Tag Archives: campaign

Sep
19
2012
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Venezuelan Band Claims Hugo Chavez Expropriated Song for Campaign Ad

Fox News Latino
September 19, 2012

Chavez Band BT Venezuelan Band Claims Hugo Chavez Expropriated Song for Campaign Ad

Courtesy of: AP / Ariana Cubillos

A Venezuelan pop group claims that their music is the latest prey of President Hugo Chávez’s campaign of expropriations.

Los Amigos Invisibles, a band that plays a blend of disco, acid jazz and funk mixed with Latin rhythms, claims that a state-owned radio station did not ask permission to run a remixed version of its song “Majunche” as part of a re-election campaign plug for Chávez, Reuters reported.

“They’ve expropriated Majunche, just what we needed,” tweeted bass player José Rafael Torres.

Released in 2004, “Majunche” – which roughly translated to the word “loser” – is an instrumental song which is occasionally broken up when the band shouts the song’s title. Venezuela’s state-owned radio station YVKE Mundial ran the song behind a speech by Chávez in which he says: “The loser won’t win elections in Venezuela … this year, or even in 2,000 years!”

Chávez is up for reelection this year against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles. The Venezuelan leader, who has been in power since 1998, faces his toughest reelection campaign since taking office.

Economic issues – much like the upcoming elections in the U.S. – are key factors in Venezuelan voter’s minds.

“A victory by Henrique Capriles would produce a very strong Venezuelan bond rally that would allow the country in the future to sell debt at substantially lower yields than it can today,” said Alejandro Grisanti, Latin America economist at Barclays, according to Bloomberg.

Besides dealing with a troubled economy, a major debt crisis and a turbulent oil industry, Venezuela’s voters are also concerned with Chávez’s health. The Venezuelan leader was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer 15 months ago and has since made frequent trips to Cuba to have tumors removed from his pelvic region.

Despite declaring that he was cancer free back in July, doubts still exist about his health and ability to run the OPEC-nation.

“I love Chávez and I want him to remain in power for many more years, but I must confess that some people like me have suspicions that he hasn’t told us the whole truth about his cancer,” said Maria Lovera, a street vendor in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. “The possibility of him getting sick again and having to step down exists.”

With the election less than three months away, Chávez’s rival Capriles maintains a slight lead in the polls over the current Venezuelan leader, according to Consultores 21, a Caracas- based polling company.

Capriles had 48.1 percent against 46.2 percent for Chavez in a poll taken at the end of August. The poll surveyed 1,000 people, was taken in the final two weeks of August and has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

“If we were to make a linear projection for the election, it would be that Capriles will maintain an advantage of 2.5 percent over Chávez,” said Consultores 21 President Luís Christiansen, according to Bloomberg.

Other polls, however, favor Chávez. According to a Datanalisis poll of 1,288 people taken between July 16 and Aug. 9, Chávez would take 46.8 percent of the vote compared with 34.2 percent for Capriles.

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Sep
14
2012
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 9/14/12

event In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 9/14/12

Courtesy of: Associated Press

The Venezuelan elections are approaching rapidly, and a series of recent events has many worried about the possibility of unrest or even violence should opposition candidate Henrique Capriles defeat Hugo Chávez. Chávez has helped to create these fears, warning Venezuelans of a “civil war” should he lose. Meanwhile, a recent opposition campaign event erupted in violence when Chávez supporters blocked a Capriles march and started throwing rocks and bottles, injuring 14. Chávez’s government has also taken formal steps to officially remove itself from the OAS human rights body, creating more concerns about the respect of human rights in the country. The economy is an important topic in the election campaign; as the candidates debate how to best use the country’s oil wealth, analysts say that Chávez has put the national oil industry in jeopardy by using its revenue to fund his revolution. The government’s rampant spending ahead of the election will likely require a currency devaluation in 2013, regardless of which candidate wins. Finally, a recent spat with coffee growers shows how Chávez’s price controls and management of the economy have damaged industry.

