CARACAS, Monday December 15, 2008 | Update
President Hugo Chávez, left, talks to Cuban ruler Raúl Castro during a farewell ceremony at Simón Bolívar airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on Monday (Photo: AP / Miraflores Press Office)
Politics
Venezuela's President, Hugo Chávez, said on Monday that
his opponents are likely to disregard his victory in a referendum
on the constitutional amendment to implement indefinite
presidential reelection.
In a statement at Simón Bolívar international airport,
where Chávez bid a farewell to his Cuban counterpart
Raúl Castro, the Venezuelan ruler showed confidence that
the referendum will take place. He added that his proposal
to establish indefinite presidential reelection will prevail,
but the "rightwing" parties will not accept the defeat and
are likely to ignite violence.
"We are going to win overwhelmingly, but there will be some
risks. The rightwing coalition parties may disavow the results,"
said Chávez.
04:17 PM. Western Hemisphere. "Damned empire; I curse you one thousand times; some day you will be finished off and wrecked. I curse you one thousand times, empire." This is the least that President Hugo Chávez has uttered to refer to the US government. In urging the Bolivarian Armed Forces to prepare for war, he said that a US raid on Venezuela through Colombia would trigger and spread over the region "the 100-year war."