There has been an important Congressional election in Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez’s party, which had controlled over two-thirds of the elected representatives, expected to retain two-thirds control. In the previous election the opposition parties boycotted the election and gave Chavez total control of the Congressional body. This election the often totally divided opposition was able to prevent the Chavez party two-thirds control. Now the December, 2012, President Election campaign has begun.
The opposition parties do not have one charismatic candidate to run against Chavez. Chavez does have control of the military, secret police, 30,000 to 40,000 Cubans, the judiciary, and the police. Although elected president, Chavez is in essence a totalitarian cauldillo.
Last week Venezuelan General Henry Rangel Silva announced that the army would not accept anyone but Chavez as president, even if he were to lose a re-election bid in 2012. He is a controversial general who is on the US blacklist for drugs and arms trafficking. In other words he said the Venezuelan army would stage a coup to keep Chavez as the ruler of Venezuela. This is not a meaningless statement to be dismissed as “politicaria.”It sent a very chilling message sent to the struggling democratic movement in Venezuela.
On November 16th the Chavez reaction was to promote Henry Rangel Silva to “General in Chief.”
Political freedoms in Venezuela continue the serious downward fall.
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