Venezuela's opposition picks Chavez's challenger

[Bacchus4.0]

http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-opposition-picks-chavezs-challenger-030000337.html;_ylt=Atsd2.q4JDiHP9k7dbTdHfVvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNkbGhsMzgwBG1pdAMEcGtnA2M4MWYzYTQ2LTUwMjctM2RiYy1hNmViLTgyNTlkNGZkMzAyYwRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fTGF0QW1fZ2FsBHZlcgNjNWQ1MzA3NS01NjQ5LTExZTEtYmJmZi0wN2VmNzY4YTNhNjc-;_ylv=3

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Youthful state governor Henrique Capriles won Venezuela's first-ever opposition presidential primary Sunday by a wide margin, emerging as the single candidate who will try to end President Hugo Chavez's 13 years in power.

Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of Miranda state who describes himself as a center-left progressive, faces a tough task in ousting Chavez, a charismatic campaigner with a loyal following and the full powers of the state to back his candidacy in Oct. 7 elections.

Opposition election chief Teresa Albanes announced the preliminary results, saying that Capriles won about 62 percent of the vote, beating Zulia state Gov. Pablo Perez by a margin of more than 30 percentage points.

Chavez's opponents lined up to vote in many areas, surpassing most expectations with a turnout of about 2.9 million ballots cast out of Venezuela's 18 million registered voters.

[On the Road]

1. Have Never Been a Chavez Basher

but it might be a good time for a change in Capriles is who he says he is.

[txlibdem]

2. He's nothing but a Capitalista

Don't let his self-proclaimed political leanings fool you. This guy is dangerous and will bring poverty and despair to the majority of Venezuela's people while the rich will swim in pools of ill gotten gains and begin to steal peasants' land again with the barrel of a gun.

[joshcryer]

7. That is not true, he's loved across Venezuela, and his social safety net message...

...is solid. He's what the capitalista's consider a transitionary candidate, since he's, in essence, a Chavez-lite unity candidate.

[txlibdem]

11. His "message" is nothing but empty words

What has he actually accomplished while in office for the people of his state.

Isn't he the one who wanted to turn community free clinics into office space. Some transition that'll be.

2008: Capriles elected as governor of Miranda State
2009: Capriles tried to evict 25 workers from the free clinic to make room for office space

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrique_Capriles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Barrio_Adentro

He is one of the "governors" who are actively attempting to block or close medical clinics for the poor. Nice guy you've chosen. (not)

[ChangoLoa]

13. Your information is not supported by the wiki link you provided.

It seems that he wiki page was manipulated. The source it quotes does not say what you repported.

Do you have a real link on Capriles closing a health center and explaining what actually happened there?

By the way, your link says also that the government abandoned or left unfinished 70% of those centers. Do you believe that too?

I do remember when Chavez recognized that half of them had been abandoned in 2009.

If that was true and considering how severely you judge the closure of 1 center, what would you say about the government abandoning around 2,000 of the health centers?

[joshcryer]

14. LOL, free clinics that Chavez championed but basically forgot about...

...Capriles is famous for working with what he has to work with.

[bemildred]

3. He isn't. nt

[Bacchus4.0]

4. I think its time for a change as well n/t

s

[Peace Patriot]

5. Yeah, you're really a "times they are changin'" kind of guy! LOL! nt

[Bacchus4.0]

6. I'd vote against Chavez and his authoritarian regime for sure. but its up to Venezuelans

I wonder when Capriles will be charged with some bogus crime so he will be ruled ineligible to run.

[joshcryer]

9. They already tried that, if they do that now, it will cause civil unrest.

They aren't going to do that. It's all going to be about spending boatloads of money and daily cadenas.

[joshcryer]

10. He is. Built more schools with less money than the Chavista's. Faster.

[joshcryer]

8. Close to 25% of the VOTING ELECTORATE voted in those primaries. Absolutely stunning.

Last edited Tue Feb 14, 2012, 08:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Just, incomprehensible! Contrast that to the 15% turnout in the 2008 Democratic Party Primaries.

Chavez is not feeling well today, I can guarantee you that much.

[Bacchus4.0]

12. but the State media said turnout was poor????!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1108954