Chavez Wins in Venezuela

This is not the first time Chavez’s position has been challenged. Chavez, in power since 1998, survived a U.S. supported coup after his constituents took to the streets in protest. Chavez warned before the vote that should he lose this time, Venezuela’s oil exports would be disrupted. Had the opposition won the referenda, as well as the Presidential elections that would have followed, Venezuela’s oil companies would have been privatized. Of Venezuela’s 25 million people, 14 million are registered to vote. Of those who voted on the referenda, 58% favored Chavez while 42% opposed him. The opposition needed 3.76 million more votes than Chavez received in the 2000 elections to win the referenda