitor the vote count. A few dozen Chavistas rode by on motorcycles with bandanas and hats covering their faces, some throwing firecrackers.
Opponents — including Roman Catholic leaders, press freedom groups, human rights groups and prominent business leaders — feared the reforms would have granted Chavez unchecked power and threatened basic rights.
Cecilia Goldberger, a 56-year-old voting in affluent eastern Caracas, said Venezuelans did not really understand how Chavez's power grab would affect them. She resented pre-dawn, get-out-the-vote tactics by Chavistas, including fireworks and reveille blaring from speakers mounted on cruising trucks.
"I refuse to be treated like cattle and I refuse to be part of a communist regime," the Israeli-born Goldberger said, adding that she and her businessman husband hope to leave the country.
Chavez, 53, is seen by many as a champion of the poor who has redistributed more oil wealth than any other leader in memory.
Tensions have surged in recent weeks as university students led protests and occasionally clashed with police and Chavista groups.
Lucena called the vote "the calmest we've had in the last 10 years."
___
Associated Press writers Frank Bajak, Edison Lopez, Fabiola Sanchez, Jorge Rueda, Christopher Toothaker and Sandra Sierra contributed to this report.
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all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
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...and I almost forgot the obligatory "It's Bush's fault!"
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what a foolish move from chavez, to think that this should be allowable.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
That did it right there. Pretty stupid move on his part. The people still have the voice in Venezuela and recognize where the voice needs to be. They allowed him to rise to power on a specific set of values that they all still believe in and fully support, but drew the line at losing avenues of democracy. Nothing really changes for that society except the face of their leader.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Why go through all the trouble when he could of probably rigged the elections if that was his intentions. You know.. like what happens in countries up north of them. No not Mexico
unfortunately it is in Venezuala and Iran
Are you one of those people that still thinks it really has anything to do with right or left?
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
You know, I must be one of the happier persons in this blog if not the happiest. But I'll follow the students' example and will say that this anybody's victory or defeat, but a sucess for Venezuelans! Hopefully, this referendum will pave the way for reconciliation among Venezuelans.
Finally, I must salute Venezuela's University Students, this is their success!! Those kids really gave everybody a lesson of civism and democracy. They never fell for attacks of the GOP, always marched in a pacific manner and were able to convey the message that this Referendum was not about Chavez, but about the future of the country.
Peace
Caterina
There are strong rumors saying that the NO won by a more comfortable margin but Chavez refused to concede. Apparently numbers were "massaged" to give the impression of a narrower defeat.
The students movement has all the tally sheets and now they have to audit the outcome, we'll have to wait and see. If there was a behind-the scenes negotiation Venezuelans and the world needs to know it.
This breaking news just in, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
The world doesn't care.
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definitely interesting to see ... please keep us up to date with a closer perspective!
It has only to do with the far left in this country. They LOOOVVVVEEEEE socialist government and tyrannical regimes.
We'll see.
what about what he wanted to be?
prob a little more news to come outta this
I'm feeling some hostility from you...you say the world doesn't care; really? Then why this story was on the headlines news in newspapers from: Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, France, Germany, Spain, USA, Italia, UK, Russia, Ukraine, and plenty of other countries. The press coverage of yesterday's referendum has huuuge.
Well, I feel it is important that the international public opinion knows if something bogus happened with the final result.
Yeah like the far right doesnt like Tyranical regimes. Here is a hint, Saudi A...
Look a true dictator wouldnt even had a referendum. he would have just chaged everything without consulting the poeple. Im no fan of Chavez but I think the media has it out on him and make him look like a ruthless dictator.
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except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
Does it everything have to about the USA, the right and the left of the USA?
Come on, both sides, wisen up!!! All of you that seem to follow with interest what's going on in Venezuela did not get the students' message??? These kids ('cause they are at most 22) since past MAy have been championing reconcilitation among Venezuelans and getting across the message that the outcome of the Referendum could pave the way for unity in Venezuela.
Why can't we discuss this reform in a civilized manner without falling for the cliche? What's Bush got to do with it??
Peace!!
Thanks for the enlightening. Silly me, I thought the world was just made of people.
Come on man, of course I know all of that, having completed my elementary and high school education (plus University and Grad School) I'm willing to say I'm aware of basic geography.
Nevertheless, I'm feeling overjoyed, so I'll rephrase, it is important to let the international public opinion know if something fishy happened