[NYTr] Venez Opposition n Closes Anti-Reform Campaign wi/Major Demo
 
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:51:22 -0600 (CST)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Venezuelanalysis - Nov 29, 2007
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/2923

Venezuela: 

Opposition Closes Anti-Reform Campaign with Major Demonstration

by Kiraz Janicke

Caracas, November 29, 2007, (venezuelanalysis.com) - Several hundred
thousand opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's proposed
constitutional reform marched in Caracas today in their final protest
before the referendum on Sunday.

Opposition political parties and student groups gathered in five points
before marching to the capital's largest boulevard, Avenida Bolivar, in
central Caracas.

Waving US and Spanish flags, in support of Spain's King Juan Carlos who
told Chavez to "shut up" at the Ibero-American summit recently and
chanting "No to the reform!", protesters handed out glossy leaflets
claiming the reform will lead to a dictatorship.

With their designer sunglasses and jewellery, opposition protesters
were noticeably better off than their Chavista counterparts, who come
predominantly from the poorer areas.

However, Chavez supporters had painted pro-Chavez and pro-reform
graffiti all over Avenida Bolivar before the opposition march arrived,
and waved pro-reform posters out of windows as opposition supporters
marched past.

Several speakers at the march affirmed their conviction that the "No"
vote against the reform will win on Sunday.

Henrique Capriles Radonski, the opposition mayor of the upper middle
class neighbourhood Baruta in Caracas, said to the gathered crowd, "To
the CNE [electoral council] we say, we know that this time we are the
majority and there will be people who will go out to defend their vote,
one-by-one. We are not armed, but we are no fools and will defend our
political right to be equal Venezuelans."

The reform, if adopted, would, among other things, reduce the work week
to 36hrs, remove presidential term limits, recognize new forms of
property such as communal and social property, and give more power to
grassroots communal councils.

While Chavez's personal popularity is high, opinion polls show mixed
results, with polling firms linked to the opposition showing the
reforms being overwhelmingly defeated and others closer to the
government showing strong victory for the reforms.

Chavez says that it is up to the Venezuelan people to decide; if the
reforms are defeated he said in a televised interview yesterday, "I
will start to pack my bags because I will have to leave the
government." However, Chavez assured he is confident that the reforms
will be approved by a "crushing majority."

Chavez has also accused the opposition of planning to refuse to
recognize the results if they lose and claim fraud. However, he says
the Venezuelan electoral system is free and fair and the National
Electoral Council has confirmed that 1,600 international observers will
monitor the referendum.

The final pro-reform rally is set to take place tomorrow. Rather than
take their usual fourteen kilometre march route, which passes through
the wealthy opposition suburbs in the east of Caracas, Chavez
supporters have instead called only for a rally in Avenida Bolivar, in
an attempt to avoid violence.

Opposition protests have turned violent at times, and tensions have
heightened in recent days after opposition protesters shot and killed a
Chavez supporter in Valencia on November 26.

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