Hugo First
How to become a tinpot dictator. Step One, vote of gullible, bought-off electorate, inexplicably fails:
CARACAS, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 3 — Voters in this country narrowly defeated a proposed overhaul to the constitution in a contentious referendum over granting President Hugo Chávez sweeping new powers, the Election Commission announced early Monday.
It was the first major electoral defeat in the nine years of his presidency. Voters rejected the 69 proposed amendments 51 to 49 percent.
The political opposition erupted into celebration, shooting fireworks into the air and honking car horns, when electoral officials announced the results at 1:20 a.m. The nation had remained on edge since polls closed Sunday afternoon and the wait for results began.
The outcome is a stunning development in a country where Mr. Chávez and his supporters control nearly all of the levers of power. Almost immediately after the results were broadcast on state television, Mr. Chávez conceded defeat, describing the results as a “photo finish.”
“I congratulate my adversaries for this victory,” he said. “For now, we could not do it.”
Clearly Venezuela’s election office is in need of an overhaul, if they are this bad at counting. Step two …
Topics: chavez
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:37 am on Monday, December 3, 2007
8 Responses to “Hugo First”
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December 3rd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Jules,
I suspect that some changes are in the works even as we speak. Chavez will simply wait a bit before declaring a State of Emergency and assuming the power(s) he so craves. Wait for Venezuela’s own Rechstag fire in the not-to-distant future, followed, of course, by a kristalnacht celebration on his opponent’s properties.
It’s all somehow so familiar…….
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
“For now, we could not do it.”
Well, not even JImmuh Cahtuh could certify this election as valid. But I’m with you, Tim……it’s only a matter of time before Chavez pulls a stunt as an excuse to seize power.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:51 am
Now that the Marines are sitting around in Iraq and getting bored, isn’t it time for them to return to one of their original missions — enforcing the Monroe Doctrine?
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:26 am
It is heartening, slim as the margin was, the mass protests and the sheer volume of Venezuelans going against Oogoe.
Even the supporting base (the recipients of the handouts) turned out in far fewer numbers than the previous election to vote for him. Reportedly, anyway.
But of course, Oogoe will try again
Venezuela, like Iran, is a great country whose people, history and culture deserve better than its current sociopathic egomaniacal head honcho.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:03 am
Their “America as perpetual bad guy” movies don’t draw, their writers are on strike, and now Oogoe is on the bubble…
Hollywood lefties picked a bad week to give up glue sniffing.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Chavez won’t have long to wait for his emergency. He’s already enacted policies that guarantee that he will have several emergencies which will require that he grab more power.
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Jeez, what an incompetent. Wasn’t Hugo listening when his Commie pals told him how to steal elections? With all his control over the vote counting and other levers of power, I really expected him to come through with the usual Commie 99 44/100 perecent of the vote in favor.
Hey Venezuelans, do you NOW realize what a dumb idea it was to put into power a crazed Marxist tyrant wannabe who had already tried to overthrow your democratic government? Pay attention, what Hugo wants to do to you is what made the Soviet Union the great power that it is today: defunct.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:41 pm
I think there was a much larger vote against Chavez - so large that even the Jimmy Carter methods of throwing out the ‘bad’ votes - did n’t work this time. And for THAT, I think the Venezuelan people can thank King Juan Carlos.