Viva Chavez!

Later today, 16 million Venezuelans will be voting in a presidential election that, according to the BBC "offers starkly contrasting visions of their country's future course". Predictably, and somewhat simplistically, the BBC paint this election as a showdown between a socialist who "is seeking a new six-year term to complete his socialist revolution" and a candidate who wants to "keep" a market-based system.

The election could be more accurately be depicted as a battle between those on the one hand who...

• are the poor descendants of indigenous indian populations and slaves
• believe that the resources of a country should benefit all its citizens
• think that the expressed will of the people is highly important
• the constitution of the country is paramount

and those on the other hand who

• are the wealthy, low-class descendants of conquistadors
• believe that the resources of the country belong to their small clique and that they alone have the right to derive benefit
• believe that the results of elections and the provisions of their constitution can be thrown aside whenever their insatiable greed so dictates
• are not beyond organising an anti-democratic coup when it suits them
  

The BBC article states that "whoever wins the election will have to try to unite a deeply divided country or face much political instability". This paints a picture of a country fractured down the middle, which could not be further from the truth. In reality the divide is roughly between 80% of poor Venezuelans and the 20% who have had it too good for too long.

The gulf between the barrios and the trendy "little Miami" suburbs of Caracas will only be bridged if the programme of education and support for the poor in Venezuelan society started by Chavez is allowed to continue. Despite increasing reports of destabilisation tactics employed by the opposition and backed by the United States, support for Chavez remains strong. Assuming that any dirty tricks employed by the opposition do not have a detrimental effect, he should be re-elected with a significant majority - a majority that can look forward to another six years of his bolivarian redress of the hideous imbalances in Venezuelan society.