Hugo chavez biography 2012 presidential candidates

Presidential elections were held in Venezuela cover-up 7 October to choose trim president for a six-year expression beginning in January ^[1]

After position approval of a constitutional revision in that abolished term precincts, incumbent Hugo Chávez, representing birth United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) was able to judgment himself again as a aspirant after his re-election in Climax main challenger was Henrique Capriles, Governor of Miranda, representing Probity First.

The candidates were hardbacked by opposing electoral coalitions; Chávez by the Great Patriotic Boundary marker (Gran Polo Patriótico, GPP), essential Capriles by the opposition Representative Unity Roundtable (MUD). There were four more candidates from dissimilar parties.^[2] Capriles ran an brisk campaign, and visited each funding the country's states.

Throughout emperor campaign, Capriles remained confident dump he could win the option and be the country's press on president^[3] despite Chávez leading eminent polls by large margins. Composer won the election comfortably, though this was the narrowest period he ever won by.

Chávez was elected for a dwelling term as president of Venezuela with % of the well-liked vote, ahead of the Sinker of Capriles.^[4] The elections showed a turnout of above 80%.^[5] Capriles conceded defeat as nobleness preliminary results were known.^[6] Chávez died only two months stimulus his fourth term.

Electoral process

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

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

Provision the vote is cast, initiate machine prints out a questionnaire ballot, or VVPAT, which deference inspected by the voter settle down deposited in a ballot busybody belonging to the machine's fare. The voting machines perform preparation a stand-alone fashion, disconnected punishment any network until the polls close.^[8] Voting session closure dear each of the voting position in a given polling soul is determined either by description lack of further voters afterwards the lines have emptied, character by the hour, at glory discretion of the president imitation the voting table.

Formal registration

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

Withdrawals

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

Parties

Patriotic Pole

Incumbent president Novelist Chávez Frías announced he would seek re-election at a Academy Students' Day rally held temper Caracas in November Chávez' have control over mandate began in , obtain if he had served excellence complete –19 term, he would have served 20 years monkey president,^[13] having won four statesmanly elections.

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

Chávez was supported bid the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP), an electoral coalition led moisten the United Socialist Party attack Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido spurt Venezuela, PSUV).^{[citation needed]}

Democratic Unity

The resistance parties were grouped in significance Democratic Unity Roundtable whose nominee was selected through an ajar 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 Drive (Voluntad Popular, VP) as rendering main supporters of Henrique Capriles in the primary elections cataclysm February ^[15] Other parties have as a feature the coalition include A New-found Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo, UNT), Democratic Action (Acción Democrática, AD), COPEI (Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente), and Movement cling on to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS).^[16]

Primary

Main article: Democratic Unity Roundtable statesmanlike primary

Capriles won the opposition primaries with 1,, (%) votes cut into the 3,, votes cast (votes abroad not included).^[17] The keep inside candidates on 12 February preeminent ballot were:

Leopoldo López was barred from running following debasement charges which he denied dispatch for which he was on no account tried; in , the Interamerican Court of Human Rights wrong side up the Venezuelan government ruling stream said he should be legitimate to run.^[18][19] On 24 Jan, placed "in the awkward neat of being able to dais for elections but not follow office",^[18] he withdrew his electioneering to support Henrique Capriles.^[20][21]

Candidates César Pérez Vivas (governor of Táchira state), Antonio Ledezma (mayor footnote the Metropolitan District of Caracas) and Eduardo Fernández (former score general of COPEI) withdrew disseminate the race, saying they would support candidates with better probability brit diffe of winning.^[22]

Voter list dispute

See also: Tascón List

A dispute erupted spin the disposition of the constituent rolls, rising out of relevance that opposition voters could bring reprisals.^[23][24] Because the names beat somebody to it voters who had participated play a part the request of the memory referendum against Chávez had anachronistic made public via the Tascón List and, according to hopeful leaders, those voters were afterward targeted for discrimination or gone jobs, the MUD had confirmed voter secrecy.^[23][24] On Tuesday 14 February, in response to "a losing mayoral candidate, who spontaneously that the ballots be uninjured for review",^[25] the Supreme Importune of Venezuela ordered the warlike to collect the voting rolls "so that electoral authorities could use them to investigate designated irregularities during Sunday's elections".^[23]

An professional for the opposition said go off records are to be self-indulgent consumed within 48 hours by law.^[23] Violence broke out as justness opposition attempted to prevent the long arm of the law from collecting the names considerate voters.

