Well, no more to say to that, except hello socialism, bye democracy.

There was an air of despair around everyone I talked to. Mom didn't take it so well. A lot of people in my family are shocked and angry. Now, a day later, everyone just gave up. My brothers think dad is going to send them to the US to scape the regime the president is establishing.

Thankfully the country didn't go up in flames thanks to one side wining over another. There was a lot of fear and tension, people thinking that a civil war was going to be started, that blood was going to run.

Pretty sad.

7:55pm (Toronto) - Allegedly TELESUR, funded mainly by the Chavez administration, reported that Hugo Chavez won the election. Enrique Andres Pretel from Reuters, in similar irresponsible fashion, reported that an exit poll from Evans/McDonough, whose work is paid for by PDVSA, suggest that Chavez already won. At this hour CNE officials are yet to announce results for the audit process started recently. TELESUR is not only funded by Chavez it was constituted and is registered in Caracas, therefore such reports are in clear violation to electoral legislation. Source

Telemundo: Venezuelan authorities halt its election transmission. Source

Today Venezuela will choose the future of their country. Either they choose Chavez, and if they do, we are stuck with a socialist revolution that has divided the country, or they choose Rosales, a guy that is promising to unite them.

I voted today at the Toronto consulate, stood in line for almost 2 hours, in -1 degree weather. Millions of other Venezuelans are doing the same back home. Lets hope today is the day the future of our country will change.

So, remember remember the 3rd of December. Because today, today everything can change.

Interesting. This article shows how f*cked up my country is.

Venezuela's social security figures: 13 million people unemployed, on a country of 26 million.

Guanare 19.11.06 | Outstanding collaborator Adolfo Fabregat just finished crossing the National Electoral (CNE) roll and Venezuela's Institute of Social Security (IVSS) databases. The results, beyond pointing out mere electoral rigging -such as roughly 1,000,000 new voters since January this year-, are gobsmacking: of 16,082,374 registered voters 8,166,790 have no record with the IVSS, that is to say, officially, they have never been employed. Worse still, an additional 4,765,973 are unemployed (cesantes). This is to say that according to Venezuela's social security database 12,932,763 people are unemployed or put another way 80.41% of people registered to vote do not have a regular job or regular income associated with employment.

This, aside from being the clearest example of how dysfunctional the Venezuelan economy has become under the militaristic caudillo's rule, is unbelievable for how could one rationally explain that more than 8 million Venezuelans in working age have never had a job, have never paid social security contributions? How can it be explained that no record of them exist or could it be that, in the frantic drive to inflate the roll, the Chavez regime simply forgot to create employment records for millions of 'new voters'? Echoing the official nonsense many analysts have said that the economy is doing great, but how can that be, considering that nearly 13 million Venezuelans are unemployed? Who's making the economy's engine turn here? Could it be that Chavez has reinvented economic principles whereby is not required to count on the labor force to showcase alleged sustained levels of growth, or is the efficiency of 3,088,184 Venezuelans with formal employment such that the 'current boom' is attributable to their extraordinary performance?

Miguel has got some posts on the real shape of Venezuela's economy. In a country of 26 million 13 million are unemployed... Will they vote for change?

Source: http://vcrisis.com/index.php?content=letters/200611191907

-President Hugo Chávez constantly warns Venezuelans a U.S. invasion is imminent.

-Chávez wants 1 million armed men and women in the army reserve

-Venezuelans are also organizing neighborhood-based militia units for Chávez's Territorial Guard. Thousands of Territorial Guard volunteers — housewives, students, construction workers — are undergoing training, earning $7.45 per session.

-Chávez on Wednesday told other South American leaders his government would blow up his country's oil fields if the United States should ever attack Venezuela


This entire thing makes me angry. First, with the excuse that the US will invade Venezuela, he scares people into believing that those 'rich white people' are going to come and take over your country. Then he tells you that the best possible solution is to train with your neighbors, so that you are prepared in case that happens. Never far off is the promise that you might get to carry a weapon.

Sounds pretty good in theory, defend your country and your people from opportunistics that want to exploit your resources and give you none of the rewards. Which has basically been the history of Veneezuela in the last 40 years. But the truth is that giving people in the streets the means to shoot other people, when the country is divided in its beliefs, thats just asking for a blood bath. Its giving power to people that are not ready to have power in their hands. Its bad enough to have a corrupt police force (Faddoul brothers murder), and judicial system, now you also give power to people in the streets???

Not to mention that those guns will probably end up in the hands of criminals, or will make more criminals out of people. People need jobs, and peace of mind, not more violence.

However Venezuela and Chavez are viewed within the international community, the reality is that IN Venezuela, things are worst than ever. Rampant corruption, violence, unnemployment, and on top of it all, hate and rage towards each other.

Source