Venezuela’s Presidential Election
Venezuela’s Presidential Election — Poliquicks
While Hugo Chavez rules as an autocrat and has destroyed Venezuela’s democracy, his legitimacy comes form his elections, his rule for the last 14 years, and his control of the nation’s military and government. He controls the TV and radio airwaves with endless campaign broadcasts, the resources of the state, and he tells the people that all they have comes form him. He controls the courts and the electoral process. If you work in the public sector you either vote for Chavez or could lose your job according to Chavez.
Chavez has identified with the many poor Venezuelans and his rule has coincided with a large price rise in exported oil. This has allowed him to shove billions on social programs for the poor.
The presidential election on 7 October will be contested by Henrique Capriles.
Unlike Chavez’s close friend Fidel Castro, he has held elections. However, this year will show how much he is liked by the full public. There have been many signs that Chavez’s popularity has been on the slide. Many know that he has squandered his oil wealth on the military and the growing socialist and communist governments in Latin America.
Mr. Capriles deserves to win but it is doubtful that he will.
So why should the U.S. be interested?
Ever since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a deal with Chavez for weekly air service between their nations’ capitals, U. S. officials have been concerned that Iranian-backed terrorists could pick up fake Venezuelan passports and sneak into the United States.
The commercial service between Tehran and Caracas by Iran Air and Conviasa Air Venezuela is so secretive that there is confusion among U.S. intelligence agencies about whether the flights are being used by Hezballah and other Islamic jihadist to infiltrate the Americas.
It is well known that the Iranian Quods Force has opened a number of military related businesses in Venezuela. These include a UAV factory for Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
It is unclear in the open media just how much the Iranian Quods Force has set up shop in Venezuela but it is clear that they are there.