English Edition N° 130 by Correo del Orinoco

Analysis

Chavez win shows increasing support page 7

Friday, October 12, 2012 | Nº 130 | Caracas | www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve

Triple crown for Venezuelan Venezuela is not just excelling in democracy, but also in international sports. Venezuela celebrated two major baseball hallmarks last week when Miguel Cabrera won the US American League Triple Crown and legendary shortstop Omar Vizquel retired after 24 years of major league service. Cabrera, who has posted phenomenal numbers his entire career, did something that no one in baseball has done in 45 years. page 6

Opinion

Opinion: Mark Weisbrot: Why Chavez was reelected page 8

ENGLISH EDITION/The artillery of ideas

Chavez wins presidency in landslide victory

Smooth electoral process Venezuela’s presidential elections were celebrated in a civil & transparent environment. page 3

The opposition candidate won in Venezuela’s two Andean states. page 4

Chavez officially proclaimed President for new term

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council proclaimed Chavez’s 20132019 mandate. page 5

UNASUR: No one can doubt the legitimacy of President Chavez T/ AVN

Politics

Why Merida & Tachira were lost

INTERNATIONAL

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez has won a third term in office after 55% of voters swept him into the presidency for another 6 years. Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles earned an impressive 44% of votes, in a greater showing than any other politician has achieved when up against Chavez. Capriles immediately accepted the results, despite prior concerns he would contest the electoral results in the case of his defeat. Chavez won with 1.5 million votes over his contender, achieving more than 8 million votes, the largest victory ever in Venezuelan elections. page 2

Ready for regional elections National Electoral Council Director Socorro Hernandez, informed that the process for December’s gubernatorial elections has already started, which she said will be very similar to the October 7 presidential elections. “The deployment for regional elections will be similar to the presidential elections”, she said in an interview in local television on Tuesday night. Friday, October 12, is the deadline to nominate for gubernatorial posts nationwide, Hernandez said. About 17,421923 voters will be able to elect governors for the country’s 23 states next month of December. Caraas, the Capital District is excluded from the upcoming electoral process, she explained, “since there is no governor, only mayors and they will be elected next year”. Socorro Hernandez stressed that people who were elected as polling officers shall continue working on the electoral processes of December 2012 and April 2013.

The chief of the elections observer mission of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Carlos “Chacho” Alvarez stated the October 7 presidential elections proved to Latin America and the rest of the world “the strength of Venezuela’s electoral democracy”. “No one can doubt any longer the legitimacy of President Chavez in Venezuela”, Alvarez stressed. The Unasur Mission chief insisted the elections impact “is even more transcendental because of the number of foreign journalists present and because the world’s eyes were on Venezuela”. “I told Chavez’s opponents we are their best allies regarding transparency of process, because South America is not going to live with any kind of pro-coup tendency, nor a fraud-born government”. Alvarez recalled upon arrival in Caracas, “urban legends and stories of what could happen were the order of the day”. “All scenarios were described as catastrophic, that Chavez was not going to recognize the results, that there were armed groups coming out before six in the evening, that groups of motorcyclists were roaring around voting stations to taunt voters”, he said. “This meant a twofold challenge, Unasur’s institutional debut before the electoral council and working with a high-voltage democracy”. When referring to the National Electoral Council (CNE), he described it as “a highly reliable body with a group of directors who proved to be competent and independent arbiters”. “The electoral system is reliable and the process was excellent”, he added.

2 Impact | Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

tion voters “for their disposition and civic demonstration. Even if they are not in agreement with the Bolivarian proposal, they are in agreement more and more everyday with the Bolivarian Constitution, with the Magna Carta”, he said. On Monday, Chavez held a brief telephone conversation with Capriles, inviting him and his followers to join together in national unity to work for the future of the country. Both the winning and losing presidential candidates confirmed the conversation via Twitter: “@ Chavezcandanga Believe me, I just had a pleasant conversation with Henrique Capriles. I invite national unity, respecting our differences!” and “@ hcapriles I received a call from President Chavez. In the name of 6,500,000 Venezuelans I made a call for unity and respect for all”.

INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION

Chavez wins third term amidst historic voter turnout T/ COI P/ Presidential Press

enezuelan presidential candidate Hugo Chavez convincingly defeated his conservative opponent, Henrique Capriles, last Sunday in an historic election that saw voter turnout reach over 80 percent. With 55.14 percent of the vote, the incumbent President won by more than 10 percentage points over Capriles and was granted a third 6-year term as head of the South American nation. “Today we have demonstrated that our democracy is one of the best in the world and we’re going to continue to demonstrate it”, Chavez told his supporters gathered outside the People’s Balcony of Miraflores Presidential Palace Sunday night. The results were announced just after 10pm by the country’s National Electoral Council, which applauded the Venezuelan people for their participation and maturity during the voting process. No irregularities were reported by the electoral authorities and by all accounts, the voting process was one of the most efficient and error free demo-

cratic exercises that the nation has seen. While long lines due to massive turnout led to increased waiting times for some, various polling places were kept open past the 6pm deadline to ensure that all votes were accepted.

