Pretty good. There have been at least 8 since Chavez was first elected, and he was voted in in each of them.
Actually many of the elections went off as legit as could be. Others did have irregularities according to recognized monitoring groups, but according to the same groups they wouldn't have altered the outcome of the election. Chavez hasn't stolen any of the elections he's won thus far. As much as opponents would like to paint him as a corrupt dictator, his elections have been by the majority.
For the most part you are correct, but the one that has been questioned many times was the recall election. Carter went down to certify it, but no one was allowed to inspect the software in the electronic voting machines. Chavez's approval rating was right around 50% at the time, and he got about 65% of the vote.
Chavez continues down the path towards a de facto dictatorship. Venezuela TV shutdown sparks criticism of Chavez By Brian Ellsworth Reuters Monday, May 28, 2007; 1:24 PM CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's replacement of an opposition television station on Monday with a state network promoting President Hugo Chavez's socialist revolution drew sharp criticism that the former soldier is attacking democratic freedoms. The leftist leader took the RCTV station off air around midnight on Sunday, silencing a major opponent to reforms that have given him greater control over the judiciary, the military and the oil sector of this OPEC nation. The European Union said it was concerned by the decision to replace Venezuela's most popular television station with a new state-backed public service channel without allowing open competition and a tender process for a new broadcast license. "Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential elements of democracy," said the EU presidency, currently held by Germany. Chavez had accused RCTV of showing immoral soap operas and supporting a bungled 2002 coup, along with the nation's other main television stations that saturated the airwaves with often virulent anti-Chavez programming. But the takeover of the channel dramatically boosts the state's presence in Venezuela's media, with the three main broadcast channels either controlled by the government or largely uncritical of its concentration of power. Communications Minister Willian Lara was quoted by the El Nacional daily saying the state could investigate news channel Globovision, the last bastion of opposition broadcasting but a network not available over regular airwaves nationwide. He said a Globovision program and a survey on the station's Web site could have counted as incitements to assassinate Chavez. "We are heading towards ... the conversion of media into political weapons in the control of the state," Marcelino Bisbal, a journalism professor at Universidad Catolica in Caracas, said in a newspaper interview. FIGHTING ON In a tearful farewell program, RCTV staff packed a studio and prayed together. "Do not lose hope. We will see you soon," RCTV presenter Nelson Bustamante told viewers minutes before the screen flipped to the animated logo of the new government station. Workers ranging from cameramen to makeup artists have promised to continue showing up to the station as executives discuss plans to broadcast over the Internet or radio. The new state channel opened its transmission with traditional Venezuelan dance and song, but by early morning was airing an aerobics show featuring tanned and fit Venezuelans doing kickboxing moves to a bouncing electronic beat. The closure of RCTV was condemned by the U.S. Senate and the EU Parliament, but Chavez's supporters justified the move by criticizing the journalistic ethics of the channel. RCTV ran movies and cartoons when protests by Chavez supporters turned the tide in Chavez's favor in the 2002 coup, and joined a grueling two-month strike that year by showing only anti-Chavez propaganda and marches for weeks. Pollster Datanalisis found almost 70 percent of Venezuelans opposed the shut-down, but most cited the loss of their favorite soap operas rather than concerns about limits on freedom of expression. The Venevision network, which stood alongside RCTV during the 2002 coup, had its broadcast license renewed over the weekend after nearly three years of adjusting its editorial line to favor the government. "Yesterday we saw the takeover of the principal media critical of President Chavez," Benoit Hervieu, Americas directors at Reporters Without Borders told a Caracas news conference. "Besides Globovision, what television media is left that can criticize the government of Mister Chavez?" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052800453.html?nav=hcmodule The typical crushing of dissent by a demogogue bent on having absolute control. Dependent on the support of the masses, by controlling the media available to the public, he insures that they only hear one side of the news... his side. Sadly predictable, Chavez shows himself to be no different from any other tinpot Latin American dictator. D&D. Replicants for a Free Media.
Good news, it can only mean more hot, middle-class Venezuelan babes migrating to the States, which means more business for me. It's a win-win...
