Show Venezuela's Chavez wins decisive victory Juan Forero The Washington Post V Venezuelans e n e z u e l a n s overwhelmingly re-elected re President Hugo Chavez on Sunday further extending a presidency that began when he was swept into power eight years ago The populist leader will receive another six years in office to broaden his leftist revolution and cement his government as the most defiant Bush anti-Bush administration voice in Latin America With 78 percent of the votes counted by 10 pm p.m. electoral authorities announced Chavez 52 had secured percent of the vote to percent for Manuel Rosales whose candidacy united a fractured opposition but had only four months to gather momentum Chavez's tally presented an insurmountable lead Chavez Chavez's s 's s revolution is set to last until at least 2013 though Chavez told reporters Thursday that a change to the constitution could permit him to rule even longer Im not planning to sayin sayin say sayin in the constitution Hugo Chavez will remain in the presidency until he dies because that would be perverse said Chavez who under the law can serve only one more term tenn Its very different to study the possibility of indefinite re It will always be the will of the people Rosales campaign officials said voting equipment malfunctioned 1 at several polling sites i and there were delays in Rosales pro-Rosales districts 4 J I But authorities with the member five-member r National rI I Electoral Council said t they had not found serious discrepancies Everything is perfectly i normal in the country Vicente Diaz who is considered partial to the opposition told reporters Sunday night Observers from the European 1 Union the based Atlanta-based i Carter Center and the Organization of American States monitored the vote and reported only isolated incidents by early Sunday night A Chavez victory will further consolidate the tide of leftist politicians who have won office in Latin America in recent years including a former fonner labor leader in Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Michelle Bachelet a market-friendly market socialist in Chile and Evo Morales the indigenous leader of Bolivia Although Colombia Peru and Mexico this year elected pro- pro trade U.S. pro-U.S. presidents leftist leaders who criticize market reforms and sharply question the Bush administrations administration's policies in inthe inthe inthe the region were elected last month in Nicaragua and Ecuador Chavez has said he would ensure that Venezuela which says it has the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East remained a price hawk hawkin in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries He has also said said- he would solidify Venezuela's relations with Cuba and Iran countries the Bush administration is working to isolate Chavez who survived a 2002 coup i the White House tacitly r J e endorsed often accuses Washington of backing x undemocratic opposition j groups With bugles and i fireworks awakening voters across Caracas and beyond early Sunday Venezuelans 1 flocked to voting I booths guarded by soldiers and reservists i Chavez wearing g the red 1 long sleeve long sleeve shirt that is his i trademark cast his ballot at atthe atthe atthe i the of January housing development not far from the presidential palace I 1 feel very happy very happy he said He added that with this election he has faced off oft against his opponents four times including his first win in 1998 an election in 2000 after the constitution was changed to permit him to tobe tobe tobe be elected to a year six-year tern term and a 2004 recall referendum that left his foes demoralized He also took a moment to tout the surge of leftist leaders in the region I 1 think its it's a good sign he said With oil prices having reached historic highs and Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement in control of the National Assembly and other institutions the government has funneled billions of dollars into education health and nutrition programs Venezuela's economy has been roaring growing at 18 percent in 2004 and 93 percent last year Although private investment has dwindled and half of Venezuelans work in the black market the governments government's spending has put money in banks and in peoples people's pockets Business sectors dependent i upon government contracts r arc booming and the s stock index Friday had its t biggest increase in nearly f four years with the belief Chavez would win In Cano Amarillo i a working-class working i neighborhood near downtown Caracas several people said they voted for forthe forthe forthe 1 the president overlooking concerns they had about about crime and his combative style I think the president 1 has done what he said he would do Jose Medina 54 a schoolteacher said i moments after casting his vote Hes put the social policies above everything else There is still much to todo todo todo do but hes he's made sure the state reaches the poorest The opposition which has suffered a series of setbacks since the coup had hoped to appeal to voters by focusing on issues such as spiraling crime alleged corruption and unchecked spending Rosales 53 governor of Zulia state the historic heart of Venezuela's s 's soil oil industry had proposed a populist handout program to cut into Chavez Chavez's s 's s support base The future of Venezuela is at stake Rosales told supporters as he cast his ballot Sunday morning There were to be sure millions of Venezuelans who agreed that a change was needed Weve had eight years without work nothing stable said Victor Castellanos 53 a construction worker You work three months and then youre you're out of luck The opposition though faced a formidable machine in Chavez's government 4 |