The elections in Venezuela

The elections in Venezuela

The imbalance of power in a polarized society

The election of November 23 is a process to choose 22 state governors, 328 mayors, 233 state legislative councilors and a range of other local positions. 17 million Venezuelans will have the opportunity to vote in these elections.

The elections will be the 14th set of national votes held since 1998 when Hugo Chavez was first elected as President. Hugo Chavez and his coalition of supporters have won 12 of the 13 previous national elections and referenda.

This is in stark contrast to the 40 years prior to President Chavez’s election, when only 15 national electoral contests were staged in Venezuela.

Elections under the government of Hugo Chavez have been verified as free and fair by a range of independent international observers including the Organization of American States, the European Union and the US Carter Centre.

A total of 134 foreign observers will take part in November's election, according to Venezuela's independent National Electoral Council (CNE). The observers will come from 34 member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), and include representatives of electoral organizations from America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

With regards to equality, half of the candidates standing in the local and regional elections will be women, following the implementation of legislation to ensure gender equality earlier this year. This is a tremendous advance for women in Venezuela - when these elections were last contested in 2004, 82% of candidates were male and 18% female.

PREVIOUS REGIONAL ELECTIONS IN VENEZUELA: Equivalent elections to those on 23 November took place in Venezuela in October 2004. Chavez’s coalition of supporters won the elections in 80 per cent of the local authorities and 22 out of 24 governors. However, it should be noted that, during the run-up to the previous regional elections in October 2004, much of the opposition called on their supporters to abstain in an effort to discredit the Venezuelan electoral system, which they claimed was "fraudulent" after their defeat in the August 2004 referendum on whether President Chavez would remain in office.

These claims became increasingly unsustainable after electoral observation missions from the European Union, the OAS and the Carter Center repeatedly expressed satisfaction with the transparency, fairness, and inclusive nature of Venezuela's electoral system. As no such boycott will occur this time, it is reasonable to assume that this will strengthen the opposition's level of support, all other things being equal. It is hoped that accurate and honest media coverage will recognize this fact.

In 2000, Chavez’s coalition of supporters won 18 governors and the opposition six. However, three governors elected with Chavez’s support later became part of the opposition.

A TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE ELECTORAL PROCESS: Venezuela's electoral system has undergone significant improvements under the Chavez government that have helped achieve a transparent process and an increase in voter participation. Some of these are looked at below:

AN INDEPENDENT ELECTION: The National Electoral Council (CNE), body in charge of administering elections in Venezuela is an independent branch of state. It is comprised of 11 members of the National Assembly and 10 representatives of civil society, none of who are appointed by the President.

MONITORING OF THE ELECTION: Venezuela's elections are among the most observed anywhere in the world. At each of the 11,500 voting centers throughout the country, the dozens of parties involved in the election will be entitled to an observer - one example of how at different levels of the electoral process in Venezuela, the opposition can fully participate.

TRANSPARENCY: The November 23 elections will be 100% computerized. Voting will take place using an electronic touch-screen voting machine that will provide every voter with a receipt. This allows the election authorities to conduct a manual recount of the paper receipts if the tally of a particular voting centre is challenged.

The full electronic results will also be checked against a hand counted audit of 53 per cent of the machines. Thirty political parties and organizations expressed their satisfaction in one of the many audits carried out by the CNE, which took place on November 16. Thus far the CNE has carried out 53 such audits. The machines produce a receipt to allow the voter to check their vote.

US Senator Bill Nelson (Florida) has argued they are therefore more reliable than those used in several countries including the USA. On the security of the voting machines, the report of the Chairperson of the EU Observation Mission to the 2005 elections stated, "the general conclusion of the observers was that the voting machines seemed very reliable."

ENHANCING VOTER PARTICIPATION: Over the last few years, voter participation in Venezuelan elections has increased significantly, and in large part thanks to measures adopted by the CNE. It has carried out extensive voter registration campaigns that contributed to a 64% increase in the number of registered voters between 1998 and 2007.

Parallel to this effort, the CNE has made voting much more accessible to millions of Venezuelans by adding new voting stations in poor neighborhoods and rural areas. It should be noted that these advances have benefited all Venezuelans by increasing democratic participation. In particular, though, they have helped to empower the less privileged citizens in poor areas and
Afro-Venezuelan and Indigenous communities that have traditionally been left on the sidelines of Venezuelan politics. To facilitate turnout in 23 November elections, the CNE has established 1,500 Centers of Electoral Information throughout the country.

The CNE has also produced a short video clip - with added sign language for the deaf and those with partial hearing - and a radio broadcast which are run nationally three times a day, with detailed information as to how to cast one's vote. It has also printed gigantic posters with didactic information for the voters that have been distributed to every single municipality in the country.

The CNE has additionally added a bulletin in the national press containing all the information relevant to the regional elections, including location of polling stations and how to cast the vote.

VENEZUELANS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR DEMOCRACY: Some media have propagated the myth that President Chavez is ‘authoritarian', or a ‘dictator', and that his supporters have stayed in power by increasing central concentration of power. Yet the latest annual survey of Latin American opinion, carried out by the independent and respected polling firm Latinobarometro, showed that Venezuela is now the country with the greatest support for democracy in Latin America on 82%. The average level of support in Latin America is 57%. This represents a huge increase in support for democracy in Venezuela under Chavez.

In 1998, just before Chavez was first elected, the Latin American average satisfaction with democracy was 37% and Venezuela was below this average with only 35%.

Venezuela is also now the country with the second highest levels of satisfaction with their democracy: 49% against an average of 37%. Additionally, Venezuela has, by far, the greatest number of political parties registered of any Latin American nation: 85 compared to the next highest of 22.

Far from the government of Hugo Chavez restricting democracy as is often falsely claimed, Hugo Chavez and his supporters have won twelve out of thirteen electoral contests on a national basis since 1998.

These are: 


1. December 1998: Hugo Chavez elected president with 56.2 per cent of the vote. 

2. April 1999: National referendum on convening a constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution won with 71.8 per cent support. 

3. July 1999: Election of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, Chavez supporters won a large majority of seats.
4. December 1999: Referendum on whether to adopt the new constitution, won by Chavez supporters with 71.9 per cent of the vote. 

5. July 2000: Presidential election held under the new constitution, won by Hugo Chavez with an increased majority of 59.76 per cent of the vote.

6. July 2000: Election of the National Assembly, Chavez supporters won a majority of the seats
.
7. December 2000: Municipal elections with around two thirds supporting pro-Chavez parties.

8. August 2004 - National elections for councilors for local municipalities and local parishes. 

9. August 2004: A national referendum called by the opposition on whether or not to remove Chavez from power, won by President Chavez with 59.3 per cent of the vote. 

10. October 2004: Local and regional elections throughout the country, Chavez supporters won the elections in 80 per cent of the local authorities and 20 out of 22 provincial governments. 

11. December 2005: National Assembly elections. Chavez’s party, the MVR, won a large majority of the seats following the cynical boycott of the election by some of the opposition. 

12. December 2006 - Presidential election. Hugo Chavez was re-elected with 63%. 

13. December 2007 - National referendum on constitutional changes misrepresentation.

REGARDING NOVEMBER'S ELECTION: One of the main misrepresentations in the run up to the 23 November has been on so called ‘barring' of political candidates.

Sections of the Venezuelan opposition have claimed the elections will not be free and fair due to a decision by Venezuela's Comptroller General, Clodosbaldo Russian, to temporarily disqualify a list of around 250 individuals from standing for public office after being found guilty of corruption and/or misuse of public funds. Of these a much smaller number intended to stand for election.

The opposition, finding an echo in sections of the media, has argued that the "list of banned candidates is politically motivated and illegal" (International Herald Tribune, July 8, 2008). They add that the measure is unconstitutional. This interpretation is wrong. Some have falsely claimed that this is an attempt to exclude opponents of President Chavez. However the list of disqualified individuals includes both supporters and opponents of the government - a report in the Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias on 14 July stated that a majority could be identified as government supporters. Furthermore, many of the disqualifications were not imposed recently and are the consequence of investigations by the Comptroller General over a number of years.

This decision by the Comptroller General is both lawful and constitutional. Such legal instruments to apply sanctions against individuals whose probity as holders of public office is under question has existed in Venezuela since 1975.

The current legislation was adopted in 2002 as an anti-corruption measure by Venezuela's National Assembly in a near unanimous vote, including support from parties opposed to the Chavez government that then had strong representation in the National Assembly.

The disqualified candidates have also had the opportunity to legally contest the decision and the disbarring was upheld as constitutional by a Venezuelan Supreme Court ruling on 5 August.

