…with bated breath (Updated 2x)

News outlets are claiming a Chavez victory;

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appeared headed for victory on Sunday in a referendum on allowing the leftist to rule for as long as he keeps winning elections, government-linked sources said, citing exit polls.
 
Three exit polls showed Chavez won by between six and eight percentage points in a vote where turnout was low, the two sources said.

If confirmed, it would be by far the slimmest victory margin in the career of a man who wants to rule for life and turn the major oil exporter into a socialist state.

Daniel reports the same unconfirmed results;

Unfortunately I have also received some information that would indicate that the SI won. My NO contact has not given me any sign of life to deny them. Maybe the SI indeed won by 53%. Cheating? Not cheating? We will see, but even if the SI won with 53% it is a 10% drop for Chavez and a bitter victory. Though that will certainly not stop him from exacting revenge on us for not acclaiming him. A psychotic narcissistic is a psychotic narcissistic, you cannot help that.

Miguel writes that Globovision reports isolated malfeasance. Guess which side;

5:31 PM Globovision report Chavista group detained in Zulia trying to vote twice.

 

Photos from The Devil’s Excrement

Actually, I’m obsessed with the Venezuelan referendum today. It’s appropriately enough the 184th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, too.

Since Hugo Chavez has declared an embargo on news about the vote until the “official” results are posted, I figure, I’ll be waiting a while. But I don’t see anything worth writing about that’s more important at the moment. From AFP;

The 69 reforms they are being asked to approve include lengthening the presidential mandate from six years to seven, allowing the government to censor the media in times of emergency, and permitting the expropriation of property.

Many voters were woken before dawn by trucks blaring recordings of trumpet revelries. In Caracas, fireworks crumped over the skyline to rouse residents.

There were lines in front of many polling centers early in the day, which was sunny and warm. The capital’s public transport was free.

More than 100,000 soldiers were deployed across the country. Unlike in past polling, there were no EU or Organization of American States election monitors, only international observers invited by the government.

In yesterday’s New York Times, Raul Baduel wrote in “Why I Parted Ways With Chavez“ (h/t Silvio Canto, Jr.);

Venezuela will thrive only when all its citizens truly have a stake in society. Consolidating more power in the presidency through insidious constitutional reforms will not bring that about. That’s why the Venezuelan people should vote no tomorrow, and prepare to pursue a political culture that will finally be able to steer our beloved nation toward true economic and social progress.

Cheat Seeking Missiles has background on Baduel. 

The last poll from Katy at Caracas Chronicles;

 

The Devil’s Excrement reports low early morning turnout, but a commenter says nearly a third of their particular precinct had voted in the first hour.

Daniel at Venezuela News and Views describes early morning in Venezuela today;

I was awakened at 4 AM by some scandal in the street, an army truck bringing some material to the voting station in front. Not the faintest attempt at discretion.

And then at around 4:30-5 [A]M a truck with loud speakers started circulating around with “La diana“, which is the army trumpet wake up call used by chavismo to rouse its voters. Now, what is curious is that it is really the first time I heard it with such insistence. I mean, the school in front of me tends to vote 2 to 1 against Chavez, and perturbing the slumber of the folks is not going to gain chavismo any vote. That sound tends to be used in the barrios to wake people so that they all go early in packs to vote, not only for security reasons but also to be herded by chavismo political agents, least one of them strays. so why that truck going back and forth and making no sound sleep possible until around 6 AM? Provocation? A demonstration of the nervousness of chavismo?

The bad news if you ask me is that I was not awakened by the voters starting to vote. That is, from past narratives readers might remember that at 6 AM there is usually a line formed in front before the polls open and the chatter of people always wakes up the neighborhood. Nothing this morning. No lines at all, a few people walk in on occasion and leave fast!!!! Either abstention is going to be large or the CNE has gotten so efficient that voting is now a breeze…. 

UPDATE: Venezuela News and Views and The Devil’s Excrement are updating their posts at the links above with their observations on the voting. 

Fausta’s Blog has more links and news. Jungle Mom (a long time resident of Venezuela’s interior, and now living in Paraguay, I believe) points towards Daniel’s News and Views, too and asks for comments from Venezuelans. Kate at A Columbo-Americana’s Perspective has VZ blogger links.

Julia voted;

My new friends at Western Hemisphere Policy Watch wonder “Venezuela Lurching Towards Civil War?” A Blog For All  and Bryan at Hot Air compare Venezuela’s vote to Russia’s. In Redstate, Pejman Yousefzadeh says democracy is under seige. No More Spin outlines the Constitutional reforms that are being voted upon today. Neptunus Lex writes that the referendum disputes Francis Fukuyama’s contention that the end of the Cold War ended history. Michele Malkin has some more poll results.

And the US Left still clings to the “Operation Pliers” farce.

Keep watching this space for news – if you have a tip, email me at admin@valorguardians.com or comment here.

Category: Foreign Policy, Hugo Chavez