STRENGTHENING OF SOCIALISM Chavez’s win means that his Bolivarian Revolution will remain in tact at the national level as the country heads into gubernatorial and mayoral elections in December. If Sunday’s results are any indication of how the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) will fare in the coming regional contests, then Chavez supporters should be optimistic as the socialists won 22 of the country’s 24 states, including the capital district of Caracas. The PSUV also holds a current majority in the country’s legislative body, the National Assembly, which will celebrate its elections in 2016. While Chavez referred to his 5th electoral victory as “a perfect battle” he also reiterated his expectation for the government to improve upon its record and to make even greater

strides in pushing the country forward. “Today begins a new stage for the Bolivarian government in which we must improve everyday to be more efficient and to respond with greater efficiency to the needs of our people. I am committing myself to becoming a better President with each day”, he said. This means working with all sectors of society to advance the “construction of a Venezuelan power” no longer beholden to the free-market interests of the United States. “Venezuela will never return to neoliberalism. We will continue on the path of Socialism of the 21st Century”, Chavez affirmed.

OPPOSITION CONCEDES For his part, the candidate of the right wing Democratic Roundtable (MUD), Henrique Capriles, recognized the results of the election soon after the CNE’s announcement and congratulated his opponent for the victory. “In order to know how to win, you have to know how to lose”, the opposition candidate said in his concession speech.

The pronouncements were a change of direction for Capriles and the MUD, which had left doubts in the minds of many regarding their willingness to accept the election results. Capriles called for his supporters to reject extremism while praising the Venezuelan people’s democratic character and affirming that despite his loss, “no Venezuelan should feel defeated” by Sunday’s results. The move may mark a new direction for members of the country’s right-wing who have employed a number of violent and subversive tactics in attempt to remove Chavez from power over the course of the past 14 years. The change may also be readily accepted by Chavez, who at a press conference earlier on Sunday, declared his intention to work with the opposition to reconcile differences through dialogue and under the auspices of the Venezuelan constitution. This message was repeated during his victory speech, at which point the President complemented Capriles for his attitude towards the election results and his disavowal of violence. “I want to make another special acknowledgement to the opposition leader who has not assisted in destabilizing plans. That’s how things are in a democracy!” he exclaimed. The re-elected President also recognized the conduct of opposi-

Internationally, messages of support from other heads of state around Latin America were quickly forthcoming following the election results. “Congratulations to the Venezuelan people for their exemplary democratic effort, for their happiness and their peace. Love is stronger than hate”, wrote Argentine President Cristina Fernandez in her Twitter account. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador, also expressed his contentment over the Chavez victory, which he considered a “marvelous triumph of the people”. “Chavez wins with nearly 10 percentage points of difference. Long Live Venezuela! Long Live the Great Homeland! Long Live the Bolivarian Revolution!” Correa wrote. Other declarations congratulating Chavez and the Venezuelan people were forthcoming from Bolivia, El Salvador, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica. “The triumph of President Chavez is a triumph of democracy, not only for the Venezuelan people but all countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for Our America (ALBA) and Latin America”, said Bolivian head of state Evo Morales. US State Department Spokesman William Ostick, on the other hand, chose to first align with the Venezuelan rightwing, asserting his desire to see Chavez “take into account” the Capriles voters in the wake of a socialist victory. Ostick later congratulated the Venezuelan people in an email for the “high turnout and generally peaceful manner” in which the elections were carried out.

Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

Venezuelan vote marked by tranquility and efficiency

enezuelan voters demonstrated to the world last Sunday the efficiency and maturity of the South American nation’s democratic system during an election effort that was noted for its transparency and extremely high levels of participation. “To participate in an electoral process like this, in a democracy, is already a victory for all of the Venezuelan people. The entire country has won”, said Tibisay Lucena, President of the National Electoral Council (CNE) before reading the election results on Sunday night. In her remarks, Lucena congratulated “all the political organizations that participated... and the extraordinary effort of each one of the organizations that made this process possible”. Venezuela’s voting process is based on electronic elections machines that are backed by paper ballots. This year, a new anti-fraud initiative that verifies the identity of each voter via a thumbprint registration was implemented without error. The system was tested through two trial runs in the months leading up to election day and a random auditing of

the voting machines was successfully carried out at the end of September. While the capturing of the thumbprints added an additional step to the overall process, the total voting time once inside the polling place rarely took more than a minute to complete. The lines outside the voting centers, however, produced a substantial wait for many as the election drew an 80.73 percent turnout, one of the highest in Venezuelan history. Despite the wait time, citizens displayed patience and calm, making the job of the 329,000 security officers on hand less than strenuous. “The patriotic feeling that every man and woman carries deep inside of them was manifested in the massive participation that took place in each of the electoral centers”, said General Wilmer Barrientos, head of the voting day security operation, Plan Republic. Referring to the vote as one that “will go down in Venezuelan history”, General Barrientos confirmed the total normality of the security situation and the rapid diffusion of any potential problem. “The day has been very positive and the electoral transgres-

