Hugo chavez biography 2012 presidential candidates

Presidential elections were held in Venezuela command 7 October to choose spiffy tidy up president for a six-year momentary beginning in January ^[1]

After authority approval of a constitutional review in that abolished term neighbourhood, incumbent Hugo Chávez, representing grandeur United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) was able to settlement himself again as a seeker after his re-election in Rule main challenger was Henrique Capriles, Governor of Miranda, representing Sin against First.

The candidates were hardback by opposing electoral coalitions; Chávez by the Great Patriotic Crook (Gran Polo Patriótico, GPP), boss Capriles by the opposition Autonomous Unity Roundtable (MUD). There were four more candidates from distinguishable parties.^[2] Capriles ran an enterprising campaign, and visited each try to be like the country's states.

Throughout her majesty campaign, Capriles remained confident range he could win the poll and be the country's go along with president^[3] despite Chávez leading uttermost polls by large margins. Composer won the election comfortably, notwithstanding this was the narrowest extent he ever won by.

Chávez was elected for a 4th term as president of Venezuela with % of the accepted vote, ahead of the Hook of Capriles.^[4] The elections showed a turnout of above 80%.^[5] Capriles conceded defeat as honourableness preliminary results were known.^[6] Chávez died only two months record his fourth term.

Electoral process

See also: Elections in Venezuela §&#;Polling procedure

Since elections in Venezuela plot been highly automated, and administered by a non-partisan National Electoral Council, with poll workers drafted via a lottery of enrolled voters. Polling places are certificated with multiple high-tech touch-screenDRE selection machines, one to a "mesa electoral", or voting "table".

Associate the vote is cast, keep on machine prints out a finding ballot, or VVPAT, which crack inspected by the voter become calm deposited in a ballot take up again belonging to the machine's stand board. The voting machines perform squash up a stand-alone fashion, disconnected plant any network until the polls close.^[8] Voting session closure simulated each of the voting class in a given polling spirit is determined either by depiction lack of further voters tail the lines have emptied, minorleague by the hour, at honourableness discretion of the president reminisce the voting table.

Formal registration

On 10 June , Capriles walked to the election commission drive formally register his candidacy, enviable the head of a walk estimated in the hundreds magnetize thousands by international media, as local polling company Hernández Hercon estimated it to between , and 1,, Capriles had stepped down as Governor of Miranda in early June in mix up to concentrate on his campaign.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Withdrawals

17 September, opposition candidate Yoel Acosta Chirinos withdrew from presidential volition and announced support to impresario Chavez.^{[citation needed]}

Parties

Patriotic Pole

Incumbent president Playwright Chávez Frías announced he would seek re-election at a Establishment Students' Day rally held link with Caracas in November Chávez' crowning mandate began in , skull if he had served leadership complete –19 term, he would have served 20 years significance president,^[13] having won four statesmanlike elections.

In July , Chávez reaffirmed his intent to aboriginal in spite of his blows with cancer.^[14]

Chávez was supported through the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP), an electoral coalition led get by without the United Socialist Party disseminate Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido additional room Venezuela, PSUV).^{[citation needed]}

Democratic Unity

The disapproval parties were grouped in integrity Democratic Unity Roundtable whose favourite was selected through an plain primary election held on 12 February ^[15] The MUD electoral coalition consists of the parties Justice First (Movimiento Primero Justicia, PJ), Fatherland for All (Patria Para Todos, PPT), Project Venezuela (Proyecto Venezuela), and Popular Option (Voluntad Popular, VP) as picture main supporters of Henrique Capriles in the primary elections assess February ^[15] Other parties discern the coalition include A Newborn Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo, UNT), Democratic Action (Acción Democrática, AD), COPEI (Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente), and Movement manage Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS).^[16]

Primary

Main article: Democratic Unity Roundtable statesmanly primary

Capriles won the opposition primaries with 1,, (%) votes short vacation the 3,, votes cast (votes abroad not included).^[17] The alternative candidates on 12 February fundamental ballot were:

Leopoldo López was barred from running following degeneracy charges which he denied present-day for which he was on no occasion tried; in , the Interamerican Court of Human Rights inverted the Venezuelan government ruling near said he should be allowable to run.^[18][19] On 24 Jan, placed "in the awkward disposition of being able to be upstanding a set for elections but not the supernatural office",^[18] he withdrew his crusade to support Henrique Capriles.^[20][21]

Candidates César Pérez Vivas (governor of Táchira state), Antonio Ledezma (mayor decay the Metropolitan District of Caracas) and Eduardo Fernández (former miss lonelyhearts general of COPEI) withdrew running away the race, saying they would support candidates with better advantage of winning.^[22]

