Venezuelan People Choose Democracy

Posted by ZZ Bachman...

The world is stunned as the biggest upset occurs in Venezuela when voters rejected Hugo Chavez’s bid for unlimited power. Humbled by his first electoral defeat ever, President Hugo Chavez said Monday he may have been too ambitious in asking voters to let him stand indefinitely for re-election and endorse a huge leap to a socialist state.

Chavez shot down by the people
as Simon Bolivar looks on

“I understand and accept that the proposal I made was quite profound and intense,” he said after voters narrowly rejected the sweeping constitutional reforms by 51 percent to 49 percent.

Opposition activists were ecstatic as the results were announced shortly after midnight — with 88 percent of the vote counted, the trend was declared irreversible by elections council chief Tibisay Lucena… Without the overhaul, Chavez will be barred from running again in 2012.

At opposition headquarters in an affluent east Caracas district, jubilant Chavez foes sang the national anthem.

“This reform was about democracy or totalitarian socialism, and democracy won,” said opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez said.

“At least now we have the guarantee that Chavez will leave power,” said Valeria Aguirre, a 22-year-old student who had braved tear gas during street protests.Lucena, the electoral agency chief, called the vote “the calmest we’ve had in the last 10 years.” — [Hat Tip: AP]

The streets were mostly calm as the Venezuelan people made their voices heard based on reports. What political actions Chavez maneuvers between now and 2012, the year he must step down, will be what matters the most to the Latin American landscape. More importantly for Americans, changes in his continued nefarious relationship with Iran, and his belligerent attitude toward other Latin American democracies will be closely watched. The next U.S. President will undoubtly have to deal with this maniac during his or her first term.

Posted by ZZ Bachman...

[Rate This Post]  Loading ...

You can follow any discussion by checking the eMail notification box below the grey comment area or by linking our RSS 2.0 comment feed. Trackbacks and Pingbacks may be turned off because of spamming morons. -- Thanks -- ZZ N&S Staff

Link: http://zardozz.com/zz/2007/12/venezuelan-people-choose-democracy.html