Nervous Expectation as Venezuela Goes to Polls - New York Times [dayinformations.blogspot.com]
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People lined up to cast their votes in the Petare shantytown in Caracas on Sunday.
CARACAS â€" A steady stream of Venezuelans turned out to vote on Sunday in a landmark election that could give President Hugo Chávez a new term to extend and deepen his socialist revolution or replace him with a youthful, more moderate challenger, Henrique Capriles Radonski.
The day began as early as 3 a.m. in poor neighborhoods where Mr. Chávez enjoys strong support, with activists driving around on motorcycles and trucks, blowing bugles and air horns and blaring his campaign music to rouse people to go out and vote. In some neighborhoods, residents turned out before the polls opened at 6 a.m. and by early morning, voting centers had lines around the block.
“I’ve been voting here my whole life and it’s the first time I’ve seen such a long line,†said Elsi Fernandes, 33, who stood in line with her 6-year-old daughter for more than two hours before casting her vote for Mr. Capriles at a school in Catia, a poor area of central Caracas. Television reports showed long lines in other parts of the country as well.
“There’s enthusiasm, but it’s also very quiet,†Ms. Fernandes, a teacher, said of those standing waiting outside. “That’s not very much like us Venezuelans.â€
For the first time since Mr. Chávez took office in 1999, the outcome of a presidential election was in doubt and Ms. Ferro said that she sensed a nervous expectation among voters in line. Troops in green fatigues were stationed at many polling places.
Venezuela is a major oil supplier to the United States yet Mr. Chávez has steered the country away from Washington. He is close to countries like Cuba and Iran and has been a thorn in the side of the United States in Latin America, leading an anti-imperialist bloc critical of American policies.
At home Mr. Chávez has championed social programs that provide education, housing and subsidized food to the poor, and he has sought to create a socialist economy, nationalizing many businesses to put them under state control. But he has also governed with autocratic reach, undercutting the independence of the courts and the legislature.
Mr. Chávez has been president for nearly 14 years. If he wins and serves out another six-year term, he would reach two full decades in office. But his longevity may also be a weakness, with many voters saying they are simply ready for a change.
The president started the campaign with a large lead. But Mr. Capriles has run a strong campaign, making inroads in poor areas fiercely loyal to Mr. Chávez, and in recent weeks he appeared to surge, possibly closing the gap. Handicapping the election has been complicated by the fear felt by many Venezuelans that a vote for the opposition could bring retaliation.
Adding to the anxiety, the government recently introduced a new electronic voting system that many Venezuelans feared might be used by the government to track those who vote against the president. Electoral officials and opposition leaders have defended the integrity of the system, but there was significant distrust, and a big part of Mr. Capriles’s campaign has been to reassure citizens that their votes will remain secret. Mr. Capriles has also jabbed away at widespread corruption, government mismanagement and out-of-control violent crime. He called for Venezuelans to work together, a contrast to Mr. Chávez, who delights in demeaning and insulting his opponents.
And Mr. Capriles has promised to keep and improve Mr. Chávez’s signature social programs. Mr. Capriles has crisscrossed the country, keeping up a manic pace for months. Mr. Chávez, who has been battling cancer, sometimes went two or three days without a campaign stop.
Mr. Chávez won the last presidential election in 2006 with nearly 63 percent of the vote, compared with almost 37 percent for his opponent. He has predicted he will win in a landslide. But even his supporters said on Sunday that they expected the race to be tight.
Joselito Villanueva, 51, a security guard, said, “I voted for a change for the country, for reconciliation.
“I voted for the president in 2006 but the country isn’t doing any better,†said Mr. Villanueva, who cast his ballot in Petare, a poor neighborhood in eastern Caracas. “Promises come and go and Venezuela remains behind.â€
But in Catia, MarÃa Elena Severine, 59, a cleaning woman in a bank, said that Mr. Chávez was still as fresh a candidate as when he first ran in 1998.
“I like my president,†she said. “He is the revolution. He is change.â€
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