Opponents of Venezuela's social progress have regularly propagated a substantial campaign of disinformation seeking to undermine the Hugo Chavez government. The latest false claims relating to the disqualifications appear to be part of this ongoing campaign.

23 NOVEMBER: LOCAL ELECTION

Early this morning, Venezuelans started queuing to vote in local elections for state governors and regional and municipal legislators. Turnout is expected to be high but it is a cloudy day on many states.

Over 5000 candidates will contest 603 elections for 22 state governors, 328 mayors, 233 state legislative councilors and a range of other local positions.

17 million Venezuelans will have the opportunity to vote in these elections. The elections will be the 14th set of national votes held since 1998.

The final outcomes clearly show that most populated states would be under the control of the local opposition. This shows a tendency in Venezuelans political preferences.

The opposition is leading in urban canters while the government is turning towards the rural areas. In addition, the opposition has taken almost all local authorities posts in Caracas.

Tibisay Lucena, the president of the National Electoral Council, has just issued the first official result of Venezuela’s state and municipal elections. After receiving reports of over 60 % of the counting by electoral juntas of the votes, results did not show a clear victory for the Chavez’s candidates in meaningful posts. Seventeen governorships remain under official control though.

However, the opposition won at traditional opposition place of Zulia and Nueva Esparta. It also regains control over Miranda state and Caracas Mayoral post. Later reports showed that the opposition also won at two more states: Carabobo and Táchira.

The opposition came divided to the elections and suffer major set backs in the following States: Aragua, Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Apure, Barinas, Bolívar, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Falcón, Guárico, Lara, Yaracuy, Merida, Monagas, Portuguesa, Sucre, Trujillo y Vargas.

The governing PSUV recognized the victory by the opposition and promised to continue with his political socialist project.
Turnout - over 65,49% of the electorate universe -was rather high for local election historical standards in Venezuela.
This turnout shows the renewed interest and enthusiasm on politics. In addition it demonstrated the trust of Venezuelans over their electoral systems. International observers have also hailed the technical facilities and flawless outcome of the elections.

As President Chavez took it to heart to win this elections, their result are to be interpreted as a lukewarm sign for the extension of his tenure in power beyond 2013. Chavez would now need to devote much energy to oppose hostile opponents at the local level in Caracas and within his own party. Would be heirs of his leadership could turn dangerous for his remaining time in government.

The world financial crisis and deficient management of his policies could create havoc in the near future. It is up to his administration to govern with less money and more focused social aims.

The opposition would now need to analyze defeat and envision the more democratic selection of its candidates. Unlike the governing PSUV, the opposition parties did not celebrate internal elections to choose their candidates; on the contrary. They appointed candidates by maneuvering politics, internal struggles and negotiations among few leaders.

During an International Press Conference on Monday night at Caracas, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez clarifies his stand on reelection. Chavez rejected suggestions that he would personally initiate the Constitutional mechanism to call for a new referendum on the extension of his tenure in power. Chavez is barred to do it again during his current constitutional term. However, a new Referendum on his mandate extension beyond 2012 could be called by the governing party, PSUV, or the Venezuelan people themselves, Chavez said. Such move is feared by both local and international opposition.

During the Press Conference, Chavez confronted CNN anchor Patricia Janiot for having taken his declarations out of context and misinforming the audience. Janiot had informed on CNN that Chavez would take tanks on the street if his party, PSUV, failed at local elections.

He also answered the question about the president Obama and said that the new leader had good intentions but in the context of right intolerable groups in the U.S. may not be able to fulfill its promises and that also might risk that USA killed as he they had done with other presidents.

He also said that oil prices should be located in a band between 80 and 100 dollars, and the urgency of a bank of the countries of OPEC, but that if it was not possible to organize that bank then what Venezuela would begin to promote only with Iran.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that his socialist party could seek to amend the constitution to provide unlimited presidential rule.

Following promising results for his left-wing party from state elections, Chavez said on Monday he would not personally promote such a reform which would allow him to run for reelection in 2012. "It's the people's right (to decide on the issue). We'll see if the people use this right, and if all the country approves it or not, if there is a referendum," he said. "I've said I'm not going to introduce or ask for any constitutional reform regarding presidential reelection. What I can't avoid is if someone else does it," the Venezuelan leader added.

The remarks come a day after Sunday's vote where the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won 17 states out of 22, polling a sweeping 95.67% of votes counted nationally, with Chavez's brother, Adan, winning the governor's race in his home state of Barinas.

Chavez hailed the Venezuelan people's decisive participation after the National Electoral Council published its first report on Monday, describing it as 'a signal to boost the Bolivarian Revolution started in this South American country in 1999'. "This has been a special success of the PSUV, but the victory is also of all Venezuela, which ratified its democratic triumph and honored the National Constitution," Chavez stated. "From February 2, I have four more years of government…I'm going to speed up the pace in these four years to carry out the Bolivarian socialist project," he said.

Election chief Tibisay Lucena said on Sunday 23, that the opposition had won the five most populous states: Miranda, Zulia, Carabobo, Táchira as well as Nueva Esparta. The Caracas mayor's office also shifts to the opposition.

Some 65.45% of almost 17 million eligible voters turned out at the polls to choose 22 governors, 328 mayors and 233 heads of regional councils for four-year terms.

What this indicates is that the process of voting has favored the president Chavez that has become an autocrat with the total political power.

The old political parties (AD, COPEI and MAS) were ultimately discredited and disappear from the political scene.

The opposition has been unable to successfully rebuild all their matches and then the emergence of new political groups such as: First Justice, New Time, Emerging Vision, Copei renovated and refurbished AD, but in a climate of intolerance and confrontation have been organized with the support of Young Leaders and with the support of academic leaders.

But these new and youth parties have been unable to reach the groundwork for lack of resources, which if they've been able to make the party formed by President Chavez who has had a lot of money to penetrate almost all the spaces of power that is closer to the voter population.

The success of these new groups is evident as they have been able to win in major urban cities of the country and especially in the city of Caracas that is the geographical area with the largest number of inhabitants.

That is, President Hugo Chavez's opponents made important gains in Venezuela's local elections, capturing the Caracas mayor's office and five of the most populous and important states.

THE GOVERNMENT WINS ELECTIONS BECAUSE IT HAS MONEY

In the newspaper called "The Facts of Miguel" (LAS VERDADES DE MIGUEL), newspaper that supports the revolution socialist has been said that the governors and mayors who lost the government is due to the very acts of mismanagement and corruption.

Moreover also in this newspaper on November 25 it said: the supporters of the government were the same people who held up the vote in Carabobo and in Caracas, and the governorates that won the government was due to Chavez's campaign because the tenets of the PSUV were defeated.

The votes were purchased with government with Bs. 50,000 each and giving away appliances. Barinas lost and Sucre too because the government but with money from PDVSA and could get her the natural leaders and Morales Gil and Reyes.

In short, the government always won elections because the government payments in cash; a lack of ethics and aberrant decisions.

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Vamos a ver si podemos sumarnos a esta radio española...trasmite desde MADRID para toda España e incluso para Canarias.

y También RADIO IMAGEN:

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The Future of Hillary Clinton

The Future of Hillary Clinton

¿The first woman president of USA?

Hillary R. Clinton was always considered a serious contender for presidency, and today she is the Secretary of State by order of Obama because Hillary was a major competitor and efficient senator.

She had a plan as Christopher Andersen said in his book American Evita.

It is likely that Hillary's plan for future is to run for president in 2012.

Even Hillary would rise to power and had already taken a step toward making the plan a reality. If all went according to schedule, Hillary would share power in the Oval Office with Obama President.

Chelsea told a fellow student at Oxford University she was convinced that her mother would rescue the White House for the Clintons, as Andersen said.

Chelsea's mother is smart and wants to be the first woman president of USA as well as Obama has been the first African American president.
She always said: "I want to run something"

Hillary was destined to run the show from the very beginning, said John Peavoy.

She was always perfectionist and She always had many ambitions, said David Rupert.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter persistent, with the ambition and commitment to breaking the limits imposed on women, and although she will not be the first U.S. president, will be a key voice in the new government of the country as secretary of state.

His former rival in the primaries Democrats, Barack Obama, has announced that it has chosen to succeed Condoleezza Rice as the most diplomatic of the country in a time of great anti-American sentiment around the world.

A close advisor of President-elect predicted that the mere election of Clinton would do much to restore the credibility of the United States.

The former first lady is known as an intelligent woman, calculator, attentive to the letter small and firm. He demonstrated this in the primary elections of his party, the longest in recent history mainly for its refusal to surrender. Diplomatic of the country in a time of great anti-American sentiment around the world.

