Truemors
After the dust settles from todays Venezuelan vote, the impact on the U.S. and Latin America will be enormous. If Chavez wins his opponents will claim fraud, if the "No" voters win Chavez will claim it was U.S. interference which caused his defeat. This mirrors the climate in the U.S. a very closely divided population. Venezuelans may be headed in a collision towards civil war. The military is divided and that will be the real battle, without the military Chavez will not be able to execute his plans for Castroism in Venezuela.
Does anyone not think that this is a power grab for Chavez to continue Fidel's revolution? He does call Fidel father. Like father like son right? Look at North Korea. Chavez loves that loon from North Korea. Does anyone know or has anyone ever seen Chavez's real father? Of course not, because in Chavez land Fidel is his real father.
And what of those who suggest Chavez will not turn Venezuela into Cuba part 2? What is their agenda? Who would want what has happened in Cuba to be the future of Venezuela? Have any Journalists or those who think they are, noticed how Journalists in Cuba are treated? Most of the worlds Journalists are more outraged about the treatment of some terrorist Muslims who were on a battlefield than their fellow Journalists in Cuba and in Mexico who are killed and tortured almost everyday. Like Rosie says Google it.
Many Chavistas say the referendum is complicated and that many do not understand all the issues, but maybe the truth is this election is no more complicated than the colors each side has adopted.
CARACAS --Backed by a barrage of ads on government airwaves, President Hugo Chávez is betting on victory in a vote Sunday that would give him nearly absolute control of Venezuela and solidify his role as the leader of Latin America's anti-U.S. left in the post-Castro era.
But Chávez's proposal to amend the Venezuelan Constitution -- including the right for him to seek reelection indefinitely -- is losing in some of the latest polls, and the outcome remains in doubt for a president who has not lost a national vote since 1998.
The results of the vote will have repercussions far beyond this country of 27 million people. A Chávez victory would sharpen the bitter and long-running conflict with the United States, which buys about 10 percent of its oil imports from Venezuela.
Chávez himself has made a point of presenting the vote as one more chapter in the battle against ''the empire.'' 'Anyone who votes `No' is voting for George W. Bush,'' Chavez shouted to a sea of supporters Friday. ``Our true enemy is the U.S. empire, and on Sunday, Dec. 2, we're going to give another knockout to Bush.''
Chávez and his supporters say they will accept Sunday's outcome, whatever the results. Opposition leaders have refused to make the same pledge, saying they fear that the president will resort to fraud to win, if necessary.
''The future of Venezuela's democracy depends on the outcome,'' said Omar Barboza, president of the biggest opposition party. ``Chávez wants to establish the Cuban model in Venezuela.''
For his part, Chávez said: 'He who says he supports Chávez but votes `no' is a traitor, a true traitor. He's against me, against the revolution and against the people.''
On Saturday he warned against attempts to stir up violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to the U.S. if Washington interferes. ''In the case of an aggression by the United States government, we wouldn't send any more oil to that country . . . Forget about our oil,'' he told reporters.
FOES MAY NOT VOTE
Most polls in recent days have shown a majority rejecting the proposed amendments. But Sunday's outcome will depend largely on the turnout, since many Chávez opponents plan to stay home to avoid legitimizing a pro-Chávez result that they say is preordained.
Chávez has taken no chances leading up to Sunday's voting. Ads extolling the benefits of the proposed changes have blanketed government television and radio stations in recent days.
The ads have focused on changes that are particularly popular with voters: reducing the work week from 40 hours to 36; extending the pension system to include maids, street vendors and others in the informal economy; and giving the citizens more say by creating new neighborhood councils.
The ads have downplayed or ignored the more controversial amendments that would abolish presidential term limits, lift some civil rights during declared states of emergency, and make it easier for the government to nationalize private property.
In rural areas, where Chávez supporters have traditionally been the overwhelming majority, the presence of the ''no'' campaign has been minimal.
A daylong tour of the Barlovento region of Miranda state -- where poor, peasant communities predominate -- revealed not a single ''no'' poster but many houses displaying ''yes'' posters.
Some violence erupted during the referendum campaign, with one person killed and several dozen injured in clashes during pro-Chávez and anti-Chávez marches.
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