sions that have been registered are minimal. There has been no necessity to make any kind of arrests with respect to these violations”, said Victor Urbina, Plan Republic Director in the state of Aragua. In addition to more than 95,000 electoral witnesses from different domestic political parties on hand for to monitor the vote, 245 international observers were present to verify the normalcy of the process. Among the observers was Nobel Peace Prize winner Roberto Menchu, Colombian ex-Senator Piedad Cordoba and Irish writer Hugh O’Shaughnessy. Various legal experts and ex government officials from around Latin America and Spain were also on hand to monitor the day’s events. “I’ve never seen a process like this, not even in my own country. In my country everything is much more tied to the economy. Here, I’ve seen people getting involved... The maturity of this process is undeniable”, said the US actor Danny Glover who participated in the international delegation. “Here, you can see a democracy that includes real participation”, Glover added.

Ten strategic reasons why Chavez won the Venezuelan elections T/ Pablo Fernandez Blanco

T/ COI P/ AFP

| Politics

ccording to the latest count, the margin of victory is even bigger, with Hugo Chavez receiving 8,062,056 votes, and (opposition candidate Henrique) Capriles 6,468,450. The secret to Chavez’s success was the following: 1. A project to build a country which has seen results (even taking errors into account) verses empty speeches full of promises. Lesson: Next time the opposition should construct discourse and its candidate should have something to show for it (and Miranda [where Capriles was governor] is not really the best example). 2. Mobilization capacity: The Chavistas knew how to mobilize our people, how to get them to come out and vote until late at night. The opposition went home at 2pm and didn’t vote any more. 3. Chavez supporters didn’t fall into the trap of triumphalism, and instead went around seeking out the vote of those who were undecided. The opposition built up the idea of an unstoppable victory, and from there the strong and excessive disappointment in their ranks now is reflected in depression and verbal violence (as they don’t have anything else). 4. The Chavista movement is strong in the countryside and in the working class or poorer sectors. The opposition went after the vote, as usual, of the A and B [rich and upper middle class] sectors. That is, in the social minority of the country. They didn’t reach the C,D, and E sectors [translator: the author is referring to five economic categories commonly referenced in polling and surveys, where A is richest and E is poorest]. 5. The candidate-president waged an admirable campaign, overcoming illness and taking care of his health to the utmost, he toured almost the whole country. The opposition always assumed that Chavez would wage his campaign from a distance, over the television...a serious mistake.

6. The Chavista campaign knew how to prove the faults and regressions in the opposition proposal. The people who have sufficient memory were clear that the “path” of the opposition was accelerated retrocession, something which directed many non-Chavista votes towards Chavez, under the logic of the “least worse”. 7. The emotional hook: the synergy that Chavez achieves with the masses wasn’t seen in the opposition ranks. The Chavistas voted for “love of Chavez, for the President, for the leader”... the opposition in its majority voted “against Chavez, so that Chavez goes, for getting rid of Chavez”. In both cases the reference point was Chavez, not Capriles. And without a doubt, the grassroots empathy for the President is difficult to beat. 8. Chavez’s campaign was within the barrios, in the street, the towns, mobilization of the bases. The opposition’s campaign was within the media. They had too much confidence in the ability of the media to generate tendencies. The error was not understanding that the people here don’t fall for rumors or for the television, nor for the newspapers or any other corporate media. 9. Projects with a high impact (such as the housing mission, the incorporation of thousands into paid pensions, etc), captured votes from broad sectors who have benefited from such social policies. The real threat of privatizing these processes or eliminating them determined the vote of many people. 10. Lastly, and most importantly: the secret to the victory was been the demonstration of a real readiness to attend to the problems of the people. Chavez won in 2012 because he has acted and shown since 1992 [that he genuinely cares about the people], and that’s a historical record that is hard to confront for a novice to politics whose main thing on his resume is a badly administered state government.

4 Politics | Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

Venezuela: Andean states choose opposition candidate

trader class that takes advantage of the relative economic differences between Venezuela and its neighbor Colombia to make money through ille-

gal gasoline sales. Although Tachira does not have the powerful upper classes of Merida, it does also have a strong right wing catholic university, which produces typically conservative graduates. Both states have large rural sectors, which have benefitted greatly from policies of Chavez’s government, such as Agro Venezuela and microcredits for farmers, as well as improved roadways and access to electricity and clean water. These communities generally supported Chavez this past Sunday, but in numbers which couldn’t compete with the cities. In other Andean states, they did however carry the vote, such as Trujillo, and in certain municipalities of Barinas and Lara, which all voted overwhelmingly in favor of Chavez. Losing candidate Capriles paid great attention to both Merida and Tachira in his campaigning, visiting Merida on three occasions to try to consolidate the class battle which is dominated by the upper and middle classes, as well as the conservative student population in the University of Los Andes. He also visited Tachira on numerous occasions, appealing to the trader classes, as well as the immigrant communities. Many local analysts are already calling on Chavez to recognize this defeat in the Andes as a weakness in his otherwise hugely successful electoral result, and to dedicate more time and resources to improving the execution of progressive policies in both states.