A close advisor of President-elect predicted that the mere election of Clinton would do much to restore the credibility of the United States.

The former first lady is known as an intelligent woman, calculator, attentive to the letter small and firm. She demonstrated this in the primary elections of his party, the longest in recent history mostly for its refusal to surrender.

She found his true voice, in fact, the finish line, when the war cry of "fight for you" achieved remarkable victories in large states such as Ohio, Texas or Pennsylvania.

His promise caló among voters because Clinton has demonstrated in his life a bitter dedication to the issues that really matter: the reform of the health system, education and the rights of women and children.

An active first lady, no "cookies and tea”. These are issues that may sound typical of first ladies, but during the eight years he spent in the White House, Clinton was not in charity and visits form, and warned that it would not engage in "making and serving tea biscuits" - But she aspired to change federal policies.

This knew Bill Clinton, who in the 1992 presidential campaign, said that by supporting him, the voters were "two for the price of one." Hillary could not say the same thing in the primaries this year because the 18 million votes she received were not enough to give the Democrat nomination. Even so, she opened a gap in the minds of traditionalist country, so that the election of a woman president in the United States now seems only a matter of time.

In comparison, in the last decade the direction of the Department of State has been occupied by two women, Rice and Madeleine Albright, and only one man-Colin Powell. In foreign affairs, Clinton has been at the center of the Democratic Party. In the Senate, where she came in 2001, voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq, for example, but later regret she said.

From Republican to Democrat in Wellesley College at Yale during the campaign, accusing Obama of naiveté in foreign policy and criticized his willingness to meet with the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and with the presidents of North Korea, Syria and Iran. As secretary of state, if confirmed by the Senate, Clinton might have to prepare for such meetings.

The main objection to their presence in the future government of Obama has been his independence and his political ambitions.

That is something that Clinton cannot deny, as have marked his character from a very early. Born in 1947 in the heart of a middle-class family in Chicago, daughter of textile entrepreneur Hugh Rodham and his wife Dorothy, a housewife. In his youth followed the conservative line of his family and became the chairman of the Republican student organization of the university Wellesley College.

But the struggle for civil rights began to move toward the Democrats during his years at the College of Law, Yale University, where he was a brilliant student and met a man promising southerner, Bill Clinton. She married him in 1975, although in a gesture of independence kept her maiden name, Rodham, after the first name.

The Clinton returned to power

It was the first woman partner in the Rose law firm and entered twice in the National Law Journal's list of the 100 best lawyers in the country. At the same time, the tasks performed by first lady in Arkansas during the 12 years that her husband was governor.

In January 1993 she moved with Bill to the White House, where he faced his biggest personal test when it became public sex on her husband with the intern Monica Lewinsky. Despite the anger, Hillary did not leave her husband. Some critics blamed it for their political aspirations; she has indicated that he simply loves. During the primaries, Bill was a tireless support for his candidacy. Now, with the Secretariat of State, Clinton returned to power

Música con movimientos

En este enlace que se llama VIMEO permite oír y ver los movimientos relacionados con la música.

INFOGUIA : LAS PAGINAS AMARILLAS DE INTERNET

En Infoguía se busca mejor que utilizando las páginas amarillas de CANTV.

La LISTA de los mejores BLOG del año 2.008

La gente de Deutsche Welle de Alemania en su hoja web The BOBs ha colocado la lista de los BLOGS y Hojas Web Premiados. Los Blogs premiados en idioma español son: GENERACION Y de una académica cubana y 233 grados. En idioma Inglés ganaron: Sunlight Foundation Party Time y Voices of Africa.

Voy a colocar en seguida el BLOG de la académica cubana que siempre me ha parecido muy interesante:

<HACER CLICK AQUI

PERIODISMO CIUDADANO

La comunicación y el activismo social han sido protagonistas en la edición 2008 de los premios Best of the Blogs (Bobs), los premios internacionales de blogs, podcasts y videoblogs organizados por Deutsche Welle, la cadena de radio y televisión pública alemana para el exterior, que cada año son concedidos en 11 idiomas diferentes.

Varios son los blogs de periodistas premiados en esta ocasión, y otros tantos los que tratan sobre asuntos y reivindicaciones de carácter social.

Entre los blogs de comunicación queremos destacar el Premio al Mejor Weblog en Español concedido a:

233-GRADOS

, a quienes desde aquí felicitamos. Su proyecto de comunicación basado en Internet, explorando las nuevas formas de hacer periodismo (incluido el ciudadano), es una apuesta por la innovación sin cortapisas en el terreno de la información y un ejemplo palpable de que la calidad y la mirada de futuro no son características incompatibles en un proyecto periodístico.

Pero también el periodismo ciudadano, ya en un sentido más estricto, ha recibido su galardón, representado en esta ocasión en el Premio al Mejor Videoblog concedido al proyecto Voices of Africa.

Lanzado en mayo de 2007 por la Africa Interactive Media Foundation, editora de

AFRICA-NEWS

, su intención inicial era estimular el periodismo ciudadano en el continente africano, aprovechando la creciente expansión de la telefonía móvil en ese continente, como una forma de potenciar la democracia y las buenas formas de gobierno, aún ausentes en muchos países africanos.

Equipos de reporteros ciudadanos (”camjos”, una combinación de “camera” y “journalist”), dotados de móviles de alta tecnología provistos del software necesario para enviar sus textos, fotos y vídeos al servidor del proyecto, han crecido desde entonces por diferentes rincones de África, allá donde existe la cobertura GPRS necesaria, para alimentar de historias y noticias el sitio de Voices of Africa.

Un magnífico proyecto, cuyo objetivo final sería tener equipos de “camjos” en cada país africano, al que también mandamos nuestras felicitaciones por su merecido premio.

La Votación en las Alcaldías

De 240 Alcaldías ya contabilizadas el 80% pertenecen al oficialismo y el 20% pertenecen a la oposición, independientes y disidentes.

El Oficialismo pudo asegurar 194 alcaldías y el 70% de ellas pertenecieron a los estados Aragua, Táchira, Trujillo, Mérida, Falcón, Anzoátegui, Miranda, Yaracuy, Sucre, Portuguesa, Carabobo y Lara. (en ese mismo orden de importancia).

La oposición con los otros grupos de independientes y disidentes logró 46 alcaldías y el 22% fueron del Estado Táchira, o sea un Estado Fronterizo y otro 22% repartido por igual entre Zulia y Nueva Esparta.

Si existe AGUA en Martes... que bueno !!

Orlando Lizama

Washington, 20 nov (EFE).- Científicos estadounidenses han descubierto glaciares lejos de los polos de Marte y a pocos metros de la cubierta rocosa del planeta, reveló hoy un estudio publicado por la revista Science.

"Se trata de un descubrimiento muy importante porque no solo constata la existencia de agua en Marte, sino que cubre la necesidad de ese elemento que tendrán las futuras misiones interplanetarias", señaló a Efe Ali Safaeinili, científico del Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL) de la NASA.

"También es importante porque el agua de esos glaciares se encuentra en latitudes bajas del planeta, lejos de los polos, y en algunos casos a solo unos tres metros de profundidad", indicó.

El descubrimiento fue hecho con el radar de la sonda Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) de la agencia espacial estadounidense hace un año.

"Tardamos en hacer el anuncio del descubrimiento porque queríamos estar seguros de él e hicimos todas las verificaciones posibles", agregó.

Debido a que el agua es uno de los ingredientes esenciales de la vida tal como la conocemos en la Tierra, el hallazgo de grandes reservas del líquido congelado es un signo alentador para los científicos que buscan vida más allá de nuestro planeta, indicó el estudio publicado por Science.

Los glaciares cubren una superficie de decenas de miles de kilómetros cuadrados y se extienden desde las montañas marcianas con un espesor en algunos casos de unos 800 metros.

La capa de material rocoso que cubre el hielo, en otros casos de un grosor de unos pocos metros, posiblemente preservó los glaciares como reliquias de una pasada glaciación, indicó Science.

Los primeros indicios de agua en Marte fueron detectados hace cuatro años por los vehículos "Spirit" y "Opportunity" y confirmados después por el "Phoenix", un tercer vehículo de la NASA.

"Sin duda estos glaciares representan la mayor reserva de agua en Marte, lejos de las capas polares. Solo uno de los que examinamos es tres veces más extenso que la ciudad de Los Ángeles (California) (...) y hay muchos más", indicó John Holt, de la Escuela de Geociencias de la Universidad de Texas y autor del informe.

Además, "son una ventana a un clima que fue muy diferente a lo que es hoy Marte", dijo Holt en una entrevista telefónica.