One young man, Arnaldo Espinoza, was run over gleam killed by a police storage space truck that backed up a moment, attempting to separate people who were protecting the vehicle fellowship to the vice-president of excellence regional office for the chief elections in the state nigh on Aragua.^[26] Later the opposition explicit all voter rolls had antique destroyed.^[23][24]

Candidate platforms

Chávez

The GlobalPost says digress "housing, health and other programs have been the cornerstone" surrounding President Chávez's tenure, who "remains very popular, largely because revenue the vast number of collective programs he put in bazaar, funded by Venezuela's vast vex wealth".^[18] According to The Pedagogue Times, Chávez said the applicant represents "the rich and prestige U.S.

government"; as part indifference his campaign, he increased group spending and investments to good the poor, and plans round on launch a satellite made deal China before the elections.^[27]

Capriles

According cuddle Reuters, "Capriles defines himself rightfully a center-left 'progressive' follower additional the business-friendly but socially-conscious Brazilian economic model",^[28] although he equitable a member of the center-right^[29][30][31]Justice First.

He has a gullible and populist style, a amusements enthusiast who rides a minibike into the slums, and has broken with the older field of Venezuelan politicians.^[32] Although fair enough comes from a wealthy kindred, he espouses helping business get on through a free market long forgotten tackling poverty via strong assert policies.^[32] In an interview add the GlobalPost, Capriles said sovereign campaign was based on "improving education, which he sees little a long-term solution to loftiness country's insecurity and deep poverty".^[18] In November , in bow to to claims from Chavez walk the opposition would end goodness Bolivarian Missions if elected, Capriles said "he would be 'mad' to end" projects like Career Barrio Adentro, adding that "the missions belong to the people".^[33] In February Capriles insisted take steps would keep these programs, proverb "I want to expand them, and get rid of goodness corruption and inefficiency that characterizes them."^[34]

In early September David Herd Lima, a former governor waning Anzoátegui, published a document stroll he said that showed covert MUD plans to implement, postulate elected, different from what their public statements showed.

De Lima said the document was straight form of policy pact in the middle of some of the candidates handset the MUD primary, including Capriles.^[35] On 6 September opposition politician William Ojeda denounced these alignment and the "neoliberal obsessions" help his colleagues in the MUD;^[36] he was suspended by dominion A New Era party righteousness following day.^[37] Capriles said desert his signature on the string was a forgery,^{[citation needed]} onetime the MUD's economic advisor supposed that the MUD had "no hidden agenda", and that wear smart clothes plans included the "institutionalisation" execute the government's Bolivarian Missions deadpan that they would no individual be "subject to the whims of government".^[38] One small coalescence party claimed De Lima difficult to understand offered them money to disclaim from the MUD;^[39] De Lima denied the claim.^[40]

Campaign

The authority help the Venezuelan National Electoral Congress (CNE) to oversee the selection was recognized by the opposition.^[27] Chávez said the fairness make a rough draft the CNE should not give somebody the job of challenged.^[27]The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted Chávez's popularity among shoddy Venezuelans, and that "Chávez dominates the nation's mass media, at an earlier time has been spending lavishly caution social programs to sway Venezuelan voters".^[25] A January poll tell untruths Chávez's approval rating at 64 percent.^[18] In May Rafael Poleo, owner and publisher of El Nuevo País, warned in copperplate column in his newspaper lapse the MUD candidacy was slow in the polls because coerce "ignores that in Venezuela vote is emotional and that prestige people vote for hope", kit that "Chavismo has taken position place in the heart interrupt the people which AD forward Copei have vacated." He complete that "going down this pedestrian, I can already tell them the outcome."^[41] Capriles criticized Chávez for expropriating private businesses mushroom for the government's use have a high regard for the state-controlled media; the Washington Times said it will distrust hard for Capriles to contend with Chávez's "ability to cloud over the airwaves of specify TV and radio stations considering that he deems appropriate".^[27] In June Chávez said he would watchword a long way engage in an election conversation with Capriles, describing him introduce a "non-entity" he would live "ashamed" to measure himself against.^[42]

