Venezuelan election represents ideological pull

Venezuelan election represents ideological pull

As the election wraps up in Venezuela, many start to speculate what the election results mean for the future of Venezuela's political system. Although the government's party, the United Socialist Party, did not gain the 2/3 majority they needed to sustain authority over key decision making in the country, they still grabbed over 90 seats as the opposition took over 60 seats out of 165. While the opposition cries victory, the Chavistas of the country, supporters of President Hugo Chavez insist their ideology, known as the revolution will remain.

Venezuelan election an ideological dispute

Venezuelan election an ideological dispute


As the election wraps up in Venezuela, many start to speculate what the election results mean for the future of Venezuela's political system. Although the government's party, the United Socialist Party, did not gain the 2/3 majority they needed to sustain authority over key decision making in the country, they still grabbed over 90 seats and the opposition took over 60 seats out of 165. While the opposition claimes a victory, the Chavistas of the country, supporters of President Hugo Chavez insist their ideology, known as the revolution, will remain.

Chavez losing his coolness?

Chavez losing his coolness?

Recent election results have loosened Hugo Chavez's political grip on Venezuela. Chavez has called the results a 'solid victory' although the opposition parties made big gains, claiming new seats in the Asamblea Nacional and winning the majority of the popular vote. The pro-Chavez parties no longer control a supermajority of the body, making the passage of new Chavez policies more difficult. Adolfo Taylhardat, a former Venezuelan ambassador to the UN and a member of the opposition party, said the fact that the government still maintains the majority of the seats in the congress while the opposition won the majority of the vote is a contradiction that should not occur and it only occurred because the Chavez government changed electoral laws to favor granting seats to government candidates.

Chavez's grip on Venezuela loosens (slightly)

Chavez's grip on Venezuela loosens (slightly)


Recent Venezuelan election results loosened Hugo Chavez's power as opposition parties made big gains, claiming new seats in the Asamblea Nacional and winning the majority of the popular vote. However, Chavez called the results a 'solid victory' and attorney & author Eva Golinger in Caracas, Venezuela explained that Chavez still holds a majority, but not the two-thirds supermajority he once held. The victory is substantial, she argued, explaining that the pro-Chavez parties can still pass a number of reforms; however those that require a two-thirds majority would be harder to pass. She also claimed international bodies and US agencies have been interfering in the elections by supporting opposition groups.

Take me to your ... missiles?

Take me to your ... missiles?

f ET really did want to phone home, the topic of conversation may have been more than just a crush of "I miss you's" and pleasantries. It might have been an exultant expression of scoring really big -- like weapons-of-mass destruction big. What do the little green men want?

The Resident: Poverty in America

The Resident: Poverty in America

The Resident asks people on the streets of New York City: About 44 million Americans, or 1 in 7, live below the poverty level. What or who is to blame?

Americans living in a police state?

Americans living in a police state?


The FBI raided the homes of a number of anti-war activists in Chicago and Minneapolis. The Activists are planning demonstrations against the FBI. Is this a sign of a growing American police state? Former Reagan official Paul Craig Roberts argued that the US government is establishing in the mind of the public that anyone who criticizes the War on Terror is aligned with terrorists. He further argued that under the rubric of terror the government has stripped American's of their civil liberties.