El descubrimiento hecho por el radar de MRO despejó un misterio que había surgido en el decenio de 1970 cuando las sondas Viking de la NASA detectaron faldas ondulantes que provenían de las montañas.

Una teoría indicaba que se trataba de flujos de rocas lubricadas por el hielo.

Sin embargo, Holt indicó que se parecían mucho a los enormes glaciares detectados también bajo la roca en la Antártida y para cuyo estudio se había utilizado el radar.

"Y en la Tierra, esas masas de hielo oculto en la Antártida preservan el registro de antiguos organismos y la historia del pasado climático", dijo James Head, científico de la Universidad de Brown.

La solución del rompecabezas fue proporcionada por el radar de la sonda de la NASA, el cual indicó que esas configuraciones topográficas contienen enormes cantidades de hielo.

Según el informe de la revista Science, las pruebas de la presencia de agua congelada son múltiples.

Los ecos del radar recibidos por el orbitador pasan a través del material y rebotan desde una superficie interior más profunda sin una pérdida importante de su fuerza, como ocurre cuando hay agua con una capa relativamente delgada que la cubre.

Por otra parte, la velocidad de las ondas de radio que atraviesan la capa se ajusta a una composición de agua congelada, indicó el informe.

Los glaciares en los que se centró el estudio están ubicados en la región de la cuenca de Hellas, en el hemisferio sur marciano, pero el radar también detectó formaciones similares en el hemisferio norte.

"Existe un volumen todavía mayor de agua congelada en los depósitos del norte", aseguró Jeffrey Plaut, científico de JPL.

Holt explicó que la presencia de glaciares en latitudes bajas de ambos hemisferio se explicaría por un cambio que sufrió en algún momento el eje de rotación de Marte el cual empujó el agua de los polos a esos lugares. EFE

M3-RADIO.. con buena música!!

M·-RADIO ES UNA MANERA DE OIR BUNA MUSICA EN IDIOMA INGLES...

POD-CAR: EL AUTO DEL FUTURO

Quieren conocer el POD-CAR? Se dice que será el transporte del futuro...estará manejado por una computadora o sea por un robot y si usted se dirige a X lugar se anota en la pantalla del POD-CAR para que se pare en ese lugar... En el enlace de arriba aparece este nuevo invento.

Partido de Chávez é eleito em 17 dos 22 Estados venezuelanos

25/11/2008
Partido de Chávez é eleito em 17 dos 22 Estados venezuelanos

Francisco Peregil
Em Caracas

Todos contentes. A partir de agora o presidente Hugo Chávez pode dizer que a Venezuela continua sendo "vermelha, vermelhinha", porque os candidatos da formação que ele fundou em 2006, o Partido Socialista Unido da Venezuela (PSUV), venceram no domingo 17 dos 22 governos em disputa. Chávez obteve 77% dos votos, com 1,5 milhão de eleitores a mais que os partidos rivais em eleições regionais e locais que o presidente transformou em um plebiscito sobre sua pessoa.

A oposição, formada por vários partidos, pode se vangloriar de ter consolidado sua vitória nos dois únicos Estados onde já conseguiu ganhar nas eleições regionais de 2004 (Zulia e Nueva Esparta) e ter acrescentado os de Carabobo, Táchira e Miranda. Os opositores encontraram a grande surpresa de sua vitória na Prefeitura Maior, ou Grande Caracas, cidade que conta com cinco municípios (Libertador, Chacao, Baruta, El Hatillo e Sucre), dos quais o PSUV só controla o de Libertador. Além disso, Maracaibo, a segunda cidade do país, ficou para o líder do Un Nuevo Tiempo, Manuel Rosales, que Chávez ameaçou de prisão durante a campanha.

Mas um dos maiores troféus para a oposição foi a vitória no município de Sucre, em Caracas, onde se encontra Petare, o bairro mais violento e populoso da Venezuela. Carlos Ocariz, o candidato de oposição à prefeitura de Sucre, dizia há anos que poderia ganhar em Petare porque Chávez não tem mais o monopólio do combate à pobreza. E ganhou no domingo.

A oposição pode afirmar que o Estado petroleiro de Zulia é o mais rico do país e Carabobo o mais industrializado; e pode lembrar que Zulia e Miranda (Estado que engloba quase a metade da cidade de Caracas) são as regiões mais populosas da Venezuela, com 6,6 milhões de habitantes dos 28 milhões do país.

Chávez havia se esforçado nesses lugares. Em Zulia não só ameaçou várias vezes de prisão Manuel Rosales, líder do Un Nuevo Tiempo, por suposta evasão fiscal, como ali pronunciou seu discurso de fim de campanha. Em Carabobo o presidente promoveu como candidato ao governo Mario Silva, apresentador de um programa de televisão no qual são comuns os insultos contra adversários e dissidentes. Chávez tinha declarado que se a oposição ganhasse em Carabobo poderia considerar a possibilidade de colocar os tanques na rua.

Mas ontem todas as ameaças se transformaram em coisa do passado. Depois de se conhecer os resultados, os candidatos de oposição vitoriosos foram estendendo a mão a seus rivais governistas para trabalhar em comum a partir de agora. E Chávez cumprimentou os vencedores.

Se na segunda-feira houve claros perdedores foram os chavistas rebeldes. O governismo conseguiu recuperar os Estados de Trujillo, Aragua, Guárico e Sucre, que se encontravam nas mãos de governadores dissidentes. E Chávez conseguiu que seu irmão Adán vencesse em Barinas, terra natal do presidente, contra outro dissidente.

Quase todos contentes, portanto. Os chavistas cantavam na noite de segunda-feira o já legendário "Uh, ah, Chávez no se va!", enquanto os adversários percorriam as ruas de Caracas com seus carros cantando "Sí, se puede; sí, se puede!" E ambos poderão celebrar o fato de que se bateu o recorde de participação em eleições regionais, com 65% dos quase 17 milhões de eleitores convocados. Chávez tinha declarado na semana passada que "perder pelo menos três governos nestas eleições seria uma derrota para o governo nacional". Mas na noite de segunda disse que o ganhador havia sido o PSUV e advertiu os rivais: "Se quiserem cair em mentiras, que caiam em mentiras".

"Foi uma derrota claríssima do governo", indica o sociólogo Ignacio Ávalos. "Mas é uma derrota nas mãos de ninguém, nas mãos de um movimento muito heterogêneo e confuso como é a oposição. Em cada um dos Estados que ganhou foi com um partido diferente."

A praça de Altamira, onde os opositores se reuniram no último dia 2 de dezembro para comemorar a derrota de Chávez no referendo constitucional, estava vazia na segunda-feira depois da divulgação dos resultados. De vez em quando se viam passar alguns motoristas que buzinavam e gritavam "Sí, se puede; sí se puede". Mas a alegria não era veemente em nenhum dos dois lados. A tristeza também não.

Tradução: Luiz Roberto Mendes Gonçalves
Visite o site do El País

Caracas es Caracas; lo demás es monte y culebra.

IBSEN MARTÍNEZ 25/11/2008

Visto de lejos, el resultado de las elecciones regionales venezolanas podría juzgarse como una ratificación de dominio político. Tal juicio sería erróneo: lo que Chávez ha recibido es un verdadero varapalo.

La mitad de los venezolanos repudia el autoritarismo

La división política de Venezuela -23 Estados y más de 300 alcaldías- no va de la mano con su demografía: los cinco Estados donde ganó la oposición concentran más de la mitad de la población del país, la mayor parte de la industria petrolera y el grueso de la actividad industrial del país.

Pero el resultado de mayores consecuencias políticas ha sido, sin duda, el triunfo de la oposición en la zona capital al alzarse con la Alcaldía Mayor de Caracas y con la gobernación del vecino Estado de Miranda, uno de cuyos municipios, el de Sucre, forma parte de la zona metropolitana de Caracas y es el más poblado del país, con más de millón y medio de habitantes.

Precisamente en este municipio del este de Caracas se halla Petare, el barrio más populoso de la capital y el más violento: unos 700 homicidios registrados en el año 2007.

Junto con el de Catia, su homólogo del oeste de Caracas, Petare fue durante todos estos años bastión del chavismo puro y duro capitalino.

Pues bien, Chávez los ha perdido a ambos, y de un modo que no deja lugar a dudas de que la base social de su Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela se concentra en las zonas rurales, más despobladas y deprimidas. Y, por lo mismo, más sujetas al caciquismo y a las muchas formas que cobra la extorsión del voto en mi país.

Con todo, afirmar que existe una Venezuela urbana opositora y otra Venezuela rural y oficialista también sería engañoso.

