Ringing endorsement of Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela

Bob Briton

Last week the people of Venezuela gave candidates from President 
Chavez' coalition overwhelming support in the country's regional 
and local elections. The vote means that representatives of the 
Bolivarian forces will take up 20 out of the 22 state Governor 
positions and have a majority on two thirds of the local 
councils. This is an increase of five in the number of Chavista 
governors and a doubling of local representation.

The results deliver the ninth election victory for the Bolivarian 
movement in six years and are a strong endorsement of the radical 
changes taking place in Venezuela. During the campaign President 
Chavez called for a speeding up of the land reform process and a 
struggle against corruption and nepotism. He was not hiding the 
significance of his movement's program, either. At one pre-
election rally he said, "Within the framework of capitalism it is 
impossible to solve the challenges of fighting against poverty, 
misery, exploitation, inequality."

Elsewhere he talked about the domination of corporations over his 
country. "This is economic tyranny. And this tyranny is still 
intact. We are going to break it up once and for all through a 
revolutionary process of economic and social liberation."

The opposition played some of its usual tricks. The National 
Electoral Council condemned prominent national opposition leader 
Henrique Salas Feo (and others) for rushing to claim victory in a 
contest he later clearly lost in order to stir up controversy and 
anger among his supporters. The disruptive tactic had also been 
tried during the Presidential recall referendum on August 15 this 
year.

The only notable setback for the Bolivarian movement was in the 
southern state of Nueva Esparta where the opposition candidate 
won. However, the Chavista win was underlined by the victories of 
mayoral candidates for the Metropolitan Caracas Council (a 
position previously appointed by the President) and Caracas 
Libertador.

President Hugo Chavez commented after the elections that the old 
order in Venezuela, which was dying is now dead and that which 
was waiting to be born is now born. "The revolution is here to 
stay, Venezuela has changed and will not return to the past."