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Chávez Gets High Rating In Venezuela
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Hugo Chávez appears to have rebounded from low mid-term numbers in Venezuela, according to a poll by Datanalisis. 70.5 per cent of respondents believe the president's tenure has been positive.
Chávez 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. Chávez's tenure has been marred by controversy and strained relations with the United States. The president met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2000, and has been a constant critic of Washington's foreign policy. The U.S. did not immediately condemn the 48-hour coup that briefly toppled Chávez in April 2002.
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 gathered 2.5 million signatures to force a recall ballot.
On May 1, Chávez invited Venezuelans to build "a new socialism of the 21st Century," adding, "It is impossible to achieve our goals with capitalism, nor is it possible to find an intermediate path."
The country's unemployment level dropped from 19.1 per cent in January 2004, to 13.5 per cent in March 2005.
Polling Data
How would you evaluate the work of president Hugo Chávez for the well-being of the country?
Mar. 2005 | Sept. 2003 | |
Positive | 70.5% | 35.9% |
Negative | 27.0% | 62.8% |
Source: Datanalisis
Methodology: Interviews to 1,300 Venezuelan adults, conducted from Feb. 19 to Mar. 2, 2005. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.