Estos resultados muestran, más bien, que una mitad de los venezolanos repudia el grotesco autoritarismo militarista de Hugo Chávez. Buena parte de la otra mitad también, pero no se olvide que Venezuela es, hoy por hoy, un petro-Estado populista donde el Gobierno es el mayor empleador del país y dueño de la chequera.

Para decirlo con palabras del dirigente opositor Teodoro Petkoff, director del matutino Tal Cual, los resultados del domingo entrañan la "derrota de la prepotencia, de la arrogancia, del desprecio por los que opinan distinto, de la política entendida como agresión, insulto y ofensa al adversario".

Ganar en la capital, y con indiscutible ventaja en las barriadas más populosas y marginadas, donde viven los presuntos beneficiarios de los tan cacareados programas sociales del vociferante y pugnaz Hugo Chávez, ha sido el modo caraqueño de decirle: "¿Por qué no te callas?".

Caracas es Caracas; lo demás es monte y culebra.

Ibsen Martínez es escritor y periodista venezolano.

La sociedad políticamente polarizada

Si ustedes entran en la Página del Consejo Nacional Electoral y hacen algunos cálculos de los votos para la oposición y de los votos de los simpatizantes del gobierno pondrán ver que la relación es igual a 45% vs. 53%. Es decir que hace algunos años esa misma polarización: oposición vs. gobierno era 40% vs. 60%, entonces esto quiere decir que la oposición con gran esfuerzo a ganado 5% y el gobierno ha perdido 7%.

Opposition makes gains in Venezuela vote

Opposition makes gains in Venezuela vote

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez's opponents made important gains in Venezuela's local elections, capturing the Caracas mayor's office and three of the most populous states, but his allies won a strong majority.

With more than 95 percent of votes counted, pro-Chavez candidates kept gubernatorial posts in 17 states, while the opposition won five states. Chavez trumpeted his party's domination of Sunday's vote as a sign to continue driving Venezuela toward "21st-century socialism."

"The people are telling me: 'Chavez continue down the same road,'" he said, hinting that he has not abandoned plans for constitutional changes that would expand his powers, push the economy toward socialism and allow him to run for re-election indefinitely.

Voters rejected the president's proposed overhaul of the constitution last year but Sunday's results clearly encouraged Chavez, who famously described U.S. President George W. Bush as the devil at the United Nations and has cultivated relations with U.S. antagonists in Cuba as well as Iran and more recently Russia.

Tibisay Lucena, president of Venezuela's election council, said the opposition won in the two most populous states — Miranda and Zulia — as well as Nueva Esparta, Carabobo and Tachira. Opposition candidate Antonio Ledezma defeated a close Chavez confidant to become the next mayor of Caracas, the South American nation's capital and largest city.

"I'm delighted, and a bit surprised, that our candidates won in some of the most important states," said Delsa Perez, a 45-year-old housewife who voted for Ledezma because she was fed up with the capital's garbage-strewn and potholed streets.

Chavez faced an emboldened opposition aiming to break his party's near total control over local offices. Although the president's allies held a majority of posts, Sunday's results gained new ground for his political adversaries.

Chavez's brother, Adan, won a tight race to succeed their father as governor in the president's home state of Barinas.

Turnout topped 65 percent among the 16.8 million registered voters, a new high for a local election in Venezuela, Lucena said.

Ledezma called for cooperation between Chavez's government and opposition mayors, saying "I invite the president of the republic to work together to rescue Caracas" — a city blighted by crime, trash and crumbling infrastructure.

A similar invitation was offered by Henrique Capriles, who defeated one of Chavez's closest confidants to become the next governor of Miranda state, which includes part of Caracas.

"What's important is that the map of Venezuela has started to change," said opposition leader Manuel Rosales, calling the victories important gains for the anti-Chavez camp.

Chavez party spokesman Alberto Muller played down the opposition's resurgence.

"We are the country's foremost political force," said Muller, flanked by other red-clad Chavez allies. "We don't see an opposition victory on a political map painted red."

In 2004 state elections, Chavez allies swept all but two of 23 governorships and a majority of local offices. In this vote, 22 governorships, 330 mayoral posts and other offices were up for grabs.

After a decade in office, the president still enjoys solid popularity, but last year's defeat of his attempt to abolish term limits energized the opposition, which has also sought to capitalize on complaints about unchecked corruption, rising crime, deteriorating public services and double-digit inflation.

At least 106 people were detained by authorities during the vote, many for destroying balloting materials such as voter receipts, the attorney general's office said. Six were arrested in Guarico state for allegedly attacking voters.

One person also was stabbed in a clash between government supporters and opponents in Bolivar state, but authorities said the vote largely went smoothly.

___

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez and Jorge Rueda contributed to this report.

La oposición logró un gran avance político

CARACAS (AP) - La oposición logró un gran avance político el domingo en las elecciones regionales de Venezuela al ganar cinco gobernaciones y la capital, mientras el oficialismo retuvo la mayoría de los 22 gobiernos estatales en disputa.

Los candidatos opositores ganaron las gobernaciones de los estados de Miranda, Carabobo y Táchira y la importante alcaldía de Caracas, al tiempo que conservaron las gubernaturas en los estados de Zulia y Nueva Esparta. Miranda y Zulia son los dos estados más grandes del país y la alcaldía de Caracas supone el segundo cargo político más influyente en Venezuela después del presidente.

Luego de la votación que transcurrió en general sin incidentes graves, el Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) informó en su primer boletín, con el escrutinio del 95,6% de las mesas de votación, que los candidatos oficialistas ganaron 17 gobernaciones.

El presidente Hugo Chávez consideró que los resultados constituían un respaldo a su programa de gobierno socialista.

"Estos números y esta gran victoria socialista es una señal muy fuerte. El pueblo me está indicando: Chávez sigue por el mismo camino, el camino del socialismo", dijo el mandatario a la prensa al festejar junto a la directiva de su partido los resultados.

Aunque Chávez expresó que el triunfo en 17 estados del país representaba una "gran victoria" para su movimiento, reconoció que "tendremos que hacer la autocrítica donde haya que hacerla".

"Los movimientos políticos son así como la guerra ... lo importante es mantener el ritmo de la marcha", agregó.

Asimismo aprovechó la oportunidad para felicitar a los opositores ganadores y hacerles un llamado a que mantengan "el más alto comportamiento democrático" y "reconozcan al jefe de Estado".

"Ojalá no vuelvan por el viejo camino de golpismo. Ojalá puedan ellos demostrar respeto y subordinación a la Constitución", agregó.

La presidenta del CNE, Tibisay Lucena, consideró exitoso el proceso al registrarse una asistencia a las urnas de 65,45%, la cual consideró como "la mayor participación que hemos tenido en los últimos años en una elección regional y local".

Lucena indicó que los cómputos finales de otros cinco estados serían anunciados más adelante porque los resultados estaban muy reñidos. Afirmó que las cifras serían comunicadas cuando los resultados sean "irreversibles".

Uno de estos casos fue la gobernación de Táchira, donde el dirigente opositor César Pérez Vivas ganó al escrutarse 1.539 de las 1.563 actas electorales. Pérez Vivas es el nuevo gobernador tachirense, estado limítrofe con Colombia, anunció en la madrugada del lunes Carolina Barriento, presidenta de la junta electoral de ese estado.

Un poco después, la junta electoral de Carabobo anunció que el ex gobernador Henrique Salas Feo se impuso con el 47,72% de los votos, 3,43% más que el candidato oficialista Mario Silva.

Horas antes, al desestimar los triunfos de la oposición en Zulia y Miranda, el vicepresidente del oficialista Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), Alberto Muller Rojas, dijo que "no es una victoria de la oposición".

Según las cifras preliminares, aunque los partidos de oposición avanzaron en varios de los estados más poblados, el electorado sustentó de manera masiva a los candidatos a gobernador apoyados por el mandatario venezolano, casi un año después que Chávez sufrió su primer revés en las urnas.

Los venezolanos acudieron el domingo a los centros de votación para elegir a 22 gobernadores, 330 alcaldes y 225 diputados locales entre unos 8.000 candidatos de 786 organizaciones políticas.

Basado en el escrutinio en 20 de los 22 estados en disputa, el CNE señaló que los candidatos a gobernador respaldados por el jefe de Estado se habrían adjudicado 17 gobernaciones, en algunos casos por amplio margen. El único estado que no tuvo elecciones está en manos del oficialismo, el cual había perdido dos gobernaciones en los comicios de octubre del 2004.

De los 22 gobernadores elegidos en el 2004, siete buscaron ahora la reelección. Entre los gobernadores con esa aspiración, el único opositor era el gobernador del estado insular de Nueva Esparta, Morel Rodríguez, quien fue reelegido con 57,64% de los votos, 15,95% más que su rival oficialista.

