Hugo Chavez Still Trying to Become President for Life
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Guess what, Hugo? People still don’t want you to be president forever!
Based on polling data obtained by Reuters, a Consultores 21 survey conducted in December “found 56.8 percent of people planning to vote oppose the referendum, while 41.8 percent support the change. In another December poll, received by Reuters from Datanalysis recently, 52 percent said they would vote against the amendment with just 37.7 percent supporting it.” No amount of rubber bullets fired by riot police against student demonstrators opposed to the referendum, which would eliminate the limit of two six-year presidential terms, will change that.
Banking on the theory of “if at first you don’t succeed, try try again,” Hugo Chavez has dedicated his efforts to cramming indefinite electoral terms down the throats of Venezuelans. But if he thought the revolt against his “reform” referendum was a swift kick in the backside last time, he’d better prepare for another blow next month. His desired Feb. 15 election date — vote, people, vote, before the price of oil falls more and the government looks worse for sticking its head in the mud — was approved last Friday by the National Electoral Council.
Or — and he may have been planning this all along — he’d better burnish his absolute takeover plan in which he tenderly yet forcefully guides the ignorant masses into his vision of 21st century socialism. He reminded his captive audience in an excruciating eight-hour annual address (which he started three hours late) last week that the “Simón Bolívar Socialist Plan 2007-2013″ was the law, and a mandate of his 2006 re-election. “We are implementing the first national socialist plan 2007-2013. This plan is a law passed by the National Assembly. We must remember that. This is a law.”
“I am the law” would have been a more accurate statement from Chavez, as he vowed “only people and time will drive me out of office.” Only he must steer the folks not on board with the socialism plan — namely, the opposition whom he accused in his address of cooking up fears of financial crisis even as oil prices have tanked and last year Venezuela saw 32 percent inflation.
But now he sees the deadline staring him in the face: 2013, the year he’d be termed out of office if he doesn’t either get his referendum to pass or keep the reins by force. Dutifully, lawmakers passed the resolutions last week that pushed the referendum before voters. Six lawmakers were brave enough to oppose Chavez’s referendum re-run, while five abstained.
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Bridget Johnson is the online opinion editor, an opinion writer, and a blogger at the Rocky Mountain News.
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20 Comments
1. Marc Malone:I gotta aadmit that I admire Hugo chavez. He has the gumption to call his agenda what it is; National Socialism. For those who don’t know their history, that’s what Nazism is. He’s following Hitler’s playbook.
He’s failing, though, because he hasn’t given the people a bogeyman. Hitler had the Jews, and the myth of Aryan Supremacy. Chavez hasn’t quite learned that lesson, yet. Perhaps the Iranians will enlighten him. Or Obama. After all, he and his media pals gave us “Bushitler” as a bogeyman, and that worked.
Jan 24, 2009 - 12:53 am 2. vivo:Politics in Venezuela is a SPORT.
They copy the antics of the American conventions, argue to death when drunk and have unrealistic expectations. When the game gets serious or sour, they resort to the military. Democracy is just a sound bite (like in many other places). And whoever owns the oil, owns the country.
Jan 24, 2009 - 5:33 am 3. robert verdi:Call it what is, an axis of evil. They are left wing in economic policies, fascist in nature, and Nationalist in Rhetoric. Their is term to describe these criminals: National Socialism. I fear for Venezuela, if he steals this election we will have witnessed a fascist transformation before our government will have ignored the pleas for help as the last vestiges of freedom are squelched by a petro-thug.
Jan 24, 2009 - 5:54 am 4. Northern Light:Poor Hugo Chavez. As long as Bush was president he had the perfect boogyman to run against. Now that Bush is gone he can’t rally the people by running against the USA.
Jan 24, 2009 - 6:20 am 5. tanstaafl:It’s very sad.
Oogoe was repudiated first go round in his attempt to change the Constitution to make himself President for life, like his buddy Fidel.
I feel sorry for the people of Venezuela to have to constantly put up with this petty & bombastic yahoo.
But what is Chavez going to pull out of his bag of dirty tricks to ensure that he’s not humiliated at the polls like he was in Referendum 2007?
Maybe he’s got it rigged now, enough deep behind the scenes corruption that he could (on paper) prevail.
Alternatively, he could invite Jimmy Carter down to “certify” the referendum.
Jan 24, 2009 - 8:53 am 6. FunnyCave:See Hugo, the problem with you being president for life is noone knows how long you’re going to live. Is it going to be another 40 years? 12 years? Maybe even less. If you want to pass a law for you being president for life, then you also need to pass a law for the term limit for your life.
