Hugo Chávez Wins Re-election Bid in Venezuela

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's firebrand leader, extended his 14-year grip on power last night after seeing off challenger Henrique Capriles in close-run elections.

Chávez, a socialist whose so-called Bolivarian Revolution places him in firm opposition to the USA, won with 54 per cent of the vote.

"Viva Venezuela! Viva the fatherland!" exulted the leftist leader. "The battle was perfect and the victory was perfect."

"I want to include everybody, including sectors of the opposition," said Chávez, 58, wearing his trademark red shirt, said in a tacit acceptance of the best electoral showing against him yet.

With 90 per cent of around 15 million ballot papers counted, Venezuela's electoral council announced Chávez's victory at 10 pm on Sunday night.

Capriles, who was expected to dramatically alter foreign policy and open Venezuela up to private enterprise should he have won, claimed 44 per cent.

He had managed to steal away some of the traditional base of chavismo, poor Venezuelans who live in urban shanty towns.

But Chávez – accused of authoritarianism for his subordination of the judiciary and legislature – prevailed with 7.4 million votes.

He will lead Venezuela, which has the world's biggest oil reserves, for another six years. » | Jonathan Gilbert, Caracas | Monday, October 08, 2012


THE GUARDIAN: Hugo Chávez: a victory of enduring charisma and political mastery: Venezuelan voters keep faith in president and his revolution by extending his 14-year rule, but questions over his health remain » | Rory Carroll | Monday, October 08, 2012

Venezuela: Chávez ruft zu den Waffen
ZEIT ONLINE: Staatspräsident Chávez ist in Rage. Er sieht sein Land durch das Militärabkommen zwischen Washington und Bogotá gefährdet und bereitet sich auf einen Krieg vor.

Venezuelas Präsident Hugo Chávez ist kampfbereit. Er glaubt, dass die USA und Kolumbien sein Land angreifen wollen. Bild: Zeit Online
Venezuelas Staatschef Hugo Chávez wirft den USA und Kolumbien vor, einen Angriff auf sein Land zu planen. Die Regierungen beider Länder hätten einen "teuflischen Pakt" geschlossen, um einen Krieg gegen Venezuela vorzubereiten und den bolivarischen Sozialismus zu bremsen, sagte der linksgerichtete Staatschef am Freitag bei einer Parteiveranstaltung in Caracas.

Grund für seine heftigen Verballattacken ist das kürzlich abgeschlossene Militärabkommen zwischen Washington und Bogotá, das eine stärkere Militärpräsenz der USA in Südamerika ermöglicht.

Chávez betonte, Venezuela werde niemanden angreifen, aber das Land sei darauf vorbereitet, sich zu verteidigen. Der Staatschef rief erneut das Militär und die Milizen in Venezuela auf, sich auf einen Krieg vorzubereiten, um die Souveränität des Landes gegen die Bedrohung der USA über Kolumbien zu verteidigen. >>> Zeit Online, dpa | Samstag, 14. November 2009

Hugo Chávez Seizes Golf Clubs in Drive to Defeat ‘Bourgeoisie’
Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: For decades, wealthy Venezuelans have luxuriated in the vistas of the Caribbean from the terrace of the Caraballeda Golf Club, relaxing with a whisky before teeing off amid tropical palms, above a marina filled with gleaming yachts. It is a way of life that is under threat, however, with President Chávez deriding the game as lazy, bourgeois and the antithesis of his Bolivarian Revolution.

Thick with Louis Vuitton handbags and luxury vehicles, Caraballeda, north of Caracas, is a symbol of everything Mr Chávez detests. He launched his attack on the sport on his weekly TV show, Hello Mr President, branding players selfish elitists who annexed acres of prime land while the poor suffered in slums.

“Golf is a bourgeois sport,” he spat, citing the use of golf carts as evidence of the laziness of the “little Yankees”.

Officials have moved to seize two of Venezuela’s prime courses, at Caraballeda and Maracay. However, the move has divided local supporters of the President, with many warning of a detrimental impact on surrounding communities. >>> | Saturday, October 17, 2009

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