Venezuela’s municipal elections

The first result to be announced in Venezuela was the voter turnout. The turnout was almost unprecedented for a local election, 65%. After that the spokeswoman went through the state results one by one. While it was clear that the Socialists maintained control of the whole of the county, there were also some victories for the opposition. The opposition candidate for example won Mayor of Caracas. The job is often seen as the second most powerful in Venezuela and many thought it’d go to a Chavez ally. The state with the most oil and the most populous state also went to the opposition. President Chavez was quick to recognize the victories of his opponents. Chavez tied these elections closely to his personal record and told voters that the election was about the future of the revolution. So he should be concerned about the growing strength of the opposition in key parts of the country.