VENEZUELA - REFERENDUM

Chavez fights back

Thursday, December 6, 2007

After initially taking defeat with humility in last weekend's referendum, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez fought back today with some choice words for his political rivals. (Report: B. Harris)

President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday his push to have Venezuela accept sweeping constitutional reforms has "not finished" despite being rejected in a weekend referendum.
  
"The discussion on the transformation of the state is not finished," he told state VTV television.
  
"While the opposition continues to celebrate a Pyrrhic victory, this is the moment to start a real period of reflection, of self-criticism," he said.
  
Chavez on Sunday lost his bid to have 69 constitutional changes passed by referendum.
  
The measures were defeated 51 percent to 49 percent, with even many traditional Chavez supporters balking at his drive to be able to be re-elected indefinitely and turn the country into a "socialist economy."
  
The result was a deep blow to the president, who up to now had always emerged from the polls with easy victories.
  
On Wednesday, his fury at losing was evident.
  
"Their victory was a piece of shit," he said. "Ours, they can call it a defeat, but it was full of courage."
  
Under the current constitution, Chavez, 53, will have to step down in January 2013 at the end of his mandate.
  
"The people have the ability to take my initiative and modify it so it is easier to understand, as long as it maintains the prime goal of transforming the state," the president said.
  
That appeared to be a hint towards an option under which a petition of at least 15 percent of Venezuela's 16 million voters could demand that a new constitutional reform be studied.
  
The only other ways left for Chavez to now have some of his reforms passed are to impose some of them by decree, or to set up a constituent assembly which could draft an entirely new constitution.
  
These are all risky propositions for the president, especially as the opposition -- including university students and former government allies -- has grown and become emboldened by its victory in the referendum.
  
Nevertheless, Chavez was defiant.
  
"Whoever says that the revolution has suffered a defeat, well let me tell them that today the revolution is stronger than ever, the Bolivarian revolution is here to stay," he said, referring to the social-democratic ideals of late Latin American revolutionary Simon Bolivar.
  
He later told VTV that, contrary to some rumors, he was not forced to admit defeat under pressure from his generals.
  
He also again criticized CNN for alleged bias, claiming it was responsible for "manipulation... on a global scale" over its reporting on the referendum.
  
The Venezuelan president has often accused the United States of fomenting unrest against him, and US media -- especially CNN -- of collaborating.
  
Finally, Chavez also gave signs he was calming a row that broke out between him and Spain after Spain's King Juan Carlos last month told him to "shut up" at a summit.
  
He said he was to meet the king's son, Prince Felipe, in Argentina on Monday, when they attend the oath of office of that country's new president, Cristina Kirchner.

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SPECIAL REPORT: Chavez's referendum
03/12/07 Chavez concedes defeat in referendum