Preventing Political Unrest in Venezuela, Council on Foreign Relations

American policy toward Venezuela and its tendentious president, Hugo Chavez, rarely captures headlines. But when it does, the results aren’t pretty.

Venezuela’s Chávez stokes civil-war fears, The Miami Herald

As the Venezuelan presidential election on Oct. 7 draws closer, the anti-opposition rhetoric of Hugo Chávez is becoming more hysterical by the day. Indeed, to listen to Chávez, you would never know that the man is suffering from cancer at an advanced stage.

Rock throwing, arson as Chavez, Capriles supporters clash at campaign event in Venezuela, The Washington Post

Violence erupted at an opposition campaign event Wednesday as supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blocked a road and a campaign truck was torched.

Venezuela’s government begins process of withdrawing from OAS human rights bodies, The Washington Post

Venezuela has begun the process of pulling out of two human rights bodies by formally withdrawing from a regional human rights pact, the Organization of American States said Monday.

Chavez: economic battle lines drawn, Financial Times

Not long to go now until Venezuela’s presidential elections – just 26 days left – and campaigning is beginning to get dirty, even surreal.

Chavez 67% Spending Surge Sets Up Devaluation After Vote, Business Week

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s 67 percent increase in government spending is setting the stage for a currency devaluation after national elections next month.

Venezuela: Profligacy puts Chávez’s dream at risk, Financial Times

Whether or not President Hugo Chávez triumphs in Venezuela’s presidential elections on October 7, the country will still have the world’s largest proven oil reserves – more even than Saudi Arabia.

Chavez: wake up and smell the coffee, The Financial Times

Coffee growers in Venezuela are up in arms about the government’s decision to raise the price at which they can sell their beans by only 33 per cent.

 
Sep
10
2012
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What’s Next Venezuela Election Update: September 10, 2012

20727get What’s Next Venezuela Election Update: September 10, 2012

Courtesy of: AVN

Only 27 days remain until Venezuela’s elections, and polls continue to show a tight race. President Hugo Chávez admitted last week that he almost left politics because of his cancer, which appears to still be affecting him and limiting his campaign appearances. Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles has challenged Chávez to a debate, though it is unclear if the president will accept. Recently the socialist Chávez has tried to attract the rich and begun to make threats of a civil war, which many are taking as signs that he is worried about losing. The president’s already anemic campaign was hurt by a series of setbacks in the past weeks, including the refinery accident in Amuay and the Yare prison riot. Meanwhile, the president has increased his anti-Semitic attacks of Capriles, who is the grandson of Holocaust survivors.

Venezuela’s election enters its crucial last month, Foreign Policy

With one month to go before electing a president, both sides of Venezuela’s dismembered public sphere are pulling out all the stops. The polls find both candidates at the top of their games.

Hugo Chávez Says He Considered Leaving Politics over Cancer, Fox News

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez acknowledged Tuesday that he thought about abandoning public life after discovering he had cancer in June 2011, for which he had to be operated three times.

Venezuelan rival challenges Hugo Chávez to debate, Associated Press

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles challenged President Hugo Chávez on Friday to debate the country’s problems in the final month of campaigning for the October presidential election. Capriles said he wants to debate issues such as education, health care and crime.

Venezuela’s Chávez woos rich, warns of “civil war”, Reuters

Venezuela’s famously anti-capitalist president, Hugo Chávez, has urged rich voters to back him or face “civil war,” while his opponent sought to reassure the poor he will not abandon popular socialist welfare policies if he wins next month’s election.

Venezuela’s Chávez stokes civil-war fears, The Miami Herald

As the Venezuelan presidential election on Oct. 7 draws closer, the anti-opposition rhetoric of Hugo Chávez is becoming more hysterical by the day.

Ten terrible days for Hugo, El Universal

The outgoing President’s current campaign opposes to his previous campaigns. The candidate of the masses that walked in the villages and filled the squares and avenues has been left behind.

Study: Venezuelan anti-Semitism at new heights in race between Chávez and Capriles, JTA

Anti-Semitism in Venezuela has spiked during the electoral race for president between a Catholic man of Jewish descent and President Hugo Chávez, according to a new report.