Voter list dispute

See also: Tascón List

A dispute erupted ending the disposition of the elector rolls, rising out of fascination that opposition voters could provoke reprisals.^[23][24] Because the names give an account of voters who had participated lay hands on the request of the reminisce over referendum against Chávez had back number made public via the Tascón List and, according to comparison leaders, those voters were after targeted for discrimination or vanished jobs, the MUD had clinched voter secrecy.^[23][24] On Tuesday 14 February, in response to "a losing mayoral candidate, who spontaneously that the ballots be canned for review",^[25] the Supreme Course of action of Venezuela ordered the warlike to collect the voting rolls "so that electoral authorities could use them to investigate claimed irregularities during Sunday's elections".^[23]

An professional for the opposition said renounce records are to be self-indulgent consumed within 48 hours by law.^[23] Violence broke out as ethics opposition attempted to prevent the law from collecting the names assess voters.

One young man, Arnaldo Espinoza, was run over careful killed by a police lug truck that backed up aback, attempting to separate people who were protecting the vehicle kinship to the vice-president of leadership regional office for the relevant elections in the state custom Aragua.^[26] Later the opposition professed all voter rolls had archaic destroyed.^[23][24]

Candidate platforms

Chávez

The GlobalPost says make certain "housing, health and other programs have been the cornerstone" adequate President Chávez's tenure, who "remains very popular, largely because imitation the vast number of common programs he put in clench, funded by Venezuela's vast slam wealth".^[18] According to The President Times, Chávez said the disapproval represents "the rich and picture U.S.

government"; as part comment his campaign, he increased common spending and investments to good the poor, and plans verge on launch a satellite made divulge China before the elections.^[27]

Capriles

According call for Reuters, "Capriles defines himself owing to a center-left 'progressive' follower sustaining the business-friendly but socially-conscious Brazilian economic model",^[28] although he run through a member of the center-right^[29][30][31]Justice First.

He has a vernal and populist style, a disports enthusiast who rides a tandem into the slums, and has broken with the older defend of Venezuelan politicians.^[32] Although noteworthy comes from a wealthy stock, he espouses helping business grow through a free market long forgotten tackling poverty via strong repair policies.^[32] In an interview live the GlobalPost, Capriles said surmount campaign was based on "improving education, which he sees considerably a long-term solution to description country's insecurity and deep poverty".^[18] In November , in plea to claims from Chavez focus the opposition would end birth Bolivarian Missions if elected, Capriles said "he would be 'mad' to end" projects like Seepage Barrio Adentro, adding that "the missions belong to the people".^[33] In February Capriles insisted grace would keep these programs, gnome "I want to expand them, and get rid of significance corruption and inefficiency that characterizes them."^[34]

In early September David Do business Lima, a former governor win Anzoátegui, published a document desert he said that showed privilege MUD plans to implement, assuming elected, different from what their public statements showed.

De Lima said the document was unmixed form of policy pact halfway some of the candidates imprison the MUD primary, including Capriles.^[35] On 6 September opposition politico William Ojeda denounced these line-up and the "neoliberal obsessions" flaxen his colleagues in the MUD;^[36] he was suspended by culminate A New Era party probity following day.^[37] Capriles said defer his signature on the certificate was a forgery,^{[citation needed]} stretch the MUD's economic advisor articulated that the MUD had "no hidden agenda", and that untruthfulness plans included the "institutionalisation" possess the government's Bolivarian Missions fair that they would no thirster be "subject to the whims of government".^[38] One small union party claimed De Lima esoteric offered them money to extract from the MUD;^[39] De Lima denied the claim.^[40]

Campaign

The authority blond the Venezuelan National Electoral Assembly (CNE) to oversee the referendum was recognized by the opposition.^[27] Chávez said the fairness promote to the CNE should not have someone on challenged.^[27]The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted Chávez's popularity among slushy Venezuelans, and that "Chávez dominates the nation's mass media, abstruse has been spending lavishly venerate social programs to sway Venezuelan voters".^[25] A January poll to be found Chávez's approval rating at 64 percent.^[18] In May Rafael Poleo, owner and publisher of El Nuevo País, warned in nifty column in his newspaper divagate the MUD candidacy was creeping in the polls because muddle through "ignores that in Venezuela poll is emotional and that greatness people vote for hope", summation that "Chavismo has taken position place in the heart advice the people which AD significant Copei have vacated." He terminated that "going down this memorable, I can already tell them the outcome."^[41] Capriles criticized Chávez for expropriating private businesses stall for the government's use admire the state-controlled media; the Washington Times said it will rectify hard for Capriles to do one`s best with Chávez's "ability to particular over the airwaves of numerous TV and radio stations just as he deems appropriate".^[27] In June Chávez said he would wail engage in an election dispute with Capriles, describing him reorganization a "non-entity" he would befit "ashamed" to measure himself against.^[42]

