Venezuela's Chávez defiant, despite defeat

President Hugo Chávez indicated Tuesday that he will not give up on plans to change the Constitution, even though voters rejected the idea this past Sunday.

By Daniel Cancel | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the December 6, 2007 edition

Page 1 of 2

Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says the time has come for "profound reflection" following his first electoral defeat in nine years at the helm Sunday night.

"Did I make a mistake in choosing the strategic moment to present [the proposal for sweeping Constitutional changes]?" Mr. Chávez asked on state television Monday. "It could be. We still aren't mature enough to adopt an openly socialist project."

But Chávez's acceptance of the results has strengthened his democratic credentials, and analysts say he'll use that to push his socialist "revolution" just as fervently as he has been.

"It is striking how quickly and shrewdly Chávez turned the defeat to his political advantage, claiming the high road and retaking the initiative," says Michael Shifter, the vice president for policy at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank. "He remains determined and resolute in pursuing his revolution, but the vote means he will encounter growing resistance, not only at home but throughout the region. The loss reveals seeds of decay that are likely to intensify over the next year or so."

Chávez's base has weakened ...

After getting nearly 3 million votes fewer than last year's presidential elections, government officials have wonder what happened to their key bases of support. Reports Tuesday showed that in Petare – one of the most densely populated slums in Latin America and normally a stronghold for Chávez – the "No" option won 62 percent while only 38 percent backed the constitutional reform.

"Chávez needs to reflect upon the proposal and his close collaborators. There must be a new sensibility when new changes are proposed, because any decision he attempts to make by force could cause serious consequences," says Carlos Luna, a political analyst and professor at the Central University of Venezuela.

But few believe the results will cause Chávez to alter his course.

Alberto Barrera, a novelist and co-author of the Chávez biography, "Chávez sin Uniforme," says the president seems unwilling to read the truth from the electoral results, showing what he calls a ¨short circuit¨ between what Chávez wants and what the people want. "President Chávez exists because the country's elite ignored and turned their backs on the will of the people, but now it seems he may be willing to do the same," he says.

Page 1 | 2 | Next Page