ly half of the country that does not agree with him”. “Opening the doors to dialogue and understanding is normal in any democracy after an election, but in Venezuela it is an extraordinary event”, Carlos Raul Hernandez, a professor of political science at the Central University, told IPS. Since Chavez first took office in 1999, poverty has been reduced to 28.5 percent, according to the World Bank, from at least double that. And the government introduced a broad range of social programs, known as “missions”, bringing healthcare, dental care, education, subsidized food and literacy program to the poor, along with employment and housing plans. In addition, per capita GDP increased from 4,105 dollars to 10,810 dollars in 2011, according to World Bank figures. “Now that he has won another term, Chavez has an opportunity

to start rectifying, and to call on all sectors to face up to these difficulties”, Hernandez said. “Chavez’s challenge is to achieve an opening that implies overcoming the rentier economy of Venezuela, whose society and political class feed on oil revenue, and he can do that under the constitution of 1999, which is even more advanced than his discourse”, Alexander Luzardo, a professor of sociology, told IPS. In his view, “Venezuela should put in place a good social security system, and education, which with this government has expanded in terms of inclusion, should now focus on achieving quality and scientific and technological value”. In 2005, Venezuela was declared free of illiteracy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

T/ Paul Dobson P/ Agencies

ith 97.65% of the votes counted, the only states in the country where oppositional presidential candidate and conservative right-winger Henrique Capriles Radonski won were the two Andean states of Merida and Tachira. Tachira, a state situated on the Colombian border, is controlled by COPEI Governor Cesar Perez Vivas, and its 640,000 voters overwhelmingly voted 56.29% to 43.23% to support Capriles over Chavez. Merida is governed by PSUV (Chavez’s party) Governor Marcos Diaz Orellana, but has traditionally been a bastion of opposition party Accion Democratica, and Chavez was narrowly beaten by 51.14% to 48.39% by the 471,000 voters who live there. These two states stand out in sharp contrast to the national picture, where Chavez won a majority in all of the remaining 22 states, including opposition strongholds such as Zulia, Carabobo, Miranda, and for the first time, Nueva Esparta. Despite what seemed like a well-run and effective campaign in both states by the chavista forces, with significant resources being directed to run their campaigns and spontaneous rallies for the visit of candidate Chavez which far surpassed expectations, the level of Chavez’s loss in both states must be seen as a blow for his administration. In both Merida and Tachira, which share similar demographic and material conditions, the vast majority of the support for Capriles came from the principal cities, San Cristobal and Merida city. In San Cristobal, the 168,000 voters condemned Chavez to a loss by 31% to 68%, and the city of Merida’s 140,000 voters equally by 35% to 64%, which are the two heaviest defeats for the socialist candidate across the whole country. In both states, the majority of the loosely populated surrounding mountainous areas supported President Chavez, but the concentration of votes in the cities swung the states to Capriles’ benefit. The state of Merida enjoys a high quality of life, and has a

sharp concentration of wealth in the capital city. It is one of the cities of Venezuela with the most powerful upper-middle class, and it also has one of the

most conservative universities in the country. Tachira is a border state, with large immigrant Colombian communities, and a big

Chavez victory brings challenges for 21st Century Socialism T/ Humberto Marquez - IPS

he landslide victory of Hugo Chavez, who was re-elected as President of Venezuela on Sunday, could translate into an acceleration of his socialist project or a toning down of his program, which could help open up channels of understanding with the part of the country that has opposed him since he first came to power in 1999. Chavez took 55 percent of the vote, compared to 44 percent for Henrique Capriles, in an election that had the highest turnout in the country in three decades – around 81 percent according to the National Electoral Council.

Celebrating his triumph, Chavez said “Venezuela will never again return to neoliberalism, and will continue moving towards democratic, Bolivarian, 21st century socialism”. The 58-year-old President, who is recovering from cancer, congratulated the opposition for its “democratic stance” after it recognized his victory, and said “I stretch out my two hands for us to work together for the good of the homeland”. Capriles, the President’s 40year-old rival, acknowledged his defeat, saying “the people have expressed themselves, and for us that is the sacred word”. He also called on the winner of the elections to show “respect and consideration for the near-

Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

Chavez officially named as President by CNE T/ Rachael Boothroyd P/ Presidential Press

hree times elected President, Hugo Chavez, was named as the official winner of the country’s presiden-

tial elections on Wednesday evening in an event with the country’s National Electoral Council (CNE). The socialist head of state beat rightwing challenger, Henrique Capriles Radonski to the presidency on

Sunday, taking over 55% of the vote and defeating his opponent by 11.11%. During the event, the President was given an official document by CNE Director, Tibisay Lucena, recognizing

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez named a new Vice President on Wednesday, choosing his longtime Foreign Minister, Nicolas Maduro. Chavez made the announcement at an event where he was declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential election. He called for a round of applause for his outgoing Vice President, Elias Jaua, who has held the post since 2010 and is running for a governor’s post in December elections. Maduro has been Venezuela’s top diplomat since 2006, and his prominence at government events in recent months had generated speculation that Chavez might choose him as Vice President.

