December 1st., 2008

The November 23 Elections

Chavez plays with the cards on the table. His first appearance was to cheer up his deteriorated party men, who were surprised upon the defeat by the Opposition in the Capital region and in the most populated States.  He argued that having won 17 Governor’s  Offices and the majority of the popular vote was a mandate to deepen the Revolution, and that he would acknowledge the triumph from the Opposition, as long as they “well administered their limited victories and respected the commitment of the Head of State with the Socialist project”.    He attributed the opposition votes to the media conspiracy against the regime and ordered to open an administrative procedure against a TV Channel that supposedly had violated the electoral provisions.  “This Channel must be severely sanctioned.  It is enough”.  He expressed to foreign correspondents that he would not propose a constitutional amendment, in order to obtain a new mandate, but he did not disregard that such a proposal be assumed by the PSUV, to be discussed by the National Assembly (AN) and corresponding Referendum.  “2009 will be a convenient year to discuss the matter”.  In Maracay he specified: let’s do it now, we will discuss it in December and in January we can approve it. 

Upon the announcement by the City Mayor and the Miranda Governor of working together with the central government, he said that he was sure that the Mayor’s  Offices and Governor’s  Office won by the opposition were generating a plan to overthrow him, since their objective was “ to get rid of Chavez”, to carry on with the “pitiyanquis mission”.  He alleged that this was a plan designed by the Pentagon, but that he has already warned the Armed Forces.  He added that it would depend on the Governors and Mayors from the Opposition for him to take out the war tanks or not.  “I do not foresee a long path for these Governors”, he stated.

In General Garcia Carneiro´s proclamation, one of the eight elected Governors, he expressed that 2009-2019 would be the third decade of the Revolution, to consolidate the Socialist ideology, to win over the public opinion by way of the media battle.  Simultaneously, Alberto Federico Ravell, director of Globovisión, the independent news channel, warned that the premises could be closed down in the coming days, as a consequence of an administrative procedure ordered by the President.  Ledezma, the elected City Mayor, denounced that Vive, the TV Channel from the Mayor’s Office, had been sequestered by the Ministry of Information.  The newspapers published reports regarding a financial and functional fence, or obstacle, to the regions, in accordance with the political tendency of those who govern.  Pursuant to Chavez, the Governor’s and Mayor’s Offices will receive support in as much as they present Socialist projects.  The National Assembly questioned Manuel Rosales for hours, who won Maracaibo´s Mayor’s Office by an ample margin.  Once the questioning was over, the president of the respective Commission announced that he would be declared as politically responsible for administrative illicits, in order for the Comptroller’s Office to disqualify him for administrative liability and for the District Attorney’s Office to prosecute him in a criminal trial.   During the campaign, Chavez has stated:  “Regarding Rosales, I am determined; I will put him in jail”.  (Venezuela Today, October 29).  The National Assembly, as announced by the president of the Commission that investigates the “intent of murder of the President”, declared that they will request a criminal trial to the Directors of El Nacional, El Nuevo País, Globovisión and RCTV, “for having planned the assassination of the President”, and they requested the Executive Power to “revert the information of the private press”.  Was November 23 the end of Chavez as a leader of a process with Democratic clothes?

 WHAT WAS SEEN BY JOURNALISTS AND OBSERVERS

In the press conference with the foreign correspondents, as reported by the attendees, Chavez tried to sell as the sole victory, the triumph of his party and he tried to minimize the results of those against him.  He emphasized rejecting the questioning of the democratic character of his regime and he praised the electoral authorities and the military that assumed control of the process by way of the Republican Plan.  He was not able to convince the majority, since the head line news of the international media highlighted the triumph of the PSUV as well as the elevated popular support to the Opposition.  The correspondents pointed out the disadvantage with which the opposition presented itself to the electoral date, highlighting how the candidates that had been positioned as winners, from the Opposition, had been subject of disqualification.  They perceived and informed that all the power of the State, both institutional and financial, had been granted to the service of the Official candidates, and that on the election date, it was evident that the National Electoral Council was not taking any denounces of any irregularities.  Chavez also failed to convince of the magnitude of the victory of his own party men.  In Aporrea, the Official emblematic portal, they asked if they could even talk about a “victory, with the damned oligarchs controlling the Capital District, Miranda, Táchira, Carabobo, Nueva Esparta and Zulia States”.  “They kept the key entities”.  They reason that it was a bad performance from the pro Chavez governors.  “Between traitors and incompetents, the Revolution is escaping from us”.