En los datos electorales iniciales, el primer estado que perdió la coalición que apoya a Chávez fue Miranda, donde se impuso el dirigente opositor Henrique Capriles.

Con base en el conteo casi total en el estado Miranda, Capriles ganó con el 52,56% de los votos, 5,92% más que Diosdado Cabello, actual gobernador y estrecho colaborador del presidente Chávez.

Capriles expresó que estaba dispuesto a trabajar con el presidente Chávez por encima de sus diferencias.

El candidato opositor Pablo Pérez ganó en Zulia, un rico estado petrolero. El triunfo de Pérez es considerado un duro revés para el presidente Chávez.

El mandatario venezolano dedicó buena parte de su tiempo en el último año en tratar de socavar la popularidad del gobernador zuliano saliente Manuel Rosales y su heredero político Pablo Pérez.

Chávez visitó en varias ocasiones la región para promocionar al candidato oficialista Giancarlo Di Martino y convirtió a Rosales en el blanco permanente de un discurso virulento, además de insistentemente trató de vincular al candidato oficialista con las obras y programas sociales promovidos por el gobierno federal.

La importante alcaldía mayor de Caracas también pasó a manos de la oposición con el triunfo de Antonio Ledezma, quien se impuso con el 52,45% de los votos, 7,53 puntos porcentuales por encima de su más cercano competidor, el ex ministro de Educación Aristóbulo Istúriz.

"Estoy fascinada, y un poco sorprendida, de que nuestros candidatos hayan ganado en algunos de los estados más importantes", dijo Delsa Pérez, una ama de casa de 45 años de edad que votó por Ledezma debido a que está harta de la basura y los baches que proliferan en la capital.

No se informaron por lo pronto los resultados de los comicios en la mayoría de las alcaldías ni de representantes de las asambleas estatales.

Sobre los problemas surgidos en la jornada, la Fiscalía General indicó en un comunicado que 106 personas fueron "detenidas en flagrancia" el domingo en la capital y 18 estados del país por "destrucción de material electoral, distribución de panfletos y lesiones contra votantes que se encontraban en un centro de votación".

El jefe del Comando Estratégico Operacional (CEO), mayor general Jesús González, dijo a la prensa que en el estado oriental de Anzoátegui, un grupo de desconocidos atacó un centro de votación y hurtó un par de fusiles AK 103 que tenían los militares que custodiaban en lugar.

González precisó que en la entidad suroriental de Bolívar se presentó un enfrentamiento entre opositores y oficialistas en el que resultó herida una persona por arma blanca en un brazo.

___

Los reporteros Jorge Rueda y Christopher Toothaker de AP en Caracas contribuyeron en la información.

Los 3 videos que asustan a USA (este es el primero)

SEGUNDO VIDEO

TERCER VIDEO

Los tres videos que asustan a Estados Unidos...

EL SHOW DE CHAVEZ

Excelente resumen de la vida política de Chávez desde que dio el golpe militar hasta el fracaso de su gobierno. Vale la pena ver todos los VIDEOS, las ENTREVISTAS y otros elementos que se han incorporado en ese lugar. Lo pueden poner en ESPAÑOL O en INGLES.

On Sunday, a Most Important Election in Venezuela

On Sunday, a Most Important Election in Venezuela
[Analysis] The country fights neo-communists
Alfredo Ascanio (askain)
Published 2008-11-23 11:06 (KST)

On Nov. 23 in Venezuela will be the most important vote of its political history.

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) wants, with the support of President Chavez, to introduce to Venezuela a neo-communist regime that is called "Socialism of the 21st Century." Opposition groups are united with the aim of fighting for a political system known as the Social Democracy.

This is the only opportunity open to Venezuela to introduce a multiparty political with the goal of seeking a balance of power in a country where supporters of President Chavez have all the powers (executive, legislative and judicial branches) and control in 20 States Country and in most municipalities.

With only one day for these important election. The national newspapers and TV are reporting on their political predictions.

The Venezuelan political system is fully automated and these elections are more complex than the previous ones, because everyone has to vote for five or seven choices at a time limit of three minutes.

Venezuelans are hoping that this activity is transparent and there is no fraud as in previous ballots. The Electoral Council has invited 170 people to observe this political process.

Then I will report forecasts for this important election.

Forecasts of journalists are very different. For example, the editor of Las Truths of Miguel believes that the ruling party would win six governorates safe and the opposition would win five governorates safe. Miguel believes that the governorates that could earn the government are: Vargas, Anzoategui, Apure, Cojedes, Falcon and Monagas and the governorates that could win the opposition are: Nueva Esparta, Zulia, Portuguesa, Sucre and Guarico. And immediately pointed out that in the remaining 11 governorates there is a technical tie.

The Journal Fifth Day 52 journalists from around the country have predicted the election this way:

In the CENTRAL REGION: Caracas, Miranda, Carabobo, Aragua and Guarico, the forecasts are:

CARACAS: The specialist's El Universal that the Mayor of Caracas may have a final "picture" between Antonio Ledezma and Aristobulo Isturiz. And the thought that in the Liberator municipality win Jorge Rodriguez to beat the opposition Stalin Gonzales.

The specialist of VEA Journal said that Aristobulo Isturiz and Jorge Rodriguez is the winner with 8 percent over their contenders from the opposition (Ledezma and Gonzalez).

The specialist for the newspaper El Nacional predicts: Aristobulo win in the Mayor and the municipality of Chacao the opposition win with Emilio Grateron and in the Libertador municipality win Jorge Rodriguez. In the municipality of Sucre there is a technical tie between Carlos Ocariz and Jesse Chacon.

MIRANDA: The El Universal believes that will win Governor Diosdado Cabello as though it has a high percentage of rejection he can win with a 36 percent. But Miguel said that there exists a technical tie. In contrast, the editor of the Journal Progress also says he believes that there is a technical tie. El Nacional said that the fighting is tough and may win Governor Diosdado Cabello of PSUV.

CARABOBO: In this state Henrique Salas Feo he has tops polls as Mario Silva (PSUV) does not have a high convening power and Acosta Carles want to repeat with his excellent publicity "we are together, so good ". The Daily Evening News said that polls taken for a winner Salas Feo, but Acosta Carles could win. The editor of La Costa believes that Salas Feo win and Mario Silva has a lot of rejection in Carabobo. Miguel also believes that Salas Feo win.

ARAGUA: The newspaper the Aragueno believes that there is a technical tie between Rafael Isea (PSUV) and Henry Rosales (which would be continuity of the Current Governor Didalco Bolivar). While it appears that ISEA is the first choice as candidate of the PSUV with 37 percent against 32 percent for Rosales. It's a very tough fight.

GUARICO: The editor of the newspaper Antenna thinks Lenny Mannuit should win and the loser would be William Lara (PSUV). It's a tough choice but Mannuit has many chances of winning said Miguel.

In the western region, comprising by states: Falcon, Lara, Cojedes, Barinas, Apure and Yaracuy, the forecasts are as follows:

FALCON: The candidate of the opposition Goyo Graterol has the potential to 5 percent on Stella Montilla. Miguel said that Stella's ruling coalition would win the governorship.

LARA: It seems that the candidate's PSUV Henry Falcon could win. Miguel says the same thing.

COJEDES: The choice is tough but the PSUV Teodoro Bolivar could win in front of Alberto Galindo. Miguel also believes that Bolivar will win.

BARINAS: it seems that Julio Cesar Reyes can win and Rafael Simon Jimenez may lose (unitary candidate of the opposition), but Adam Chavez's brother President Chavez will not win.

APURE: It is possible to win Jesus Aguilarte ( PSUV) and Miriam Montilla may lose. It's the same prognosis of Miguel.

YARACUY: seems to win Julio Leon Heredia (PSUV) and opposite Edward Capdevielle may lose.

In the Zulia Region: Gian Carlos Di Martino's PSUV lose in front of Pablo Perez that would be the Governor of Zulia.

In the Andean: consisting of the States Tachira, Trujillo and Merida forecasts are:

TACHIRA: Everything points to the possible candidacy of unitary Cesar Perez Vivas, although Leonaldo Salcedo appears to have the first option that is the candidate of the PSUV.

MERIDA: There is a technical tie between William Davila of the opposition and Marcos Diaz Oreland's PSUV, but Davila has a better chance.

TRUJILLO: A hard-fought contest between the PSUV Hugo Cabezas and Octaviano Mejias (Patriotic Alliance) and Enrique Catalan of the Opposition has no strength.