Chavez’s recent struggle with cancer has also led to questions about whom he could choose as a successor if his illness were to worsen. But Chavez said in June, after a year of cancer treatment that included surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, that tests had found he was cancer-free. The President called the 49year-old Maduro a “great public servant from all these years on different fronts of battle”. Before becoming Foreign Minister, Maduro was President of the National Assembly and is an important leader in Chavez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela. “Look where Nicolas is going, the bus driver”, Chavez said, referring to Maduro’s days driving a bus in Cara-

cas before he got involved in national politics. “Look how they’ve mocked him. The bourgeoisie makes fun”. Chavez’s close friendship with Maduro goes back to the 1980s, when the leftist President was an army officer and formed a clandestine movement that eventually carried out a failed coup attempt in 1992. In his youth, Maduro belonged to a small political

him as the country’s President from 2013-2019. Before handing over the certificate, Lucena congratulated all of those who had helped to ensure the smooth running of the country’s elections last Sunday, and thanked them for their “tireless work”. She also went on to comment on the free and fair nature of the Venezuelan electoral system. “More than 80% of the electorate votes in Venezuela of its own free will, whoever doesn’t recognize this will be doomed to lag behind in the history being written by our people”, she said, commenting that Venezuelan democracy would never again be “snatched” by the “ambition... of an outdated minority”. Handing over the document to President Chavez, Lucena stated that “It’s time to recognize (Chavez’s victory) before the Venezuelan people... the CNE now proceeds to proclaim citizen Hugo Chavez as the elected President of the country”. Receiving the document to a round of applause, Chavez commented that he had received a clear mandate on Sunday from the Venezuelan people to continue as the country’s President. “It was a good majority. A clear majority of Venezuelan men and women voted for their homeland, they voted for the future... I think it’s important to say it today as well, we have always visualized our

project as a historic project”, he said. Chavez went on to comment that his administration would continue to develop its social programs and would use the next six years of government to deepen the country’s socialist revolution. “On October our political horizon became clear once again, and today we know that there will continue to be independence in Venezuela... Venezuela will never again go back to neoliberalism, this path that we are taking is the path to the salvation for our people, the path towards salvation for our homeland, towards socialism of the 21st century”, he said. During the televised event, the President also revealed a list of his party’s candidates for the country’s regional elections, due to be held on December 16, and named current Foreign Relations minister, Nicholas Maduro, as his new Vice President. The country’s current Vice President, Elias Jaua, will run as a candidate in opposition controlled Miranda state, presently governed by Chavez’s former contender for the presidency, Capriles Radonski. To applause, Chavez thanked Jaua for his work and commented that he had been an “excellent” Vice President, as well as a “noble, hard-working, honest, committed and above all, humble” politician.

group called the Socialist League and traveled to Cuba for training in union organizing. Maduro is considered by some observers to be the official within Chavez’s inner circle with the closest links to the Cuban government. Maduro has such a close relationship with Chavez that he often seems to know how the President comes down on just about any issue, and he often

is picked to speak on the President’s behalf. Chavez’s next six-year term begins in January. He’s expected to start making other changes in Cabinet posts while naming allies to run for gubernatorial posts in state elections on December 16. Jaua is running to be governor in Miranda state, which includes part of Caracas and is currently controlled by opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who was defeated by Chavez in Sunday’s presidential election. Chavez won 55 percent of the vote, beating Capriles by 11 percentage points, which was the President’s smallest re-election margin to date. Chavez said his next term would bring more progress in moving toward a socialist system. He said it’s time for a “renewal in the socialist project” and called for his government to become more efficient in solving problems. “Many things must be corrected”, Chavez said.

Former bus driver named Vice President in Venezuela T/ Agencies P/ AFP

| Politics

6 Social Justice | Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

Cabrera wins crown, Vizquel takes the field for last time T/ COI P/ Agencies

enezuela celebrated two major baseball hallmarks last week when Miguel Cabrera won the American League Triple Crown and legendary shortstop Omar Vizquel retired after 24 years of major league service. Cabrera, who has posted phenomenal numbers his entire career, did something that no one in baseball has done in 45 years by leading the league in three major hitting statistics: average, home runs, and runs batted in. The native of Aragua state posted a .330/44/139 mark in the categories to claim one of baseballs most coveted achievements. The last player do it was Carl Yastrzemski with the Boston Red Sox in 1967. “Miguel Cabrera, Triple Cown! Bravo Miguel! Bravo Venezuela!” President Hugo Chavez wrote on his twitter account in congratulations to Cabrera, the first Latino ball player to accomplish the feat. The question now remains as to whether the Venezuelan will accompany his Triple Crown with an AL MVP award. While many in Major League Baseball feel that Angels rookie Mike Trout has a significant

chance at winning the Most Valuable Player award, Cabrera not only led the league in all major stats, but he also was a main reason why his team, the Detroit Tigers made it into postseason play.