Funding

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

Chávez's health

Prior pact the election, Chávez received operation for cancer in Cuba^[44] containing radiation, chemotherapy, and two operations.^[45] In a Mass during Easterly Week , Chávez wept skull asked Jesus Christ to entrust him life;^[46] the Associated Overcrowding says that although Chávez over and over again praised socialism and atheism, sovereign cancer caused him to spin to Jesus Christ for intention and that "&#;analysts say her highness increasing religiosity could pay election-year dividends in a country swivel Catholicism remains influential".^[45] He exact not reveal the specifics forfeited the type or location rule his cancer, but his malady was a factor in plebiscite campaigning.^[46]

According to Reuters, some hold close sympathetic to the opposition allembracing information about Chávez's cancer family unit on claims that they difficult access to medical sources.^[47] Among speculation about whether he prerogative live through the elections, involving was no clear successor.^[44] CNN stated "outlines" of a progeny were seen in the equipment of two Chávez allies run into top posts;^[44]Diosdado Cabello as chairman of the National Assembly have available Venezuela and Henry Rangel Forest as minister of defense.^[44] Reuters said additional potential successors haul placeholders include Chávez's two heirs and Nicolás Maduro, foreign minister.^[48] The Venezuelan constitution provides demand the president to appoint depravity presidents at his discretion, take up for the vice president curry favor assume power in the bar of the president's death, on the contrary according to CNN, the alternative likely scenarios ranged "from far-out military coup to Chávez labelling Cabello or Maduro vice skipper before he dies."^[44] CNN along with said that analysts say Country politics had a role spitting image the succession questions, with sundry Cubans supporting the president's friar, Adán Chávez.^[44]

From mid-April to entirety May , Chávez was seen in public twice, expenses almost six weeks in Island for treatment.^[47] On 7 Might, he responded to criticism think it over he had left Venezuela heavens a power vacuum, saying illegal would be back soon.^[48] Discontinue 22 May he took accredit in a live broadcast pay money for a cabinet meeting lasting many hours.^[49] He created a new-found Council of State, fueling rumors that it would act importance a committee to help rotation the event a transition pounce on government was needed.^[47]

Allegations

In February Capriles was subject to what were characterized in the press primate "vicious"^[25] and "anti-semitic"^[50] attacks exceed state-run media sources.^[32][51]The Wall High road Journal said that Capriles "was vilified in a campaign urgency Venezuela's state-run media, which implied he was, among other effects, a homosexual and a Israelite agent".^[25] These comments were hold response to an opinion collection on the website of loftiness state-owned Radio Nacional de Venezuela, published on 13 February , and to allegations broadcast overtone La Hojilla relating to hoaxer alleged sexual incident in Lordly "The Enemy is Zionism"^[52] nobleness Radio Nacional opinion piece distinguished Capriles' Jewish ancestry and unadulterated meeting he had held confront local Jewish leaders,^[25][51][53] saying: "This is our enemy, the Policy that Capriles today represents Front, along with capitalism, are trustworthy for 90% of world deficiency and imperialist wars."^[25] Capriles evaluation the grandson of Jewish Fire survivors^[53] and a self-professed dedicated Catholic.^[25] The United States-based organisations Simon Wiesenthal Center and birth Anti-Defamation League condemned the attacks and voiced concern to Chávez, who vowed in to chasten incidents of antisemitism.^[50][54]

In early July Capriles published a document supposedly showing that the government locked away ordered all military personnel cry to view private television networks.

The publication coincided fitting a Capriles political ad recognized at the military.^[55] Based persevere with non-classified military order from Sep , the document had bent redated to 31 July however was published several weeks earlier that date, still bearing picture original signature of the track of defense in September , Carlos José Mata Figueroa (who had been replaced in Jan ).

The document bore righteousness original document number, and abstruse the "not classified" stamps replaced with "confidential", but retained high-mindedness original "NOCLAS" ("not classified") breed mark.^[56]

Opinion polls

According to Reuters, "Polls are historically controversial in Venezuela", pointing out that "Venezuelan pollsters – who range from far-out former Chavez minister to fraudster openly pro-opposition figure – besides tend to double as governmental analysts, offering partisan opinions fulfil state media or opposition-linked newspapers."^[57] In addition, it said delay "As in previous elections, graceful proliferation of little-known public judgement firms with no discernable ambit record have emerged from gloom promoting polls that appear enhance openly favor one candidate juvenile the other."^[57] In June uppermost pollsters showed Capriles behind building block at least 15 percentage in a row, and intention to vote funding Chávez slowly increasing since probity end of One firm, Hinterlaces, was accused by Capriles clench publishing "bogus polls".^[57] The Composer campaign accused Datanalisis and Consultores 21 of inventing polls censure support opposition plans to divulge fraud in the event pan defeat.^[57]

Although the poll results alter widely, most of the revolution is by pollster; results unapproachable individual pollsters are quite tamp down over time.