In EASTERN REGION: consisting of the States Anzoategui, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro and Sucre, the forecasts are:

ANZOATEGUI: Tarek William Saab's PSUV, has a chance to repeat as governor, with 30 percent on Gustavo Marcano of the opposition.

MONAGAS: It is possible that the PSUV Jose Briceno is the new governor of that state. A front Moncho Fuentes.

NUEVA ESPARTA: Can repeat Morel Rodriguez the current governor of the opposition and William Farinas (PSUV) will lose.
BOLIVAR: A very confusing choice but Rangel Gomez is leading the polls in front of Andres Velasquez, who has sounded much.

SUCRE: it seems that won the independent Eduardo Morales Gil.

DELTA AMACURO: Pedro Santaella of PSUV will win.

ABSTRACT:

WELL THIS IS THE SUBJECT OF ELECTIONS. IN SUMMARY, according to those forecasts:

The governing would win with the official party PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela):

Vargas, Yaracuy, Bolivar, Monagas, Anzoategui, Tachira, Caracas, Miranda, Falcon, Lara, Cojedes, Apure, Barinas, Delta Amacuro (14 states and Caracas)

The Opposition win: Trujillo, Merida, Carabobo, Guarico, Zulia, Sucre, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa (eight States), and losing in Caracas.

This is the start of searching for a better political balance in the country and to combat intolerance and unacceptable fact of political prisoners and waste the money of the people in political campaigning in the country and in other countries such as Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua.



Alfredo Ascanio is a professor of economics at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, Venezuela.
©2008 OhmyNews
Other articles by reporter Alfredo Ascanio

Los países y el presidente Obama

Pueden ver el enlace de un blog que aparace allí donde se nos explica cuáles son los motivos por los cuales sólo 4 países de América Latina tienen fe y desean negociar con Obama cuando comience a ejercer como presidente.

Las elecciones del domingo 23 de noviembre

Los pronósticos de periodistas son muy diferentes. Por ejemplo el Editor Miguel del Diario Las Verdades de Miguel estima que el oficialismo ganaría 6 gobernaciones seguras y la oposición ganariá 5 gobernaciones suguras. Miguel cree que las gobernaciones que podría ganar el gobierno son: Vargas, Anzoátegui,Apure,Cojedes, Falcón y Monagas y las gobernaciones que podría ganar la oposición son: Nueva Esparta, Zulia, Portuguesa, Sucre y Guárico. Y de inmediato señala que en las otras 11 gobernaciones existe un empate técnico.

En el Diario Quinto Día 52 periodistas de todo el país han pronosticado las elecciones de esta manera:

En la REGION CENTRAL : o sea Caracas, Miranda, Carabobo , Aragua y Guárico, los pronósticos son:

CARACAS : El especialista del Diario El Universal que en la Alcaldía Mayor de Caracas puede haber un final de "fotografía" entre Antonio Ledezma y Aristóbulo Istúriz. Y el cree que en el Municipio Libertador ganaría Jorge Rodríguez para ganarle a Stalin González de la oposición.

El especialista del Diario VEA dijo que Aristóbulo Istúriz y Jorge Rodríguez son ganadores con 8% sobre sus contendores de la oposición (Ledezma y González).

El especialista del diario El Nacional pronostica : Aristóbulo para la Alcaldía Mayor y que en el Municipio Chacao gana la oposición con Emilio Graterón y .Jorge Rodríguez ganaría en el Municipio Libertador. En el Municipio Sucre existe un empate técnico entre Carlos Ocariz y Jesse Chacón.

MIRANDA: El Diario El Universal estima que ganará como Gobernador Diosdado Cabello que aunque tiene un porcentaje elevado de rechazo le puede ganar con un 36% a Enrique Capriles Radonski. Pero Miguel dice que allí existe un empate técnico. En cambio el editor del Diario Avance dice que cree también que existe un empate técnico. El Diario El Nacional dice que la contienda está reñida y que es posible que gane Diosdado como Gobernador, pero que en el Municipio Sucre ganaría Carlos Ocariz,

CARABOBO :En ese Estado Henrique Salas Feo encabeza las encuestas pues Mario Silva no tiene un alto poder de convocatoria y Acosta Carles desea repetir con su excelente publicidad "vamos juntos, vamos bien..". El diario Noti Tarde señala que las encuestas dan por vencedor a Salsa Feo, pero que Acosta Carles podría ganar. El editor del Diario La Costa estima que ganará Salas Feo y que Mario Silva (La Hojilla...) tiene mucho rechazo en Carabobo.Miguel cree también que ganará Salas Feo.

ARAGUA :El Diario el Aragueño cree que existe un empate técnico entre Rafael Isea y Henry Rosales (que sería la continuidad de Didalco Bolívar del partido PODEMOS). Aunque parece que ISEA tiene la primera opción como candidato del PSUV con un 37% frente al 32% de Rosales. Es una lucha muy reñida.

GUARICO :El editor del diario la Antena cree que puede ganar Lenny Mannuit frente William Lara del PSUV. Es una elección reñida aunque Mannuit tiene muchas posibilidades de ganar según Miguel.

En la REGIÖN OCCIDENTAL, formada por : Falcón, Lara, Cojedes, Barinas, Apure y Yaracuy, los proinósticos son como sigue:

FALCON: El candidato de la Oposición Goyo Graterol tiene posibilidades con 5% sobre Stella de Montilla. Miguel dice que Stella del oficialismo ganaría la gobernación.

LARA: Parece que el candidato del PSUV Henry Falcón podría ganar. Lo mismo señala Miguel.

COJEDES :La elección está reñida pero Teodoro Bolívar del PSUV (oficialismo) podría ganar frente a Alberto Galindes. Miguel también cree que ganrá Bolívar.

BARINAS: parece que puede ganar Julio César Reyes muy cerca de Rafael Simón Jiménez (candidato unitario de la oposición) y que Adán Chávez el hermano del Presidente Chávez no ganará.

APURE : Es posible que gane Jesús Aguilarte frente del PSUV a Miriam de Montilla. Es el mismo pronóstico de Miguel.

YARACUY Parece que ganaría julio León Heredia del PSUV. frente a Edward Capdevielle, de la oposición.

En la REGION ZULIANA : Gian Carlos Di Martinos del PSUV perdería frente a Pablo Pérez que sería el Gobernador del Zulia.

En la REGIN ANDINA: formada por los Estados Táchira, Trujillo y Mérida los pronósticos son :

TACHIRA: Todo apunta a la posible candidatura unitaria de César Pérez Vivas, aunque Leonaldo Salcedo parece que tiene la primera opción que es el candidato del PSUV.

MERIDA: Existe un empate técnico entre William Dávila de la oposición y Marcos Díaz Orellana del PSUV, aunque Dávila tiene más posibilidades.

TRUJILLO : Una contienda reñida entre Hugo Cabezas del PSUV y Octaviano Mejías (de Alianza Patriótica) y Enrique Catalán de la Oposición no tiene fuerza.

En la REGION ORIENTAL: formada por los Estados Anzoátequi, Monagas, Nueva Esparta , Bolíivar , Delta Amacuro y Sucre, los pronósticos son:

ANZOATEGUI: Tarek William Saab del PSUV, tiene posibilidades de repetir como gobernador,con 30% sobre Gustavo Marcano de la oposición.

MONAGAS: Es posible que José Briceño del PSUV sea de nuevo el gobernador de ese Estado. frente A Moncho Fuentes.

NUEVA ESPARTA: Puede repetir Morel Rodríguez frente a William Fariñas del PSUV.

BOLIVAR : Una elección muy confusa pero Rangel Gómez encabeza los sondeos frente a Andrés Velásquez que ha sonado mucho.

SUCRE: parece que ganaría el independiente Eduardo Morales Gil.

DELTA AMACURO :Pedro Santaella del PSUV.

ASI ESTA ESTE ASUNTO DE LA ELECCIONES. EN RESUMEN, según esos pronósticos

El partido del Gobierno PSUV ganaría:

Vargas, Yaracuy, Bolívar, Monagas, Anzoategui, Táchira, Caracas, Miranda, Falcón, Lara, Cojedes , Apure, Barinas, Delta Amacuro (14 Estados y Caracas)

La Oposición ganaría: Trujillo, Mérida, Carabobo, Guárico, Zulia, Sucre,Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa (8 Estados) y perdería en Caracas.

Obama: The New Captain America?

