Hugo’s power grab: ¿Si o No?; Update: Still waiting, too close to call…10:47pm Eastern… “photo finish;” Update: NO!
Update 7:00am Eastern 12/3. Hugo loses.
Voters in this country narrowly defeated a proposed overhaul to the constitution in a contentious referendum over granting President Hugo Chávez sweeping new powers, the Election Commission announced early Monday.
It was the first major electoral defeat in the nine years of his presidency. Voters rejected the 69 proposed amendments 51 to 49 percent.
The political opposition erupted into celebration, shooting fireworks into the air and honking car horns, when electoral officials announced the results at 1:20 a.m. The nation had remained on edge since polls closed Sunday afternoon and the wait for results began.
The outcome is a stunning development in a country where Mr. Chávez and his supporters control nearly all of the levers of power. Almost immediately after the results were broadcast on state television, Mr. Chávez conceded defeat, describing the results as a “photo finish.”
“I congratulate my adversaries for this victory,” he said. “For now, we could not do it.”
Opposition leaders were ecstatic. “Tonight, Venezuela has won,” said Manuel Rosales, governor of Zulia State and the opposition’s candidate in presidential elections last year.
Update 10:35pm Eastern. Too close to call.
It’s going to be a “photo finish”…
Hugo Chavez sought to cement his power and end presidential term limits in a vote Sunday that the government said was too close to call.
One opposition leader likened the vote on constitutional changes to a photo finish. Another told The Associated Press that initial results showed the referendum was headed for defeat.
But caravans of Chavez’s supporters took to the streets after most polls closed honking horns and blaring celebratory music in anticipation of victory. The opposition said it was closely monitoring the returns.
“The result of the referendum is close,” Vice President Jorge Rodriguez said from Chavez’s campaign headquarters. “We will respect the result, whatever it is — even if it’s by one single vote … We call on the other side to do the same.”
He said some polling stations were still open to allow voting Sunday night, hours after the official close, and the electoral council was still awaiting results from 20 percent of them.
Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of the Caracas district of Chacao, claimed that results seen by election monitors “indicate the ‘no’ vote is going to win.” Julio Borges, a former lawmaker and presidential contender, said “the photo is very tight.”
Report from Caracas Chronicles: “Quico says: Multiple sources inside CNE now confirm it. Chávez’s constitutional reform proposal has been defeated at the polls. An official announcement is imminent.”
Update: Delays, delays, delays.
Daniel at Venezuela News and Views:
21:59
Still nothing official. But my SMS box is full of junk. Meanwhile the NO headquarters are loudly implying their victory. It does seem that the NO won but the CNE and the government are figuring out how to present it. One thing is certain: if the SI had won convincingly, AND honestly, we would already know. One thing we can thus advance in all certitude: if the SI won, it is by the narrowest of margins.
Gateway Pundit has a good round-up.
***
Today’s the day. Will Hugo Chavez’s power grab succeed? The Venezuelan blogosphere is lit up. Caracas Chronicles has the latest poll numbers before voting began:
The blogger at The End of Venezuela As We Know It has voted and posts a purple finger photo.
Daniel at Venezuela News and Views reports:
Back from voting. It was a breeze. But it was also a mystery: my table had no line whatsoever but all the other tables had at least a couple of dozen people waiting and more outside as people were allowed in only as their voting table cleared up some. I was allowed to walk right in.
I did drive around some, visiting about a dozen voting centers, including two in very chavista areas. No lines anywhere. No way to judge abstention so far. My voting book had only two signatures when I voted, I was the third one to sign. This time it had only 10 names per page (I think). I sort of hung around trying to glance at other pages and none had more than 2 to 4 lines filled up. Thus there are plenty of people to vote as obviously more than half the people have not moved there. And I vote in one of the most anti Chavez district of San Felipe.
The latest from the wires:
President Hugo Chavez would take on expanded powers and no longer face term limits under sweeping constitutional changes being considered by Venezuelans Sunday in a contentious vote that has raised tensions in South America’s top oil exporter.
An emboldened opposition and recent violent clashes involving protesters point to a potentially volatile dispute if the vote is close, as some pollsters predict.
Lines snaked outside polling stations as voting began. Voters were awakened in Caracas by fireworks exploding in the pre-dawn sky and reveille blaring from speakers mounted on cruising trucks.
“This is transcendental day for Venezuela,” voter Raul Perez said, without revealing whether he was voting “yes” or “no.”
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Trackbacks
- Plains Feeder - Vota NO
- Will Chavez Succeed in Power Grab? : The American Pundit
- JammieWearingFool
- This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here » …with bated breath (Updated 2x)
- Right Voices » Blog Archive » Aljazeera & Reuters Call Election For Chavez…No Confirmation From A Credible News Source Is Available
- Blue Star Chronicles
- Chavez Big Loser -Assorted Babble by Suzie
- A NEWT ONE
- Right Wing News
- The Queen of All Evil
- Venezuela: Voters Say NO to Hugo Chavez and Indefinite Re-Election …Socialism | Scared Monkeys
- PAXALLES
- Citizens Of Venezuela Hand Sean Penn And Hugo Chavez Huge Defeat
- Today, we weep celebrate for Venezuela at Traction Control
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From Daniel’s blog:
Yeah, nbarry, he conceded…so did Gore. At first, that is-notice the Florida reference.
Still, who doubts that this whole thing was rigged for him to win-and yet he didn’t win! No matter what he does now, this has to be the ultimate humiliation for Che Chavez (pi$$ be upon him).
