Big Stakes in November Elections in Venezuela

Following the Dec. 2 constitutional reform referendum defeat—the first for the forces of the Bolivarian revolution since the election of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 1998—and facing popular discontent at the problems holding back the advance of the process of change, the pro-revolution forces face a big challenge in securing an overwhelming victory in the November regional elections in order not to lose ground to the United States-backed opposition. Chavez, who described the upcoming regional elections as 'the most important in Venezuelan history,' outlined what is at stake: 'Imagine if the opposition groups managed to win the mayor of the Capital District, the mayor of Caracas, the state of Miranda, the state of Carabobo, Zulia, Tachira, Anzoategui … the next step would be war, because they would come for me, once again we would be in the same situation as April 11,' he said in reference to the April 2002 United States-backed coup against the Chavez government.