Ojo Electoral (Electoral Eye) (OE), an institution that preserves its impartiality with extreme rigor, and who has been an accepted Observer by the National Electoral Council (CNE) for four years now, certified that its rapid count in various States “reproduced the same numbers delivered by the (CNE), which supports the correct technical performance of the arbiter”.  It regrets not having included Barinas, which results were contested with evidence of fraud.  OE attests that the Plan República prevented Observers to access the public closing audits, that many tables remained open, with no voters therein, “apparently waiting for voters to be brought in, legally untimely, that could change the results”:  This was also reported by several international delegations that visited many centers.  Such a big number of open voting tables, without any voters present, was not casual nor a decision of the members of the tables.  This suggests a prior plan, orders and a will oriented by a certain interest, beyond the strict labor of arbitrage”. 

According to OE, in the previous process, illegal disqualifications were made, abuse from the President on account of his chained speeches on TV with obvious electoral purposes and infamous insults to the contenders, scandalous use of public resources, threats of violence and illegal retention of funds if the enemy should win.  “All this, without any acknowledgement from the CNE”.  The Popular Group of the European Parliament praised such major participation in regional elections in Venezuela.  They considered the participation “much more meritorious given the difficulties of the complex voting system, which delayed the process excessively, keeping the electoral schools open way past the closing time”:  As per the Euro Deputies, “these elections have demonstrated the existence of an opposition with ever more popular power, and a plural Venezuela”.  They attested their concern for the “lack of respect for the judicial guarantees that gave way to the political disqualifications, and which no doubt have made an impact on the results”.  They made a call for cooperation and dialogue, which should start by the President.  The spokespersons for the regime denied any moral authority from the Euro Deputies to even declare on the matter, “Since they are the extreme European right wing, Fascist and pitiyanquis”.  The response is an indication that November 23 maintains Chavez foreign policy unchanged. 

 CHAVEZ DOES NOT CELEBRATE, HE THREATENS

The first page of the newspapers is dedicated to the indefinite Presidential re election.  The announcement was made by Chavez in a national broadcast in radio and television.  He argued that the Fascist triumph in Miranda and the Caracas Mayor’s Offices was a threat that imposes him to declare that he is not leaving, that he is staying until 2019 or 2021.  “The third period in the Revolution has started.  Now we are really going to demonstrate who rules Venezuela”.  Regarding the Governor in Miranda, he expressed:  “that gentleman, instead of assuming the Governor’s Office, he should be in prison for being a traitor to the nation; these are the faults we have”.  As usual, he quoted Fidel and Marx.  “The history of mankind, as taught by Marx, is the history of the struggle of classes, and the battle in Venezuela is between rich and poor”.  Regarding the results in Zulia, he manifested that soon enough there will be elections in Maracaibo´s, because Manuel Rosales would go to prison.

He warned that if Colombia’s government does note withdraws the Consul in Maracaibo, he will be thrown out.  “He is either taken out or I will throw him out of the country”.  According to statements from Chancellor Maduro, Chavez already knew that Bogotá had ordered the withdrawal of the Consul and had sent a note informing of their disgust regarding the Consulate’s telephone wiring, since the conversation by the Consul and an advisor of President Uribe about the results in Zulia, was made public in Channel 8, the State TV.  It is evident that there is no continuity solution in foreign policy as a result of November 23.  Two days later he met with ALBA, his political alternative for the region.  Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Honduras and Dominican Republic came to the encounter.

Correa, from Ecuador, attended as an observer, and he requested support for his proposal of not paying the foreign debt, since he considered it “illegal”.  Chavez was in agreement and proposed to withdraw from the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), and “make our own Bank”.  He added that the CAF, (Andean Development Corporation), the financial arm of the Andean Community, handles credits just as the IMF, and for such reason he declared “that it should be closed down, take away the building to turn it into the Seat of our Bank”.  The Members of the ALBA authorized to create a common monetary zone, in which implementation phase Venezuela would contribute with US$ 500 Million.  The common currency would be called Sucre, as stated by Chavez.

 In the meeting with the Russian President Medeved, he signed an agreement to develop nuclear energy and create a bi national bank.  Medeved stated to be willing to participate in ALBA as an Associate, and Chavez answered that the doors were open.  Both heads of State toured a giant antisubmarine vessel that anchored in La Guayra, accompanied by the nuclear propulsion cruise ship Peter the Great and two other ships, which will undergo joint maneuvers, with Venezuelan military equipment, in territorial waters, which border with the US.  Chavez declared to be happy by sharing the Caribbean with Russia.  According to the analyst, Rocío San Miguel, the Russian are coming to get paid, since the purchase of arms agreements may reach US$ 10,000 Million and Venezuela faces difficulties in payment capacity due to the fall of the oil prices.  They also come with geo political purposes.  Chavez opened way for them to come back with a military presence after 50 years of absence from the Caribbean to ratify his decision to accentuate his international projection at any cost.  A key aspect in the deepening of the Revolution that he announced on the night of November 23.