18 health centers inaugurated in Venezuela this year T/ AVN

o far this year, 18 health centers have been opened in Venezuela, while several existing ones have acquired new equipment or infrastructure. The new centers include hospitals and smaller primary care facilities, as well as integral diagnostic centers, integral rehabilitation centers, and high-tech centers. All these are part of the four phases of the statefunded social mission known as Barrio Adentro

(“Inside the Neighborhood”), which has created a national health system. The first phase of the program addressed primary care, while the second involved building the diagnostic, rehabilitation, and high-tech centers. The third phase focused on reinforcing the country’s old hospital infrastructure and building new health centers, while the fourth is concerned with creating new specialized facilities like the Children’s Cardiology Hospital in Caracas. The new health centers opened this year are located

VIZQUEL PLAYS LAST GAME Over it’s history, Venezuela has been a venerable factory of shortstops, being the country of origin of some of the position’s greatest players including hall of famer Luis Aparicio and the

throughout the country, including in the states of Amazonas, Aragua, Carabobo, Guarico, Falcon, Lara, Miranda, Merida, Portuguesa and Yaracuy. Meanwhile, several existing health centers in the capital city of Caracas have been equipped to provide services such as gynecology and obstetrics, intensive therapy, internal medicine, operations, and emergency care. A dental prosthesis lab was opened in the western city of Maracaibo. The Venezuelan state invests in the health sector through the national budget, the National Development Fund (FONDEN), and the China-Venezuela Fund.

should-be-hall of famer David Concepcion. Playing his final game with the Toronto Blue Jays last Friday, Omar Vizquel now takes his rightful place among those legendary Campo Cortos, com-

pleting a remarkable career that saw the Caracas native compete in 24 major league seasons. Vizquel boasts a career batting average of .272, complimented by 2,8176 total hits more than Babe Ruth and 40th all time. But the 45 year-old will be best remembered for his defense and the eleven gold gloves that he won during a span of 2,709 games, the most played by any shortstop in history. Commenting on his retirement, Vizquel expressed his melancholy for the leaving the game that he has played for so long. “I feel sad. It’s something that I’ve done for so long and next year I won’t be able to do it like in previous years”, he mused. It would be difficult not to assume that Vizquel will soon be a member of Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame, but there has been considerable debate on the topic. Some analysts point to advanced metrics that attribute his numbers solely to longevity while others advocate his entrance as one of baseball’s greatest defensive players ever. Vizquel has remained largely silent on the question that will be taken up with greater vigor when the shortstop becomes eligible for induction in 2018. “To represent Venezuela in the Hall of Fame would be beautiful”, he said of the possibility, adding that he will be satisfied with his 24 year performance either way. “Whether I enter or not, I’m content with my career”, he said.

Venezuelan Government to promote eco-friendly tourism T/ AVN

ince last year, the Venezuelan government has been carrying out a plan to promote environmental awareness among in order to make this industry sustainable and protect the country’s natural and cultural patrimony. This program is a joint project of the Environment Ministry, the Tourism Ministry, the National Institute of Tourism and the National Institute of Cultural Patrimony. One of its objectives is to help tourists play a central role in participating in conservation and ensuring that

natural, cultural and historical goods are treated properly. This is done in part through workshops conducted by organized communities, service providers and eco-tourism brigades. About 700 people have participated in the workshops so far in the states of Bolivar, Amazonas, Nueva Esparta, Falcon, Miranda, Merida, Barinas, and Los Roques National Park. The program also aims to promote the creation of socioproductive tourism projects in communities such as small hotels, restaurants, and tour guide programs to serve domestic and international tourists.

Nº 130 • Friday, October 12, 2012

The artillery of ideas

T/ Luciano Wexell Severo, Rebelion.org P/ Presidential Press

n the early morning hours of October 8, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed the results of the previous day’s presidential election: another victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The results were consistent with all accurate estimates released over the last months, and demonstrate a progressive increase in popular support for the process of social transformation currently underway in Venezuela. According to the CNE’s final count, Chavez won with 8,062,056 votes (55.14%). The Venezuelan people have written another beautiful page in history, defeating the candidate of the oligarchy, the mainstream media, and US imperialism. This win was to be memorable, even if it had been by only one vote. But, as the CNE confirmed, the victory was secured with over a million more votes than received by opposition candidate Capriles Radonski, who obtained 6,468,450 votes (44.24%). Participation in the election was massive, with 80.7% of voters turning out to vote. The purpose of this analysis is to highlight Venezuela’s advance in political participation and demonstrate the growing trend in popular support for Chavez, first elected President in 1998. Referring specifically to the four presidential elections he has now won, Chavez’s support has grown from an initial 3,674,021 (1998) and 3,757,773 (2000) to a more-recent 7,309,090 (2006) and Sunday’s 8,062,056 (2012). In this same period, abstention has dropped from 40.6% (‘98) and 46.3% (’00), to a remarkable 26.3% (’06) and 19.3% (’12).

