Chavez Reelected

[sophist]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/04/D8LPS7P01.html

Minutes after the results were announced, Chavez appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace singing the national anthem. He pledged to deepen his effort to transform Venezuela into a socialist society.

"Long live the socialist revolution! Destiny has been written," Chavez shouted to thousands of flag-waving supporters wearing red shirts and braving a pouring rain.

"That new era has begun," he said, raising a hand in the air. "We have shown that Venezuela is red!... No one should fear socialism... Socialism is human. Socialism is love," Chavez said. "Down with imperialism! We need a new world!"

:|

[gainesvillegreen]

The once-fragmented opposition gained traction by uniting behind presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, governor of the country's second-largest state. Winning 38 percent of the vote, Rosales polled much better than many anticipated (NYT). He criticized Chavez for wasting oil revenue on aid to Argentina and Cuba and ignoring domestic problems (WashPost). He also proposed issuing a debit card (El Universal) that would shift 20 percent of oil revenues directly to poor families. He recently drew a crowd in Caracas of several hundred thousand shouting, "Dare to change!" (AP).

The high price of oil fuels Chavez's profligate spending and is responsible for his strong support (WashPost) among the poor. Though government figures reflect a drop in poverty since Chavez took office, many analysts criticize his social programs. The former Mexican foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, writes that the support Chavez enjoys from Venezuela's poor is a "paradoxical condemnation" (Newsweek) of his social policies. "Like so many Latin American populists, Hugo Chavez loves the poor as they are, and wants to keep them that way." Chavez's "Bolivarian Revolution" is not a sustainable model for the country or the region, writes Michael Shifter in Foreign Affairs. As on other issues, there are no signs Chavez is heeding his critics: The country's new budget increases government spending (Bloomberg) on social programs to 45 percent of total expenditures, up from 36 percent in 2006.

[birdman]

    CITGO Petroleum, the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, has earmarked 25 million gallons of fuel for low-income New York residents this year at 40% off the wholesale market price.

That's enough fuel to heat 70,000 apartments, covering 200,000 New Yorkers, for the entire winter.


    Wont see Bush&Co. providing heat to the poor anytime soon.... :|

[gainesvillegreen]

He made that promise when he visited and spoke at the U.N. a few months back, no?

[sls.stormyrider]

    Wont see Bush&Co. providing heat to the poor anytime soon.... :|

I bet those poor, soon to be unemployed former congressman and senators get something good