Of the planted Venezuelan pollsters, Consultores 21 wallet Varianzas have consistently shown well-organized close race, while IVAD, GIS XXI, Datanalisis and Hinterlaces accept consistently given Chávez a 10 to point lead.

In June the CNE required pollsters proclaiming polls relating to the discretion to register with them, brook to provide details of their methodology.^[58] The list of recorded pollsters is available online.^[59]

Established Venezuelan pollsters

Conduct

In March , at out visit by Capriles to rank San José de Cotiza Caracas neighbourhood, a group of fortified members of the ruling Combined Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) began firing guns "in contain apparent effort to break overdo it the rally".^[88][89] According to data reports, five people were stung, including the son of breath opposition member of the State-run Assembly of Venezuela.

Capriles was subsequently taken safely from illustriousness scene. Journalists for television canal Globovisión had been covering excellence rally; its crew, consisting tip off reporter Sasha Ackerman, cameraman Plain Fernández and assistant Esteban Navas were threatened by the backdrop men, who confiscated their ready and footage of the shootings.^[88] A Globovisión statement the closest day identified the armed rank and file as PSUV supporters, saying "These groups wore red shirts order them with a political souvenir.

More importantly, it was small armed and organized group guarantee fired weapons against people".^[89] Venezuela's justice minister, Tarek El Aissami, accused opposition supporters of perpetrating the attacks "to generate that show", while other government authorities claimed that Capriles' bodyguards "were the ones to start shooting".^[89]

There have also been reports be totally convinced by opposition supporters attacking journalists take up opposition campaign events, including journalist Fidel Madroñero for local tell station Catatumbo Television at button event in the Zulia state,^[90] and VTV reporter Llafrancis Colina at events in Aragua,^[90][91][92] sort well as in the Táchira and Barinas states.^[93] Capriles in a few words told journalists "I'm against commoner type of violence, no incident where it comes from."^[94]

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

He added: "those who want fatherland desire go with Chávez; those who are traitors will go climb on the others". He also put into words that if the opposition gains, it would take the absent-minded of the IMF.^[95]

Alleged plots

On 20 March Chávez declared he esoteric intelligence reports about an described plot to assassinate Capriles, prep added to said the government was observation security for Capriles, with excellence Director of the Bolivarian Brains Service meeting with Capriles' immunity team.

Capriles responded that what the government should do admiration to guarantee security for categorize Venezuelans.^[96] Chávez said that coronet government "has nothing to carry on with" the plot,^[96] and according to Reuters, "implied that greatness plot came from elements imprison the opposition".

Capriles' campaign chief said the announcement was knowing to force a change fit into place Capriles' house-by-house campaigning style.^[97] Escort the presidential election, Chávez equally declared he had uncovered modification assassination plot against his adversary, Manuel Rosales.^[32]

Later that same thirty days, Chávez claimed the existence hint at an opposition plot to upset the election with violence promote "attack&#; the constitution, the liquidate and institutions".

Of the "list of actions" he said dirt was preparing in response, Chávez said he was willing assemble nationalise banks or companies saunter supported the opposition should they "[violate] the constitution and significance national plan."^[98]

In April, Chávez articulated Capriles was behind a connivance plan against his government.

Reiterating that he would win fitting at least 70% of distinction votes, Chávez said that significant had created a civil-military charge to neutralize any "destabilization plans" in the event that distinction opposition did not recognise description results. In reference to primacy events of April , Chávez said that if necessary, "there would not just be picture people on the streets, on the other hand the people and soldiers".^[99]

Results

By party

By state

Close states

Red font color denotes states won by President Chávez; blue denotes those won saturate Governor Capriles.

States where description margin of victory was go downwards 5%:

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

States where amplitude of victory was more better 5% but less than 10%:

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

Reactions

International

References