Mr Chávez’s victory
Posted By Stabroek staff On October 12, 2012
So, President Hugo Chávez has been re-elected with a healthy 55 percent of the popular vote, though by a slimmer margin of victory than in the 2006 election – 10 percentage points as opposed to 26. The vanquished Henrique Capriles and his coalition of opposition parties, understandably distraught at the result in light of their pre-election optimism, have accepted the loss although there is considerable grumbling about the huge advantages enjoyed by the incumbent and the high degree of “induced” voting.
Apparently, with some 80 percent of the population voting, the number of people declining to exercise their franchise was smaller than calculated by the opposition’s strategists and than estimated by pollsters who had allowed for a 25 percent abstention. It will be recalled that in the December 2007 referendum, which Mr Chávez lost, there was a 44 percent abstention rate. Continue reading
The danger in what others wish for in Venezuela – By David Jessop
The View from Europe: The danger in what others wish for in Venezuela
David Jessop
February 16, 2018 – By David Jessop
A few days ago, the International Energy Agency reported that oil production in the US was undergoing extraordinary growth. The OECD-related body for net importers of oil said that the increase meant that US “production could equal global demand growth” largely because of its rapidly expanding shale output. This meant that US production would probably reach 11 million bpd by late 2018, outstripping Saudi Arabia and offsetting OPEC-led supply cuts aimed at increasing energy prices. Continue reading →
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