Thread: Chavez moves on

This was an unexpected victory for whatever democracy is left in Venezuela. Very good news.

He was defeated by his own supporters having second thoughts. Also this:

Clues to the mass defection could be found on the crime pages of Monday's newspapers, daily variations on the theme of violence and impunity that Mr Chavez seems unable to combat. One headline told of 38 killings in Caracas in two days.

Other clues could be found in headlines about hours-long queues at government-subsidised supermarkets for basic foodstuffs such as beans, chicken and milk.

In a country awash in oil dollars, the inflation rate is 24 per cent, according to a survey of food prices conducted by the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers. Many people blame high prices on Mr Chavez's socialist policies, which discourage private investment and industrial output.

Chavez vows no retreat as opposition gloats - World - smh.com.au

By JENS ERIK GOULD/CARACAS Tue Dec 4, 1:15 PM ET

Until recently, Venezuela's opposition was so weak and fragmented it seemed unable to even fathom an electoral victory. But, in the early morning hours on Monday, it sealed a surprising triumph over the constitutional reform proposal of a president who, in nine years, had never lost an election. Scrambling to explain this aberration in a land where Hugo Chavez dominates the political landscape, many political observers point to the thousands of university students, who, dormant until this year, clogged the streets to protest the reform in the weeks leading up to the vote. Raul Baduel, the former defense minister and longtime ally of the president, also injected life into the opposition when he, along with the former pro-Chavez party Podemos (Spanish for "We Can"), called for people to vote "No." But the results raise another, perhaps more important, question: how much help did the opposition actually receive from the poor, Chavez's main support base?

The electoral defeat may indeed slow the president down, but he and his allies still have wide-reaching powers that include control over the legislature, the judiciary, the state oil company and nearly every state government.

The students say they know their battle is far from over. "The student movement has said that December 2 isn't an end date," Ricardo Sanchez, a student leader at Venezuela's Central University, said on Sunday at opposition headquarters. "On the contrary, it's a beginning. It's a beginning point for the good things that can be coming for this country."

Why Venezuelans Turned on Chavez - Yahoo! News

^ I'm really tempted to trash that. What has it got to do with Hugo?
Maybe I'll split or MKP it. See how it goes.

Originally Posted by sabang

^ I'm really tempted to trash that. What has it got to do with Hugo?
Maybe I'll split or MKP it. See how it goes.

Steady on, sabang.

OK, it's like a 'borderline' post w/respect to Hugo & Socialism so it's your call

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I used to like this bloke for sticking one up the US, but he's obviously going to do his best to push the country back afew decades. How many times does it need to be tried to prove that nationalised utilities and socialism don't work.

The Thatcher goverment in England sold off the nationalised gas and electric indusrties,tried to sell me what i all ready owned.
What have got now,certainly not a competative energy market.
Price fixing cartels,making record profits on the back of essential sevices.
Also sold off the water company,result no repairs for years to sewers etc,their responce when taken to task by the ombudsman was to raise prices.
Essential services should not be allowed to be handed over to a profit at any cost organisations. That doesn`t work ,unless you are a greedy profiteer.A fair profit is one thing,greed is another.