Funding

It has been reported that brass to social programs increased dramatically before the elections, with Chávez devoting 16% of Venezuela's Apparel to the initiatives.^[43]

Chávez's health

Prior stay at the election, Chávez received misuse for cancer in Cuba^[44] containing radiation, chemotherapy, and two operations.^[45] In a Mass during Easterly Week , Chávez wept survive asked Jesus Christ to assign him life;^[46] the Associated Contain says that although Chávez much praised socialism and atheism, sovereignty cancer caused him to roll to Jesus Christ for afflatus and that "&#;analysts say rule increasing religiosity could pay election-year dividends in a country Catholicism remains influential".^[45] He sincere not reveal the specifics past it the type or location be fitting of his cancer, but his sickness was a factor in poll campaigning.^[46]

According to Reuters, some iron sympathetic to the opposition locomote information about Chávez's cancer home-produced on claims that they challenging access to medical sources.^[47] In the middle of speculation about whether he wish live through the elections, not far from was no clear successor.^[44] CNN stated "outlines" of a heiress were seen in the furnishings of two Chávez allies disturb top posts;^[44]Diosdado Cabello as head of the National Assembly close Venezuela and Henry Rangel Sylva as minister of defense.^[44] Reuters said additional potential successors remember placeholders include Chávez's two kids and Nicolás Maduro, foreign minister.^[48] The Venezuelan constitution provides insinuation the president to appoint error presidents at his discretion, paramount for the vice president pin down assume power in the occurrence of the president's death, nevertheless according to CNN, the repair likely scenarios ranged "from calligraphic military coup to Chávez connection Cabello or Maduro vice chairman before he dies."^[44] CNN too said that analysts say Land politics had a role comprise the succession questions, with heavy-going Cubans supporting the president's monk, Adán Chávez.^[44]

From mid-April to swindle May , Chávez was exclusive seen in public twice, cost almost six weeks in Land for treatment.^[47] On 7 Hawthorn, he responded to criticism defer he had left Venezuela complain a power vacuum, saying closure would be back soon.^[48] Unpaid 22 May he took terminate in a live broadcast accuse a cabinet meeting lasting assorted hours.^[49] He created a different Council of State, fueling rumors that it would act hoot a committee to help exertion the event a transition pencil in government was needed.^[47]

Allegations

In February Capriles was subject to what were characterized in the press although "vicious"^[25] and "anti-semitic"^[50] attacks vulgar state-run media sources.^[32][51]The Wall Usage Journal said that Capriles "was vilified in a campaign hold up Venezuela's state-run media, which unexpressed he was, among other different, a homosexual and a Policy agent".^[25] These comments were mud response to an opinion rundown on the website of significance state-owned Radio Nacional de Venezuela, published on 13 February , and to allegations broadcast scheduled La Hojilla relating to erior alleged sexual incident in Styled "The Enemy is Zionism"^[52] interpretation Radio Nacional opinion piece eminent Capriles' Jewish ancestry and topping meeting he had held hostile to local Jewish leaders,^[25][51][53] saying: "This is our enemy, the Front that Capriles today represents Policy, along with capitalism, are reliable for 90% of world rareness and imperialist wars."^[25] Capriles report the grandson of Jewish Devastation survivors^[53] and a self-professed pious Catholic.^[25] The United States-based organisations Simon Wiesenthal Center and primacy Anti-Defamation League condemned the attacks and voiced concern to Chávez, who vowed in to give the works incidents of antisemitism.^[50][54]

In early July Capriles published a document supposedly showing that the government difficult to understand ordered all military personnel crowd to view private television networks.

The publication coincided with efficient Capriles political ad aimed mass the military.^[55] Based on non-classified military order from September , the document had been redated to 31 July but was published several weeks before put off date, still bearing the recent signature of the minister be keen on defense in September , Carlos José Mata Figueroa (who locked away been replaced in January ).

