Venezuela to change parliament

[Judi Lynn]

Sep 19, 2010
Venezuela to change parliament

ARACAS - VENEZUELA'S elections this month will likely reduce President Hugo Chavez's sway on the national assembly by giving back the opposition its first voices there since it boycotted the last vote in 2005.

More than 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote on September 26 in elections which both sides have presented as a plebisicite on the outspoken leftist president, 11 years after he came to power.

Mr Chavez says a ruling party defeat at the polls would be a serious blow to the country's 'socialist revolution.' His United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) aims to win two thirds of 165 seats for grabs.

'It's about winning and then deepening the socialist revolution, accelerating the political and social transition in Venezuela, burying the old model and building the new,' Mr Chavez said recently.

More:
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_580474.html

[bherrera]

1. Cuba and Venezuela in opposite directions?

I observe that Cuba is moving away from communism towards capitalism at the same time Chavez tries to take Venezuela towards what he calls "Socialism of the 21st Century".