The news says he lost. The next couple of days should be interesting. A recount will show he actually won, of course. Or, declare it a null and void election since it was manipulated by the CIA. He will try to work around the vote. Elections in a communist state are for show anyway.
Lost by 2 points, right. And I’m Hillary Clinton.
Snooper, sorry, but I don’t acknowledge the Huff Poof. When they get “any” legitimate and educated people writing for them, then perhaps I’ll take a (very) short glance.
Hugo: “I am Calm” Whenever a mentally ill person says something like this it means they wish they were calm. What they really are is just the opposite. I wouldn’t want to be around him right about now.
I don’t imagine anyone believes this with stop him from trying to appoint himself dictator-for-life for very long.
I don’t think there’s any doubt the CIA played a role in the Venezuelan election. That’s what they do and what they should do.
#99 derel…gotta disagree. I’m not really sure I want the CIA out interjecting into other countries governments. Under who’s direction? To whom are they accountable? Are the laws of unintended consequences considered?
I’m not saying they don’t, I’m just saying I’m not really sure I want them doing so – given the track record of history concerning such.
At least we have some good news to start the week off the people of Venezuela have shout NO with a resounding vote on his plans to be dictator for life (for now). I am very happy for them and hope they can remove this deranged idiot from office as soon as possible.
Not out of the woods yet, just like Shamnesty….. it’s baaaaaaaack is still in the playbook.
What is so stunning about it? This always happens: You get useful idiots who place communists in power. They ruin the country and take away all freedoms and capitalism, making the country far worse off, and then the people begin to wake up. By that time the dictator won’t give up power.
Sounds like he has no plans on relinquishing power.
The dictator’s new title: Fatty Chavez Loser!
Amazing and confusing – I assumed he would somehow fix the voting results. Do we dare hope he will actually accept the outcome and move on? Or will he work behind the scenes and try another power grab in a few years? I understand he can run again in 2012?
No – I read that wrong…this means he will be BARRED from running again in 2012…
51% to 49%? Still scary. I would have thought the vote would be overwhelmingly against.
I have a feeling Chavez will be shrewd enough eventually to admit he lost (assuming that was indeed the case) and to find a Mini-Mini-Me to replace him. I mean, look at Bill Clinton. The social realities Chavez has exploited won’t disappear just because, like leaders from FDR to Pinochet, he overplayed his hand.
It doesn’t matter. Even with this “defeat” Chavez is still in power until 2013. By then he will have nationalized whatever he wants to and silenced anyone who dares speak out against him. He will have the dictatorship he wants. We are likely witnessing another Cuba a-borning.
At least the USA is likely to benefit from the more educated and wise Venezuelans who may now begin to leave in earnest.
Chavez is like Bush in that he vastly exceeded his constitutional authority. If he does not respect this vote, he will be even worse. Let’s hope for the best.
So he will try to get another vote put up maybe worded a little different, and presto. This guy isn’t legit.
LGF,
You must be mentally ill if you cannot see the difference between wiretapping Muslim terrorist cells in America (probably your definition of “exceeding constitutional authority”) and doing what Chavez has done (attempting to close all Catholic schools and expel priests and nuns, stealing from the middle class, ending capitalism and private property rights, becoming president for life, and attempting to make the country into Cuba or North Korea).
LGFLGMIt is good that the people of Venezuela voted responsibly and intelligently – unfortunately Hugo the ego has 5 more years to destroy their country and create a marxist dictatorship with has fat butt over them.
#107 tgillian: Manipulation of the ignorant is the stock in trade of all would be dictators. There are large segments of the population in Venezuela and other Latin American countries who are poor and uneducated. These are the willing followers of any demagogue who will promise them “bread and circuses.”
Chavez’s bashing of America is aimed at a domestic audience.
Fortunately Hugo overreached himself. While he was busy cozying up to established dictators overseas, the domestic opposition at home mobilized just well enough to defeat this power grab. The only question is “When will he try again?”
well prayer does work, as i know there were many praying that this hungry-to-be-a-dictator would not get the power that he was seeking.
probably due to the fact that now because of chavez, an individual has to hunt all through town to be able to buy a carton of milk. yes a socialist democracy really, really works well. the economic elite remain rich and everyone else has equality..poverty.
that is what the libs want here, amazing, they have no clue that not all of them will be the economic elite!!
Hooray Venezuela, today is a day to celebrate
One more moment in the World arm-wrestle
….the turning point when the adversary has over-estimated its strength & begins to be pushed back. O, & be the way, we win. That’s the Right Hand of God they are up against!
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071125.html
I see lgm is mythologizing again. This is also a totalitarian tactic, “the big lie.”
YAY Venezuela!
Unfortunately for venezolanos, however, Chairman Chavez will simply reintroduce this to another vote further down the road. You see, he’s learned a lot about how to do this from his liberal puppets in the US Congress via their incessant proposals to end the war being brought up ad nauseum with the hope that just one will actually pass–or that they can bully people into caving.
It’s the socialist way, amigos.
Hmm, if that were the case I’d fully expect Sean Penn to praise President Bush for doing what his pal Chavez has done.
Nice try in your attempt to equate the two, though.
“For now” eh, there Huggo!!! This man is a tyrannt.
Cosmo’s right…This is just phase one for the drawrf Hugo. He’s got the better part of five years to have another election, fix the outcome and point to this election to tell everyone how close it was. Like the smelly sock in the closet, we’ll get another wiff of this in the future.
I wonder what happened to Leatherneck’s post? Rick?
It went: Arrrr, hoist the Jolly Roger. All hands on deck for boarding! Arrrr!