The star Online
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Caracas - Venezuela's firebrand President Hugo Chavez has celebrated his re-election by vowing to launch a "revolutionary democracy", taunting the US administration, and saluting Cuba's ailing communist leader.
"More than 60% voted for the socialist project," a jubilant Chavez told cheering supporters, from a balcony of the presidential palace in Caracas yesterday as salvoes of thunderous fireworks echoed in the night sky.
Venezuelans "voted for 21st century socialism, this new era of socialist democracy Â… the expansion of the revolution, of a revolutionary democracy".
The new Venezuela, Chavez said on Sunday, would have a political, social and economic system based on equality, adding "Venezuela is red, very red". Crying out "down with imperialism", the flamboyant leftist leader lashed out at George Bush, using some of his favourite terms for the US president, to the delight of the crowd that braved a torrential downpour.
"This is another defeat for the empire of Mr Danger," he said in reference to a blue-eyed American in a 1929 novel who steals land from unwary Venezuelan peasants.
Chavez sent out a "brotherly" salute to Cuba's ailing communist leader Fidel Castro, and, his arms reaching out towards a statue of Jesus Christ, asked for divine guidance during his mandate.
"What we have here is a revolution," said Juan Carlos Bracamonte, a worker who had travelled 450km to celebrate Chavez's victory.
A little later, state governor Manuel Rosales conceded defeat as partial results gave Chavez 61% of the votes and a lead of 23 points over his rival.
A former paratrooper who once led a failed military coup, Chavez (52) has survived a two-day ouster, a recall referendum and a massive oil strike aimed at forcing him to step down.
Flush with petrodollars, he vowed to boost social programmes that have kept him popular among the millions of impoverished Venezuelans who played a key role in giving him landslide electoral victories in 1998 and in 2000.
"Chavez enjoys widespread support for his signature social programmes among the Venezuelan poor who make up the majority of the population," said pollster Alex Evans.
"It is this support, combined with his personal charisma, that are responsible for his re-election," said Evans, who conducted voter polls for a Venezuelan state-run company.
Chavez has also cultivated his image as a virulent critic of the US administration, even though Venezuela exports about half its daily oil production of more than 3-million barrels a day to the US.
The Venezuelan election capped a busy electoral year in Latin America where six leftist leaders, including Chavez, have been voted into office.
Chavez, who had been accused of meddling in some of the elections in the region, hailed the recent leftist victories, which he said would give impetus to his plan for regional economic integration that he hopes will lessen US influence in the region. - Sapa-AFP