DEMOCRATIZING VENEZUELA In 1998, recently-elected President Hugo Chavez buried the so-called Pact of Punto Fijo, overcoming a fierce resistance by the Venezuelan oligarchy, who had concentrated their control of state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). President Chavez ended 40 years of alternating rule by the country’s two main ruling-class parties, Democratic Action (AD) and the Committee of Independent Electoral Political Organizations (COPEI). In his first presidential victory of many

Chavez win shows increasing support

to come, he obtained 56.2% of the vote (3,674,021 votes) while all other candidates totaled 42.8% (2,864,343 votes). Within months, President Chavez fulfilled his promise to call a popular vote on whether or not to elect a Constitutional Assembly tasked with writing a new Carta Magna. This proposal, taken to voters in April of 1999, was approved by an astonishing 87.7% of voters (3,630,666 people). In December of that same year, the newly-written Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was approved by 71.8% of voters, receiving 3,301,475 votes. To mark the birth of the Fifth Republic (1999), Venezuela held the so-called “mega-elections” which, among other things, ratified Chavez’s leadership. In July, 2000, President Chavez was again elected to the highest office of the executive, receiving 3,757,773 votes (59.8%). The Patriotic Pole, a pro-Chavez electoral block, won 58% of the seats in the newly-founded National Assembly. Combined, the two former ruling parties, AD and COPEI, obtained just over 20% of votes. The Constitution of 1999 is one of only a few, worldwide, that establishes a mechanism for re-

voking presidents, governors, and mayors. After completing half of their term, and if 20% of voters back such a vote, these elected officials can be challenged in a recall referendum which can both interrupt their mandate and result in new elections for their office. Looking to use this democratic mechanism against President Chavez in August 2004, the Venezuelan opposition ended up ratifying him in office. Securing only 3,989,008 votes (40.6%), the opposition had no choice but to recognize a growing majority (5,800,629 votes, or 59.1% of voters) wanted President Chavez to remain in office.

GROWING SUPPORT In the 2006 presidential election, the margin of votes favoring Chavez grew. Representing the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, in full-swing by 2006, Chavez received 7,309,080 of votes (62.8%). In contrast, a handful of opposition candidates totaled 4,321,072 votes (37.2%), with opposition governor Manuel Rosales taking some 99.1% of the opposition minority vote. Rosales, wanted on charges of corruption and misuse of public funds, now lives in self-imposed exile abroad.

President Chavez, meanwhile, encouraged by the growing tide of popular support for the Bolivarian Revolution, proposed a Constitutional Reform in 2007. Aimed at modifying 69 of the Constitution’s 350 articles, the reform looked to speed up social transformations and consolidate what has been described by many as Venezuela’s “Bolivarian Socialism”. Taken to the electorate in the context of anticommunist campaigning by the Venezuelan opposition, the proposed reforms were rejected by 50.7% of voters (4,504,354), a slim win over the other 49.3% of voters (4,379,392) who backed the reforms. Chavez immediately recognized the loss, which took place with a difference of just under 125,000 votes, and congratulated his opponents. Understanding the importance of Chavez’s leadership, the country’s socialist majority in the National Assembly singled out Article 230 (which limits executive functions to two sixyear periods) for another, one issue, popular vote. Carried out by the National Electoral Council (CNE), the February 15, 2009 vote proposed a constitutional amendment to end term-limits for all elected officials and, in total, 6,310,482 of voters (54.8%)

| Analysis

approved the reform, while 5,193,839 (45.1%) voted against.

THE LATEST According to the most-recent CNE bulletin released, with 97.65% votes counted, in this year’s presidential election President Chavez received 8,062,056 votes (55.14%) to Capriles’ 6,468,450 (44.24%), a triumph which broadens the horizons of structural changes in Venezuela. The Chavez government has strengthened the State’s role in the economy, with greater decision-making power for planning and implementing public policies, and with interventions – with growing popular participation – on the most important means of production. Internally, oil has financed the establishment and strengthening of the national economy, with a sovereign policy of industrialization as well as the creation of new basic industries tasked with supporting key public works projects and infrastructure. Little by little, the natural resources that once lined the pockets of oil multinationals and a privileged elite have become the tools of a State committed to tackling poverty and overcoming a rent-based, unproductive, and import-dependent economy. Externally, oil resources have been used as a tool for integration across Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as for the investment in a multi-polar world. Venezuela has taken a new position in its international relations: it looks to diversify production and exports, diversify the sources and recipients of its trade, and end all dependency on any one buyer or seller of specific commodities. The great Chavez victory of 2012 opens the doors, at least until 2019, to a path towards consolidating an independent, sovereign, and industrialized nation. The great democratic exercise of the Venezuelan people, expressed on October 7, should suffice to open the eyes of the misinformed. It should also suffice to leave in ridicule the mainstream media who deny the undeniable: Chavez won, again. Venezuelan democracy won, again. The only ones defeated were the elite, the privatizers, the oil and gas multinationals, the powerful behind the mass media. And, as always, firmly supporting the now-defeated forces, stand none other than the CIA and US State Department.

