In Venezuela, a victory for working people

As The Guardian goes to press, final results in the 
referendum to decide the future of the presidency of Hugo Chavez 
in Venezuela were not available. However, figures released by the 
National Elections Council (NCE) — with nearly 95 per cent of 
the national vote counted — showed that support for Chavez stood 
at a resounding 58.95 percent (4,991,483 votes).

The failure of the old privileged elites and their US backers to 
unseat the President and to derail the Bolivarian Revolution's 
vast project in participatory democracy represents a major 
victory for the people of Venezuela. It is also a victory for the 
peoples of Latin America and the world over in their struggle 
against US domination and the policies of the big corporations 
and oil companies.

The attempt by counter-revolutionary forces to oust Chavez with a 
recall vote, a mechanism inserted in the 1999 Constitution by the 
President himself, has collapsed. This latest attempt to turn 
back the clock of history follows the failure of a military coup 
in April 2002 and an extremely costly, boss-led strike in the 
vital oil industry later that year.

Sunday's poll was a credit to the level of political maturity 
reached by the Venezuelan people in recent years.

In 1998 Chavez was swept to power with 3.67 million votes (56.2 
percent). In 2000 he received 3.75 million votes (59.7 percent) 
and in last Sunday's referendum his vote soared to about 5 
million (58.95 percent of those voting).

Addressing thousands of supporters after the results were 
announced, Chavez said that the Venezuelan people had given a 
definitive "NO" to a return to the past when unscrupulous 
politicians earned the country a ranking as one of the world's 
most corrupt. He said the referendum process was "profoundly 
democratic" and called for "national reconciliation". He said his 
government was the only one to have brought stability to 
Venezuela. 

On polling day supporters of the President were asked not to 
bring propaganda to the polling stations and not to wear the red 
of the "Chavistas". The request was complied with. Nearly all the 
polling stations were set up early in the morning and ready in 
good time. 

Former Venezuelan President Betancourt commented favourably on 
the huge turnout at the poll. So did Hugo Chavez: "Ten years ago, 
Venezuelans used to go to the beach, they used to go shopping or 
rest, most people did not vote because they had lost their sense 
of democracy, it was a democracy without the people".

Since Chavez' landslide election victory in 1998, the people of 
Venezuela have regained their sense of involvement. In the weeks 
leading up to the vote, the streets ran with the sounds of the 
chant "no volveran" (they will not return) in reference to the 
bad old days of corporate rule.

The Chavez government has handed significant political power back 
to the people and invested heavily in education and health 
programs from the proceeds of the country's rich oil industry, 
something that no other Venezuelan Government has done. This is 
why the working people, farmers and the poor who live in shanty 
towns have rallied behind Chavez in massive numbers.

Former US President Jimmy Carter went to Venezuela to observe the 
latest poll. He had previously taken his Carter Center staff to 
monitor 50 different electoral processes. In Venezuela he found 
something new and moving. "I have never seen such massive 
participation", he said.