Posted on 10/11/2006 10:48:18 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
Latin America: An eruption of anti-U.S. bluster hasn't done Hugo Chavez much good back home. Thousands of Venezuelans rallied Saturday for his challenger, Manuel Rosales. This time they may give Chavez the boot.
Rosales drew big crowds, including the poor, but Chavez's own rally the next day drew only a few thousand supporters, nearly all of them angry young men in red T-shirts.
Despite an oil windfall, populist social spending and a big mouth abroad, all is not well for Chavez at home.
The Sunday rally may signal a swing toward Rosales, who has quietly campaigned through the countryside and urban slums as Chavez has jetted around the white wine circuit, dazzling the radical chic abroad.
When Chavez refused to show up for a political debate, the spunky independent television station Globovision held a "debate" without him, running Chavez's ravings on a split screen with Rosales, and stopping to let Rosales reply. Needless to say, Chavez lost.
Local polls show big gains for Rosales. They range from 50% for Chavez, 37% for Rosales, to 42% for Rosales, 40% for Chavez. All show momentum in Rosales' direction, remarkable because he was a political unknown a few months ago as the governor of western Zulia state.
Rosales, a political centrist, is making points by focusing on Venezuela's atrocious security situation, which averages about 400 unsolved killings each day, something Chavez has done nothing about that affects every Venezuelan.
He's also making a bold move into the urban shantytowns and jungle villages, assuring the poor they will not lose their benefits, but instead receive a debit card rather than spend all day waiting in bank lines for aid, as they do now. He's got plans to revamp the health system, so Cuban doctors aren't the only choice for the poor.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Wow! If Jimmy Carter doesn't get down there and 'certify' that election, he might be in trouble.
So when is the election?
And Jimmy Carter will go down there and bless the "results".
146,000 per year? Seems a bit high...
I work with a guy from Venezuela and he says that the military there are not behind Chavez at all. In fact he wouldn't be surprised to see a military overthrow if Chavez were to win this next election.
I knew yesterday when Chavez outlawed beer sales to poor people from trucks on the street that this guy was toast!
Hugo is president for life and there's nothing they can do about it.
I hope they enjoy there lil' syphilitic prince.
Hey if we invaded that number would rise to 650,000 or more.../s
Chavez has plenty of agents in the crowd, taking names. That's why he allows the demonstrations. He'll deal with them in due course.
Thanks... now I have to dry out my keyboard.
Is Ortez still on the loose?
I think I heard December.
Therein lies the danger -
Chavez will make sure the votes are in his favor, and then unleash his "goons with guns" whenever ordinary citizens take to the streets to protest a rigged election
ping
They will have to take Chavez out of Carracas in a box. Commie that he is, he will never relinquish power willingly.
Chavez has a history of cheating at elections. Long history. And Carter has a history of collaborating with him. Carter also takes money from Chavez for his crummy Carter Center. It's all bad stuff.
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