Friday, October 12, 2012 | Nº 130 | Caracas | www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve

INTERNATIONAL

A publication of the Fundacion Correo del Orinoco • Editor-in-Chief Eva Golinger • Graphic Design Pablo Valduciel L. - Aimara Aguilera

After recovering from a recession that began in 2009, the Venezuelan economy has been growing for two-and-a-half years now and inflation has fallen sharply while growth has accelerated. The country has a sizeable trade surplus. Its public debt is relatively low, and so is its debtservice burden. It has plenty of room to borrow foreign currency (it has borrowed $36 billion from China, mostly at very low interest rates), and can borrow domestically as well at low or negative real interest rates.

Opinion

Although some media have talked of Venezuela’s impending economic collapse for more than a decade, it hasn’t happened and is not likely to happen.

Why Chavez was re-elected T/ Mark Weisbrot

or most people who have heard or read about Hugo Chavez in the international media, his reelection on Sunday as President of Venezuela by a convincing margin might be puzzling. Almost all of the news we hear about him is bad: He picks fights with the United States and sides with “enemies” such as Iran; he is a “dictator” or “strongman” who has squandered the nation’s oil wealth; the Venezuelan economy is plagued by shortages and is usually on the brink of collapse. Then there is the other side of the story: Since the Chavez government got control over the national oil industry, poverty has been cut by half, and extreme poverty by 70 percent. College enrollment has more than doubled, millions of people have access to health care for the first time and the number of people eligible for public pensions has quadrupled. So it should not be surprising that most Venezuelans would reelect a President who has improved their living standards. That’s what has happened with all of the leftist governments that now govern most of South America. This is despite

the fact that they, like Chavez, have most of their countries’ media against them, and their opposition has most of the wealth and income of their respective countries.

Since the Chavez government got control over the national oil industry, poverty has been cut by half, and extreme poverty by 70 percent. The list includes Rafael Correa, who was reelected president of Ecuador by a wide margin in 2009; the enormously popular Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, who was reelected in 2006 and then successfully campaigned for his former chief of staff, now President Dilma Rousseff, in 2010; Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, who was reelected in 2009; Jose Mujica, who succeeded his predecessor from the same political alliance in Uruguay — the Frente Amplio — in 2009; Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who succeeded her husband, the late Nestor Kirchner, winning

the 2011 Argentine presidential election by a solid margin. These leftist presidents and their political parties won reelection because, like Chavez, they brought significant — and in some cases huge — improvements in living standards. They all originally campaigned against “neoliberalism”, a word used to describe the policies of the prior 20 years, when Latin America experienced its worst economic growth in more than a century. Not surprisingly, the leftist leaders have seen Venezuela as part of a team that has brought more democracy, national sovereignty and economic and social progress to the region. Yes, democracy: even the much-maligned Venezuela is recognized by many scholars to be more democratic than it was in the pre-Chavez era. Democracy was at issue when South America stood together against Washington on such issues as the 2009 military coup in Honduras. The differences were so pronounced that they led to the formation of a new hemisphere-wide organization — the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which excluded the United States and Canada — as an alternative to

the US-dominated Organization of American States. Here is what Lula said last month about the Venezuelan election: “A victory for Chavez is not just a victory for the people of Venezuela but also a victory for all the people of Latin America … this victory will strike another blow against imperialism”.

Not surprisingly, the leftist leaders have seen Venezuela as part of a team that has brought more democracy, national sovereignty and economic and social progress to the region. The administration of George W. Bush pursued a strategy of trying to isolate Venezuela from its neighbors, and ended up isolating itself. President Obama has continued this policy, and at the 2012 Summit of the Americas in Colombia he was as isolated as his predecessor. Although some media have talked of Venezuela’s impending economic collapse for more than a decade, it hasn’t happened and is not likely to happen.

So even if oil prices were to crash temporarily (as they did in 2008-2009), there would be no need for austerity or recession. And hardly anyone is predicting a long-term collapse of oil prices. Venezuela’s economy does have long-term problems, such as relatively high inflation and inadequate infrastructure. But the substantial improvement in people’s income (the average income has risen much faster than inflation under Chavez), plus gains in health care and education, seems to have outweighed the government’s failings in other areas, including law enforcement, in the minds of most voters. The US economic embargo against Cuba has persisted for more than half a century, despite its obvious stupidity and failure. American hostility toward Venezuela is only about 12 years old, but shows no sign of being reconsidered, despite the evidence that it is also alienating the rest of the hemisphere. Venezuela has about 500 billion barrels of oil and is burning them currently at a rate of one billion barrels a year. Chavez or a successor from his party will likely be governing the country for many years to come. The only question is when — if ever — Washington will accept the results of democratic change in the region. - Mark Weisbrot is codirector of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington and president of Just Foreign Policy.