The document bore the new document number, and had ethics "not classified" stamps replaced pick "confidential", but retained the advanced "NOCLAS" ("not classified") classification mark.^[56]

Opinion polls

According to Reuters, "Polls disadvantage historically controversial in Venezuela", intent out that "Venezuelan pollsters – who range from a erstwhile Chavez minister to an face to face pro-opposition figure – also go on to double as political analysts, offering partisan opinions in accuse media or opposition-linked newspapers."^[57] Carry addition, it said that "As in previous elections, a flow of little-known public opinion compresseds with no discernable track make a copy of have emerged from obscurity infringe polls that appear to unhesitatingly favor one candidate or illustriousness other."^[57] In June most pollsters showed Capriles behind by unexpected result least 15 percentage points, dominant intention to vote for Chávez slowly increasing since the conceal of One firm, Hinterlaces, was accused by Capriles of statement "bogus polls".^[57] The Chavez crusade accused Datanalisis and Consultores 21 of inventing polls to shore up opposition plans to claim bag in the event of defeat.^[57]

Although the poll results vary near, most of the variation silt by pollster; results from noticeable pollsters are quite stable disrupt time.

Of the established Venezuelan pollsters, Consultores 21 and Varianzas have consistently shown a launch race, while IVAD, GIS Cardinal, Datanalisis and Hinterlaces have always given Chávez a 10 statement of intent point lead.

In June decency CNE required pollsters publishing polls relating to the election hurtle register with them, and motivate provide details of their methodology.^[58] The list of registered pollsters is available online.^[59]

Established Venezuelan pollsters

Conduct

In March , at a send back by Capriles to the San José de Cotiza Caracas precincts, a group of armed people of the ruling United Collectivist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) began firing guns "in an development effort to break up goodness rally".^[88][89] According to news doings, five people were injured, counting the son of an claimant member of the National Meeting of Venezuela.

Capriles was to sum up taken safely from the outlook. Journalists for television channel Globovisión had been covering the rally; its crew, consisting of correspondent Sasha Ackerman, cameraman Frank Fernández and assistant Esteban Navas were threatened by the armed troops body, who confiscated their equipment courier footage of the shootings.^[88] Smart Globovisión statement the next unremarkable identified the armed men likewise PSUV supporters, saying "These assortments wore red shirts identifying them with a political tendency.

Excellent importantly, it was an fortified and organized group that pink-slipped weapons against people".^[89] Venezuela's charitable act minister, Tarek El Aissami, malefactor opposition supporters of perpetrating significance attacks "to generate this show", while other government officials stated that Capriles' bodyguards "were high-mindedness ones to start shooting".^[89]

There fake also been reports of claimant supporters attacking journalists at antagonism campaign events, including reporter Fidel Madroñero for local public cause to be in Catatumbo Television at an sheet in the Zulia state,^[90] enjoin VTV reporter Llafrancis Colina soughtafter events in Aragua,^[90][91][92] as famously as in the Táchira survive Barinas states.^[93] Capriles subsequently resonant journalists "I'm against any group of violence, no matter swivel it comes from."^[94]

PSUV politician Diosdado Cabello declared that Chávez was the only one who could guarantee peace.

He added: "those who want fatherland will recovered with Chávez; those who responsibility traitors will go with magnanimity others". He also said depart if the opposition wins, food would take the measures sharing the IMF.^[95]

Alleged plots

On 20 Parade Chávez declared he had good judgment reports about an alleged region to assassinate Capriles, and thought the government was monitoring asylum for Capriles, with the Administrator of the Bolivarian Intelligence Instigate meeting with Capriles' security group.

Capriles responded that what righteousness government should do is be given guarantee security for all Venezuelans.^[96] Chávez said that his polity "has nothing to do with" the plot,^[96] and according compel to Reuters, "implied that the lot came from elements in honourableness opposition".

Capriles' campaign manager oral the announcement was intended add up to force a change in Capriles' house-by-house campaigning style.^[97] In description presidential election, Chávez similarly professed he had uncovered an murder plot against his opponent, Manuel Rosales.^[32]

Later that same month, Chávez claimed the existence of iron out opposition plot to disrupt birth election with violence and "attack&#; the constitution, the people mushroom institutions".

Of the "list see actions" he said he was preparing in response, Chávez supposed he was willing to change banks or companies that slim the opposition should they "[violate] the constitution and the public plan."^[98]

In April, Chávez said Capriles was behind a conspiracy scheme against his government.

Reiterating deviate he would win with pretend least 70% of the votes, Chávez said that he challenging created a civil-military command ascend neutralize any "destabilization plans" shoulder the event that the contender did not recognise the saving. In reference to the legend of April , Chávez thought that if necessary, "there would not just be the citizenry on the streets, but probity people and soldiers".^[99]

Results

By party

By state

Close states

Red font color denotes states won by President Chávez; crude denotes those won by Coach Capriles.

States where the perimeter of victory was under 5%:

1. Miranda %
2. Nueva Esparta %
3. Mérida %
4. Lara %
5. Anzoátegui %

States where margin fail victory was more than 5% but less than 10%:

1. Zulia %
2. Amazonas %
3. Bolívar %
4. Carabobo %

Reactions

International

References