Hugo
Chávez Triumphs
By Sharmini Peries
17 August, 2004
Venezuela Analysis
President
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, first elected in 1998 made democratic history
today in a triumphant defeat of the recall referendum on his Presidency.
The very Constitution
that he championed in 1999, that re-elected him in 2000, allows for
a mid-term recall referendum for the President's term in office. After
six years in office, in this recall referendum held on Sunday, August
15th, Chavez lead with a 58% majority. Voters clearly exercised their
constitutional right to confirm the President in a historic referenda
process, never practiced in the history of this hemisphere.
Under the watchful
eyes of over six hundred international observers and media scattered
throughout the country, a majority of Venezuelan's prevented their president
from being ousted by a coalition opposition led by Accion Democratica
(AD) and the Christian Democrats (COPEI), both parties representing
the moderate and ultra right. Renowned international election observer
delegations from the Carter Center, Organization of American States
(OAS), and European Parliamentarians hailed the referendum process as
free and fair.
With this referendum
President Chavez's government has been reaffirmed in a total of eight
elections, referendums and plebiscites in six years. Apart from the
democratic processes at work, Chavez and his government have withstood
the coup d'etat of April 2002, a general lockout orchestrated by the
oil-igarchy management and union leadership (CTV) that stalled the country's
oil economy. They have resisted the aggressive private media (press
and television alike) that has been carrying out a flagrantly racist
character assassination of the Mestizo (Indigenous, Black and White)
politically left President.
Chavez escaped an
opposition hired Colombian paramilitary's attempt to assassinate him
in May 2004. He has remained popular while a segment of the Catholic
church leadership who enjoyed the benefits of aligning themselves with
the wealthy tried to diminish his commitment to the Church and the poor.
He has jarred the political opposition that is backed by the private
media and corporations, not to mention the international private media
that continues to frame Chavez as a militant red beret military commander
and Chief, in spite of his repeated landslide democratic electoral victories.
It has kept the tide out from the oil guzzling empire just north of
Caribbean sea, who earned tax free investment and free market opportunities
here for 80 years and backed the failed coup d'etat against Chavez in
April 2002.
Regardless of this
pressure, Chavez remains the only elected leader of a nation that has
relentless guts to give continuing volume to his peoples opposition
to U.S-led neo-liberalism in the region and economic, political and
military aggression the world over. If the social movements who captured
the world's imagination with the slogan "another world is possible"
could choose a political leader it should be President Hugo Chavez.
Such resistance runs in the veins of Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution
provoking left and middle ground political leaders.
In Latin America
Chavez received the un-stinted support of progressive political parties
such as Lula's Workers Party (PT) in Brazil that sent a delegation of
support this week. The Argentinean government sent two former Presidents:
Eduardo Duhalde and Fernando de La Rua of the Peronist party. He receives
standing ovations from Latin American Indigenous Rights Movements, Landless
Movement of Peasant (MST), and Via Campesinas (Peasants Movement-- 60
million strong world wide).
Chavez enjoys credibility
among leftist academics, writers, and artists, who signed a manifesto
of support. It included such leading thinkers as Eduardo Galeano (Uruguay),
Ahíjaz Ahmad (India), Tariq Ali (Pakistan-England), Manu Chao
(Spain-France), Eric Hobsbawm (England), Naomi Klein (Canada), and Ken
Livingstone, the Mayor of London (England). The letter stated: "
we wish to denounce the disainformation campaign that is being orchestrated
by the major media and that attempts to characterize Chavez as a tyrant,
a President who has consistently respected the rule of law and the country's
Constitution".
Endorsement of the
President is now trickling in from the United States. Jesse Jackson
dissenting from his own Democratic Party position articulated by the
US presidential candidate John Kerry has signed a Chavez campaign letter.
A few dozen US citizens including US congressman and Hollywood star
Danny Glover are here in Caracas adding their voice to the never ending
chants of "Uh ah Chavez no se va" (Uh ah Chavez will not go)
that is echoing in the streets.
With yet another
massive win under his belt, the real question is will the United States
stay out of the internal politics of this country and let President
Chavez carry out the democratic mandate of his people, or will they
be continuing their overt and covert operations in Venezuela, as they
did thirty years ago in Allende's Chile?
Sharmini Peries
writes for Venezuela Analysis.