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Chavez loses vote on new powers in Venezuela
Reuters ^ | Mon Dec 3, 2007 12:32am ET

Posted on 12/02/2007 9:37:41 PM PST by james500

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost a tight vote on Sunday in a referendum on giving him new powers and scrapping term limits on his left-wing rule.

The national electoral authority said early on Monday the "No" camp won 51 percent of the vote compared to the pro-Chavez "Yes" camp's 49 percent.

It said the trend could not be reserved and declared Chavez the loser.

The referendum vote on a raft of reforms would have allowed Chavez to run for reelection indefinitely, control Venezuela's foreign currency reserves, appoint loyalists over regional elected officials and censor the media if he declares an emergency.

Chavez has said he wants to rule for life and turn Venezuela into a socialist state. But defeat will likely put the Cuba ally under intense pressure to slow or halt his self-declared socialist revolution and step down when his term ends in 2013.

Chavez called the referendum vote "a photo finish".

(Additional reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero, Patricia Rondon and Jorge Silva, Writing by Saul Hudson; Editing by Kieran Murray)


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: breakingnews; chavez; hasthearmyvotedyet; venezuela
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To: america4vr

Well it was long enough to stir a gumbo from .......


101 posted on 12/02/2007 11:32:06 PM PST by Atchafalaya
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To: topfile

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ... Here we are, and here we stand, a veritable rock of salvation in this drifting world. ...”


102 posted on 12/02/2007 11:32:09 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: james500
Let me get this one more time. I remove the sword, plunge it deep
into my belly, twist it several times, pull it out and repeat. Got it!

103 posted on 12/02/2007 11:32:15 PM PST by america4vr (The ebb and flow of empires have come and gone but America shall forever reign supreme.)
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To: james500

Incredible, I could never have guessed Chavez would lose.


104 posted on 12/02/2007 11:33:42 PM PST by FastCoyote
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To: REDWOOD99

A lot of No’s were planning to stay home according to some polls.


105 posted on 12/02/2007 11:36:59 PM PST by Nextrush (Proudly uncommitted in the 2008 race for president for now,, but McCain and Paul never)
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To: Army Air Corps

He will have to pull a “Reichstag Fire” trick out of his hat to justify what he wants to do.


106 posted on 12/02/2007 11:41:43 PM PST by Nextrush (Proudly uncommitted in the 2008 race for president for now,, but McCain and Paul never)
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To: james500
Is Jimmah Catarrh on his way to look for the irregularities that cost poor Mr. Chavez his well deserved, overwhelming victory?
107 posted on 12/03/2007 12:03:53 AM PST by ApplegateRanch (If God didn't want a Liberal hanging from every tree, He wouldn't have created so much rope!)
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To: SunkenCiv

EXCELLENT! ...Thanks!


108 posted on 12/03/2007 12:05:20 AM PST by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (Other People's Money))
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To: Vince Ferrer
He can have about five more referendums before that time. Venezuelans can only hope the tide has turned for him

The only thing that's going to stop him is if his bullet riddled corpse floats out to sea on one of those tides.

109 posted on 12/03/2007 12:10:29 AM PST by 4woodenboats (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: james500; REDWOOD99
I am sure Hugo has a "plan B"....there are FIVE more years until the next scheduled Presidential election. Let's see what happens in the interim.

My guess: heavier crackdowns on his political enemies, and severe punishments for the local "allies" of Hugo who didn't "persuade" enough votes to show up in the ballot box.

110 posted on 12/03/2007 12:39:30 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: jrooney
Maria Conchita Alfonso...

Who is she? Just curious.

111 posted on 12/03/2007 12:42:10 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: FastCoyote

happily would have bet money against it, even at absurd odds

clearly someone screwed up on his end.


112 posted on 12/03/2007 1:07:41 AM PST by WoofDog123
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To: james500

He’s there until 2013 anyway? Goodness. He can have this vote again, can’t he?


113 posted on 12/03/2007 2:12:34 AM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: REDWOOD99
WoooHooo!!! That means the vote was too big to cheat!

=D

The problem with "useful idiots" is just like the "Gore-Fraud of 2000", they just can't count reliably. They didn't manufacture enough votes in time before they got busted.

114 posted on 12/03/2007 2:53:40 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: james500

There was a quote, which escapes me now, as the EU Constitution ratification was failing in France, “If it passes, we continue. If it fails, we proceed”.

I do not expect Hugo Chavez to give up easily. His next attempt will be to try to pass these things piecemeal.


115 posted on 12/03/2007 3:02:05 AM PST by gridlock (Recycling is the new Religion.)
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To: Vince Ferrer
He can have about five more referendums before that time. Venezuelans can only hope the tide has turned for him.

Many people opposed to the referendum were calling for a boycott of this vote because they did not what to legitimize the process. This win should put an end to that nonsense. When you stay home, you let the bad guys win (sound familiar?)

Hopefully, voting against Hugo Chavez will become a good habit for the people of Venezuela...

116 posted on 12/03/2007 3:04:55 AM PST by gridlock (Recycling is the new Religion.)
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To: james500

117 posted on 12/03/2007 3:08:49 AM PST by xtinct (I was the next door neighbor kid's imaginary friend.)
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To: Recovering_Democrat
Maria Conchita Alonso is a Cuban-born actress who lived in Venezuela. She's a vocal critic of Hugo. (Sort of the anti-Naomi Campbell, with brains.)


118 posted on 12/03/2007 3:27:27 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia (CNN: Full of plants from the DNC Plant-ation.)
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To: james500

It’s only 2007. He’s not out until 2013. He’ll be back again.


119 posted on 12/03/2007 4:05:14 AM PST by newzjunkey (“Market forces” demanded serfs and market forces got them. - Kolokotronis)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
Didn't she star in The Running Man with Ahnold?
120 posted on 12/03/2007 4:29:16 AM PST by gridlock (Recycling is the new Religion.)
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