Jan 24, 2009 - 9:06 am 7. Stephen Fox:Maybe so, but they keep voting for him… whose fault is that?
Jan 24, 2009 - 10:18 am 8. gordo:The drama that you are watching in Vzla is the same you will be watching in the USA. Big difference is Hugo uses petro dollars and Obama will use tax payer dollars.
Good luck Vzla, the US needs a reminder of what it is to fight for your liberty and rights.
Jan 24, 2009 - 11:37 am 9. Christian Toto:You must be wrong. Sean Penn told me Chavez may not be a good man, but he could be a great one.
Jan 24, 2009 - 2:39 pm 10. Rika Hirayama:Chavez deserves to be a president for life not only for his country but for the suffering people in the whole wide world!!!!
Jan 24, 2009 - 5:36 pm 11. Dave:President for life + control of media = control of undustry = no democracy = dictatorship.
What part of this do idiots like Sean Penn, Oliver Stone, and Code Pink not get. Or….Maybe they do get it and they just want to to see freedom and democracy die in America. Nah, that would mean they are traitors and un-American so that can’t be true. They just must be fools and dupes. Right?
Jan 24, 2009 - 5:54 pm 12. Kevin:Did Sean Penn get a “gut feeling”? We know just how well of a barometer that is.lol The key is just how much control of the military he has. One of the key generals that retired last year was a major roadblock for Chavez. Is he still around and if so does he still have a lot of clout with the current military command??? Chavez cannot gain control with just the police. He tried that the last election and still lost. The key is the military, if he still isn’t in total control he will lose this election as well.
Jan 24, 2009 - 7:49 pm 13. WestGuard:Poor Venezuela. This thugish pig Chavez is stinking up the country. What an embarrassment he is.
Jan 24, 2009 - 8:08 pm 14. Anonymous:“37.7 percent supporting it”
Maybe South Park was being generous in their Urinal Deuce episode.
Cartman: 1/4 of people believe in 9/11 conspiracy theories, so you’re saying 1/4 of people are retarded?
Stan: Yeah, at least that many.
Kyle: Lets take a survey. There’s four of us Cartman is retarded, that makes 1/4.
I can’t imagine how Chavez’s supporters think this is a good idea when almost everything he has done has trashed their economy. Maybe name calling isn’t appropriate, but Tocqueville said: “People get the government they deserve.”
Jan 24, 2009 - 9:58 pm 15. e:“37.7 percent supporting it”
Maybe South Park was being generous in their Urinal Deuce episode.
Cartman: 1/4 of people believe in 9/11 conspiracy theories, so you’re saying 1/4 of people are retarded?
Stan: Yeah, at least that many.
Kyle: Lets take a survey. There’s four of us Cartman is retarded, that makes 1/4.
I can’t imagine how Chavez’s supporters think this is a good idea when almost everything he has done has trashed their economy. Maybe name calling isn’t appropriate, but Tocqueville said: “People get the government they deserve.”
Jan 24, 2009 - 9:59 pm 16. Maverick:It’s easy to see where Hugo Chavez is coming from. He wants to be another Fidel Castro. Revolution is the only way of life. Which Chavez has tried many times to convince the other South American countries of. If Chavez believes what he says, then it’s only a matter of time before he takes over as dictator, the same as Castro. In Hugo Chavez’s world, people’s rights, elections and free media just gets in the way. Thats no way to run a country. In order to see where a country is headed, look at their closest friends. Does North Korea and Iran ring a bell.
Jan 25, 2009 - 8:17 am 17. goy:- He’s following Hitler’s playbook.
I don’t know. In terms of historical references, what he’s done (and is doing) reminds me more of Mohammed Mossadegh. In fact that may be at least a part of what ties Chavez’ Venezuela to Iran these days.
The big difference is that Chavez didn’t have the opportunity to demonstrate what a strongman he was by formally reneging on any international treaties of consequence. Of course he tries to make up for that with his insulting and hyperbolic rhetoric.
Jan 26, 2009 - 8:10 am 18. eor:Just wait citizens of USA. Obama is already running for Dictator for life.
Jan 27, 2009 - 4:41 pm 19. Pedro Perez:Guess what, Bridget? You are using an old poll for this article based on December data, while last week polls shows people now are supporting Chavez proposal. (http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/01/28/en_pol_esp_technical-draw-in-vo_28A2209087.shtml)
Jan 28, 2009 - 6:37 pm 20. deguello:No doubt inspired by America’s own Chavez wannabe, Obama!
Jan 29, 2009 - 5:38 am