Hugo Chavez Wants to be President Forever, Fidel Style

Filed in archive Latin Issues , Latin News on August 12, 2007

Found on Latino Pundit (who found it on Hispanic Pundit):

Chavez seeks end to term limits

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed that he will try to change the law to allow him to remain in power indefinitely.

Under the current constitution, Mr Chavez will have to leave office at the end of his term in 2012.

But he says he wants to remain in power for as long as Venezuelans continue to support him.

The constitution is under review and Mr Chavez is expected to make changes to cement in law his socialist revolution.

So, as expected, Chavez is seeking to remain in power indefinitely - his proposed constitutional reform will abolish term limits for the presidential office. He calls it "national integration". What a joke.

"It will be the people who make the final decision about how long I stay," he said on his weekly TV show Hello President (the name of the show always remember me of Hello Kitty - and it's as ridiculous as a hypothetical show hosted by Hello Kitty).

In Venezuela, like other countries, the president only can be reelected immediately once. Chavez is in his second term, and obviously that isn't enough for him. He could run for president again, but only after somebody else is president, at least for one term. I guess that isn't enough for him either.

No, Chavez wants to be president forever, Fidel style. Hugo Chavez doesn't give a sh*t about democracy; if he's so sure the people love him so much, why can't he wait to come back in 2019? Doesn't he have a candidate who could run for president, someone who would work following his guidance, his ideas? I guess not. Chavez just wants to stay where he is, he's not concerned about Venezuela or Venezuelans. He wants power, and he will do anything to keep it.

He said indefinitely presidential terms is something that happens in many European and Asian countries, and that it should not be seen as a threat. Yeah, genocide is something that happens in many countries as well, so I guess it shouldn't be seen as a threat either, right?

Chavez opponents are "concerned that this could lead to abuse of power". Could?? Do they have any doubts about it?? Have they met president Hugo Chavez? Are we talking about the same Chavez?

The new constitution will be put before parliament within the next 10 days. Later this year, there will be a referendum allowing Venezuelans to decide whether to accept the changes. I wonder how transparent the referendum process will be.