Venezuelans Vote On Sweeping Changes

Constitutional Reforms Could Allow Hugo Chavez To Remain President For Life

(AP)  Hugo Chavez sought to cement his power and end term limits Sunday in a contentious vote that could let him hold on to the presidency for life.

Voters turned out in high numbers to decide on sweeping constitutional changes seen as a critical test for a flamboyant leader bent on turning South America's top oil exporter into a socialist state.

While opponents fear a plunge toward dictatorship, backers have full faith that Chavez will use the reforms to deepen grass-roots democracy and more equitably spread the wealth.

"I'm very sure that everything is going to go very well," Chavez said after voting, holding his newborn grandson in his arms. "We're going to accept the results, whatever they are."

Yet an emboldened opposition and violent clashes in recent weeks prompted fears of bitter conflict if the vote is close, as some pollsters predict. Lines snaked outside many polling stations, and Information Minister Willian Lara said turnout was "massive" countrywide.

The changes would create 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. Otherwise, he cannot run again in 2012.

"He's going to be an elected dictator," 77-year-old voter Ruben Rozenberg said of Chavez.

The retired blue jeans maker, who emigrated from Cuba in 1961, said that although Chavez's revolution is peaceful compared to that of Fidel Castro, "we've been violated all around" by the Venezuelan leader's progressive consolidation of power.

Across town, in a pro-Chavez slum, Jorge Blanco, a 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, said Chavez "is giving power to the people" through the reforms. "He opened that little door and now we're free." Of the wealthy elite, Blanco said: "What they fear is losing power."

Chavez has warned opponents he will not tolerate attempts to stir up violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to the United States if Washington interferes. The United States is the No. 1 buyer of Venezuelan oil.

Latin America's most outspoken foe of Washington, Chavez calls those who resist his socialist agenda pawns of U.S. President George W. Bush.

While his government touted polls showing Chavez ahead, surveys cited by the opposition indicated strong resistance, unfamiliar for a leader who easily won re-election last year with 63 percent of the vote.

Chavez has accused the U.S. government of plotting to thwart the legitimate victory he predicted.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, denied any U.S. attempts to undermine Chavez. "We're not seeking to destabilize him. His policies, his efforts at dictatorship, to amend the constitution so he can stay there for life, that is what's destabilizing Venezuela, not our policies," he told CNN.

Casting his ballot, Chavez called the electronic voting system "one of the most modern in the world, one of the most transparent in the world."

His opponents have questioned the National Electoral Council's impartiality, however, especially after Chavez named its former chief, Jorge Rodriguez, vice president in January.

About 100 electoral observers from 39 countries in Latin America, Europe and the United States were on hand, the electoral council said. Absent were the Organization of American States and the European Union, which have monitored past votes.

All was reported calm during 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.

Opponents -- including Roman Catholic leaders, press freedom groups, human rights groups and prominent business leaders -- fear the reforms would grant Chavez unchecked power and threaten basic rights.

Cecilia Goldberger, a 56-year-old voting in affluent eastern Caracas, said Venezuelans were being hoodwinked and don't really understand how Chavez's power grab will affect them.

She resented the 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 sought to capitalize on his personal popularity ahead of the vote.

He is seen by many as a champion of the poor who has redistributed more oil wealth than any other leader in memory. Chavez, 53, says he will stay in power only as long as Venezuelans keep re-electing him -- but has added that might be until 2050, when he would be 95 years old. The reforms would also grant Chavez control over the Central Bank and extend presidential terms from six to seven years.

Many Chavez supporters say he needs more time in office to consolidate his unique brand of "21st century socialism," and praise other proposed changes such as shortening the workday from eight hours to six, creating a social security fund for millions of informal laborers and promoting communal councils where residents decide how to spend government funds.

Tensions have surged in recent weeks as university students led protests and occasionally clashed with police and Chavista groups. One man was shot dead Monday while trying to get through a road blocked by protesters.

The opposition called for close monitoring of an outcome they predict will be close.

Some 140,000 soldiers and reservists were posted for the vote, the Defense Ministry said.

Electoral council chief Tibisay Lucena called the vote "the calmest we've had in the last 10 years."

More than 16 million Venezuelans were registered to vote, including some living abroad who cast ballots at embassies in places from Nicaragua to Germany.

[Con Mohrat]

This is old news. Chavez lost his bid to change his constitution.

[monty-]

I like him though;:/?''"[{]}, .

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by noseonurface

You left this part out:

"Chavez conceded defeat shortly after election officials said early on Monday that the "No" camp had about 51 percent of the vote and that the president scored only around 49 percent support."

Statistical dead heat, and you must know more eligible rich people voted than eligible poor, (as they felt they had more to lose) it seems you, like Bush and his fascists will claim that a 2% victory is a landslide.

Still even you must admit that Chavez accepted such a close defeat with a class utterly lacking in Bush, as he knows he can always try again at a later date, and that no economic fascists will get enough support to undo what he has already done.

[monty-]

Interesting situation. I''ve seen "enough".

[dmhphils]

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans have rejected President Hugo Chavez''s bid to win new powers and run for re-election for decades to come in an unprecedented defeat that could slow his socialist revolution in the OPEC nation.

Guess what lefties........the people of Venezuela ain''t havin'' any of it!

[b0ludo]

Well, it now seems that some of the Marxist useful idiots in this blog will be seriously upset by the news that the Venezuelans have, despite serious voting fraud against them, managed to rescue their country from the tyranny of the proletariat.

[tasmhs]

The world just got a little bit safer with this defeat of the egomaniacal Chavez. What a bitter pill for such a bizarre and power hungry man. I bet he''ll blame Bush for his loss. lol.

[feelfree1]

brianbwb,

Re: "Carl Levin used to have at least a partially functioning brain, but he has of late, been sounding more and more Nazi-Bushbot."

"If the Venezuelan people keep electing him, it is the way they choose to exercise their democracy, their business, and none of the US''s."

"For those anti immigration xenos out there, take heart, if there is a surge of immigrants from

Re: "Venezuela, they will be the formerly rich, bringing all the assets they can squirrel away, and they will hire you as their maids and gardeners, because even the illegal Mexicans don''t like their attitudes, and won''t work for them."

Werd.

[b0ludo]

Peso man: A little research goes a long way! Hundreds of people killed by their own government''s aparatchik and hundreds of thousands fleeing does not really speak well for Chavez'' nice guy approach to government. "Socialism or Death" is what he proclaimed during the last elections, repeating what his Godfather Fidel used to shout, foam in mouth, back in the 80''s. Fidel, of course is the same nice leader of the proletariat who has about 18K deaths directly attributed to him and who has people preferring death in the Florida Straights to life under his boot. A soviet tank is less effective than an useful idiot who has accepted the Communist Manifesto to the point of going agains his own people.

[dmhphils]

done with your 8 hour job at the osama propaganda office and here for your part time job..who else do you work for?? what do they pay you?? with "i hate america'''' buttons?
Posted by libsluvsuvs at 12:49 AM : Dec 03, 2007
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I liked that libsluvs......I had to laugh at that one. Thanks