Venezuela Votes Begin as Opposition Sees Chance to Weaken Maduro

by Dramelin 4:30 AM 0 comments

Venezuelans will vote in 23 governors races Sunday, with opponents of President Nicolas Maduro widely expected to deal a blow to the ruling socialist regime by taking leadership in states long dominated by the government.
Maduro, heir to the office held by strongman Hugo Chavez, called elections to release tensions after months of bloody protests, and to dispel the accusation that he’s trying to perpetuate his power.
 But a tattered economy and rampant hunger in a country flush with oil allowed opponents to make inroads in areas that once were bedrocks of support for Chavez’s socialist project.
Members of the opposition say a strong showing may hasten talks leading to a restoration of democracy.
“The governorships are part of the battle of positioning ahead of any potential negotiations,” said Dimitris Pantoulas, a political consultant.
“Chavismo is doing everything possible so that the opposition does not win by a wide margin.
” While the presidency remains Venezuela’s dominant office, Sunday’s races will clearly demonstrate which is the country’s dominant political force.
The opposition favors new elections, the release of political prisoners and accepting humanitarian aid.
Maduro’s supporters want a continuation of generous social programs widely seen as unsustainable and a foreign policy hostile to the U.
and other nations it casts as imperialist.
Campaign of Confusion Polls widely predict that the opposition will win the vast majority of the states up for grabs, allowing them access to patronage and government funds to further their projects.
Venebarometro, a Caracas consultancy, said that 52 percent of likely voters favored opposition candidates, compared with 28 percent for Maduro’s allies.
Voting centers open at 8 a.
and are slated to close about 5 p.
, though they will accept voters as long as they arrive.
First results are expected to come late Sunday night and will continue to trickle in through Monday morning.
Even with access to vast state resources and media, the ruling socialists seem to be on the defensive, and have to tried to sow confusion and discourage voters.
The National Electoral Council last week caused an uproar by abruptly relocating some 200 voting stations.
But the biggest challenge may be the ballot itself.
Despite repeated requests, the council has refused to remove unsuccessful opposition primary candidates from the roster, apparently in an attempt to confuse the voters.
Ballots with a dozen names will contain as many as four who are no longer running.
With crime soaring and inflation eating into her meager wages, Elena Ruiz, a 60-year-old dental hygienist, said she planned to vote against the socialist candidate in the coastal state of Vargas.
“People here are tired of the same thing, over and over again,” she said.
“The question is, will the government allow change?".