On a more serious note, the other Emperor is still around. I wonder how Dubya was able to "look into his eyes" and "see his soul" through those sunglasses; may be it was raining that day... EU voices concern over Russian opposition arrests http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2082933,00.html The Kremlin today sent a signal of open defiance to the west as several opposition figures were arrested and western journalists detained as they attempted to fly to a summit between Russia and the EU. Police held Garry Kasparov - the former world chess champion and a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin's regime - as he tried to board a flight from Moscow to the southern city of Samara. Mr Kasparov was due to lead a demonstration by the Other Russia, a coalition of anti-Kremlin groups. They were protesting on the margins of the summit, hosted by Mr Putin and attended by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and other EU leaders. Ms Merkel immediately voiced concerns that the Russian authorities were blatantly attempting to restrict freedom of speech. "I am concerned about some people having problems in travelling here. I hope they will be given an opportunity to express their opinion," she told a news conference. Her remarks came amid a fractious exchange at the news conference between Mr Putin and EU leaders over democratic freedoms and the government's treatment of critics - two of the many issues haunting EU-Russian relations. The European commission president, José Manuel Barroso, said it was "critically important to ensure full respect" for "principles and values" that should be shared by all European countries. "And Russia is a European country," he added. Mr Putin sought to turn the tables, questioning European police practices. Amid European criticism of beatings by police at recent protests in Russia, he demanded that those responsible for the death of a man during riots over the removal of a monument to a Soviet soldier in Estonia, an EU member, be brought to justice. The demonstration went ahead as around 300 people walked through the centre of Samara, chanting: "Russia without Putin" and "Down with KGB police". No main opposition leaders were in attendance, and there was a low police presence. Police detained Mr Kasparov and Eduard Limonov, another opposition leader and a former head of the outlawed National Bolshevik party, for at least five hours earlier today. They also refused to allow western journalists who had booked tickets through Mr Kasparov's United Civil Front movement - including the correspondents of the Daily Telegraph, the Wall Street Journal and a Dutch TV crew - to board the Aeroflot plane. The Guardian, which had booked separately, was allowed to fly. The plane took off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo aiport 50 minutes late, without Mr Kasparov, and with 50 empty seats. "Russia is not a democratic state," Mr Kasparov told the Guardian yesterday as a scrum of police officers surrounded him and confiscated his passport. "It is an authoritarian regime. Putin is not a democrat. Europe's leaders need to address this issue. It is ridiculous when a Russian citizen with a good biography is not allowed to travel." Mr Kasparov said the Kremlin's attempts to stop the demonstration - the latest in a series of opposition protests ahead of parliamentary elections in December and a presidential poll next March - breached Russia's constitution. He added that Russia was obliged, under international law, to allow freedom of assembly. "We have no access to TV or parliament. The only way for the opposition to protest is through non-violent demonstration," he said. After taking Mr Kasparov's passport, the police then disappeared and he and his supporters were left marooned next to an Irish pub. Prior to today's rally, police also arrested several pro-democracy activists in Samara and raided the offices of the liberal Novaya Gazeta newspaper. They detained the deputy director of Human Rights Watch in Moscow, confiscated opposition newspapers and arrested Mr Kasparov's deputy, activists said. Mr Kasparov was also detained at an anti-Kremlin rally in Pushkin Square, Moscow, last month.
This has happened before in South America ... a few times, actually. The results have never been good.
More reason to start driving less. The only reason why Chavez and Putin have the power they have is because they are being buoyed by high oil prices.
With the summer driving season right around the corner, highly unlikely. $4 a gallon is already here in some parts of the country...
^ Its never too late to start conserving. Anyway if the high cost of gas and damge to the environment doesn't convingivice you then at least think about it as giving the FU to Chavez. So when I choose to bike or walk to the store instead of driving I'm saying FU to Chavez and your high gas prices.
Now that I think about it since Chavez is a Socialist and an enemy of US style capitalism I guess there was something to Marx's quote, "The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we hang them."
I am not big on making symbolic gestures. Plus, my Hemi needs some gas, I am about to go fill up now at my local Citgo station.
