(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The majority of people in Venezuela think president Hugo Chávez is turning into a dictator, according to a poll by Alfredo Keller y Asociados. 53 per cent of respondents share this view, while 47 per cent disagree.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The majority of people in Venezuela think president Hugo Chávez is turning into a dictator, according to a poll by Alfredo Keller y Asociados. 53 per cent of respondents share this view, while 47 per cent disagree.
Chávez—a left-leaning leader—has been in office since February 1999. In July 2000, he was elected to a six-year term with 59.5 per cent of all cast ballots. In August 2004, Chávez won a referendum on his tenure with 59 per cent of the vote. The special election was called after opposition organizations in Venezuela gathered 2.5 million signatures to force a recall ballot. In December 2006, Chávez earned a new six-year term with 62.89 per cent of the vote.
In December 2007, a package of constitutional amendments tabled by the president and endorsed by the National Assembly—where pro-Chávez lawmakers control more than two-thirds of the seats—was narrowly defeated in a nationwide referendum. The proposed changes included the introduction of a clause that would allow the unlimited re-election of the head of state, new land ownership rules, and ending the autonomy of the Central Bank.
In the November 2008 municipal elections, pro-Chávez parties emerged victorious in 17 of the country’s 22 regions. Chávez later proclaimed himself a "presidential pre-candidate" for the 2012 ballot and submitted a bill to the legislature that seeks to allow him to run again by changing the constitution and ending term limits for heads of state. The measure would also allow mayors, governors, state legislators and national legislators to be re-elected more than once.
A new referendum was held on Feb. 15. This time, the constitutional reforms were approved by 54 per cent of the electorate.
Earlier this month, Venezuelan lawmakers approved an education bill proposed by the government that orders the country’s schools to base their curricula on "the Bolivarian Doctrine," which teaches the ideals of independence hero Simon Bolívar. Chávez explained the rationale behind the new law, saying that Venezuelan kids have been taught "bourgeois" history up until now.
Polling Data
Do you think Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez is turning into a dictator?
|
Yes
|
53%
|
|
No
|
47%
|
Source: Alfredo Keller y Asociados
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Venezuelan adults, conducted in August 2009. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.