Obama: The New Captain America?
[Analysis] Ten of the most compelling problems that the President-elect must confront
Asad Yawar (AlexYawar)
Published 2008-11-18 21:10 (KST)

From "The Audacity of Hope" to "The Globalization of Euphoria": the election on Nov. 4, 2008, of Barack Hussein Obama, a 47-year old former senior lecturer at the University of Chicago whose political career as such did not even exist until the late 1990s, to what is arguably the most coveted and powerful position in world politics, has produced an outpouring of joy that has left even the most jaded observers struggling to sound a note of cynicism.

On hearing the news of Obama's landslide, New York became the scene of impromptu celebrations so exuberant and widespread that long-time denizens of the Big Apple declared that they had seen nothing to compare with them. But such rejoicing was not confined to New York, the US or even Kenya, Obama's most prominent ancestral homeland. In Paris, France, crowds in bars and cafes erupted in the capital of a nation that has long found itself in awkward opposition to certain American military, cultural and economic ideals.

In Turkey, where feeling towards America has been so negative in recent years that a novel such as Metal Firtina ("Metal Storm"), the denouement of which features a successful Turkish nuclear attack on Washington, D.C., shifted hundreds of thousands of copies and was massively influential in political circles, villagers in Cavustepe, near the Iranian border, held posters with Obama's photo on them juxtaposed next to slogans saying "You are one of us," and "We love you". And in Pakistan, a country which is presently in a state of near-anarchy that many domestic and international experts blame largely on the impact of flawed and destabilising regional US Foreign Policy strategies, schoolgirls in the Punjabi city of Multan painted American flags on their faces and welcomed in the Obama era with placards stating "Peace and Love: Welcome Obama."

With exultation, however, comes expectation. Many commentators have remarked on the challenges that Obama will face: contending with the fallout from the financial crisis that has been the leitmotiv of the past year and a half and disentangling the United States from Iraq have featured particularly prominently in these analyses.

However, while these are undoubtedly real and pressing problems to which workable solutions simply have to be wedded, these are not the issues that will define the success or failure of the Obama epoch in the long term. The reality of today's United States of America is that the incoming president will have to grapple with a number of economic, cultural and spiritual questions that threaten the very viability of that nation as a functioning entity. What follows is a discussion of ten of the most important issues which are imperative for Obama to address if the US is going to remain a global power in any sense in the decades to come.

1. The American Dream is dependent on debt

The economy of the United States has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial in the world; however, this effervescence has tended to obscure the fact that the United States is also the most indebted country on earth. On Sept. 30, 2008, the dollar sign on the national debt clock located in Times Square, New York City was replaced by an additional digit as the US public debt passed $10 trillion. The trend towards public indebtedness is so pronounced that the Government Accountability Office ("GAO"), a federal agency, has stated that if significant reforms are not undertaken, debt ratios relative to Gross Domestic Product will reach an astonishing 600 percent by 2080.

In addition, around 47 percent of this debt is owned by lenders from Japan and China, which means that the financial destiny of the United States is presently in large measure out of its control; should these Asian economic giants decide at any point to pull the plug, the United States will undergo a meltdown so comprehensive that it will make the traumas of the last eighteen months seem like a golden era. A fundamental rethink on how the US finances itself is long overdue.

2. The American dollar is no longer desirable

The United States was able to enjoy a preeminent economic position for so long because of the strength of its currency, the dollar. However, it is clear from most economic indicators that the fundamentals of the US economy no longer justify the position of the dollar as the world's reserve currency, particularly in terms of the country's import-export balance: in 2006, the US was running a current account deficit of $862.3 billion; the country with the next worst balance of trade was Spain, with a deficit of a mere $98.6 billion.

What this means is that in the future, if current trends are maintained, America will find it much harder to pay for its imports as the dollar is likely to be worth considerably less compared to currencies such as the euro, yen and yuan; the pricing of oil in euros by major oil producing countries would spell catastrophe. The respected American economist Max Keiser has pointed out that both Russia and certain Persian Gulf states such as Qatar are already investigating the possibility of launching currencies that are backed by gold as an alternative to the dollar. Successfully negotiating this issue will require an alchemic mix of diplomacy and economic restructuring from the Obama administration.

3. America is a Third World country as well as a First World one

The images pertaining to America that have traditionally saturated the global consciousness since the advent of television have generally portrayed a nation at the cutting edge of science, technology and development. Epic freeways; houses with swimming pools; a young and beautiful Internet-savvy, coffee-swilling population. These are the impressions that have captured the imagination of a planet and which can help explain everything from the mushrooming of shopping malls in Moscow to the small Cantonese television channel which shows nothing but episodes of the international hit comedy "Friends" 24 hours a day.

However, this is not the whole story. America is a country which is massively divided along economic lines. While institutions such as De Paul University in Chicago charge wealthy students $26,150 per term for accommodation which includes a full-time doorman, security cameras, an in-house Starbucks, a nail spa, a tanning centre and "indoor, heated car parking" - tuition fees are an additional $25,490 per year - around 28 million Americans are now receiving food stamps from the government, the highest level since the aid program in the 1960s. There is a stunning fifty-year life expectancy gap between Asian Americans, who have the best quality of life of any ethnic group within the US, and black Americans; although the US accounts for just 5 percent of the world's population, it holds 24 percent of the planet's prison population. If unchecked, such inordinate inequalities can only result in societal unrest on a grand scale.

4. American individualism is destroying the American family

Individualism is strongly imbued in the American archetype. In some senses, this is undeniably a good thing. Individualistic cultures can often appear to be more innovative and liberating.

However, when the freedom for an individual to do what they want, when they want has no limits imposed on it, individualism can often translate into pure selfishness, with devastating consequences for such entities as the family, the success of which is contingent on actions of duty, self-sacrifice and responsibility.

Kishore Mahbubani, who is presently dean of the Lew Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a former ambassador of Singapore to the United Nations, is famous amongst the International Relations community for his contribution to a 1993 Foreign Affairs Reader on the topic of Samuel P. Huntington's Clash of Civilizations thesis. Mahbubani noted at this time that whilst the US population had increased by 41 percent since 1960, violent crime had risen by 560 percent, single-mother births by 419 percent, divorce rates by 300 percent, and the percentage of children living in single-parent homes by 300 percent. As the iPod generation, raised in a time of even more pronounced individualism, reaches the age of majority and beyond, the future of the American family has perhaps never been so precarious. Obama has already called for a return to more selfless and holistic parenting; he will need to confront the broader cultural malaise which excessive individualism has borne in contemporary America.

5. Urban America is not sustainable in the 21st century

American cities are famous for their clusters of skyscrapers, gridlock and crime; what they are much less known for is the amount of physical space they occupy. In 2007, US cities occupied nine out of the top ten global ranking places for the largest cities as measured by land area. These included not just metropolitan areas in excess of ten million people such as Los Angeles (4,320 square kilometres) and New York (8,683 square kilometres), but Dallas/Fort Worth (3,644 square kilometres), Houston (3,355 square kilometres) and Detroit (3,267 square kilometres), all of which have populations of around four million people or under. By comparison, London, England comprises a mere 1,623 square kilometres and the capital of Germany, Berlin, a mere 984 square kilometres.

The typical US city, with its suburban sprawl, strip mall shopping developments and complete inaccessibility in the absence of the automobile, is already an anachronism from an era of cheap oil and environmental insensitivity. It has to be made walkable and cyclable; fast, frequent, clean and safe public transportation must be at the centre of any transport strategy; and it has to be based on the principle of compact, mixed-use development so that people are within short distances from local amenities. Change is already afoot in this area in the shape of projects such as the development of 750 acres of vacant land in Knoxville into densely-populated communities linked by bikeway, Denver's two new light rail lines and the conversion of abandoned railway tracks in Xenia, Ohio into public walkways, but there remains an incalculable amount to be done to reconfigure America's cities for the present.

6. America is a religious country which is spiritually deficient

The United States is a country in which references to the divine are never far from the public domain, despite the constitutional separation between church and state. However, in recent years, the religious right, particularly but not exclusively certain evangelical denominations, have seriously maligned the name of religion per se through the propagation of an ideology that cloaks a belief in extreme free market economics, rampant xenophobia and a near-complete disregard for the natural environment and the rights of other nations in the mantle of patriotic Christianity.

The result of this is that people of all faiths and none have come to identify religion with a specific type of Christian fundamentalism. This has been disastrous for the spiritual state of the nation. Obama, a man of profound Christian belief with Muslim antecedents and contemporaries in his own family, can perhaps more than anyone set the tone for an American religious discourse which is characterised by love and compassion; in so doing, he can enable spiritual values to play the role that they need to in what is a time of severe social and economic crisis.

7. America is a country that needs to relearn the value of soft power

Not so long ago, it was generally accepted that American popular culture, particularly its movies and popular music, was unrivalled. However, this is manifestly now not the case. American cinema is going through a phase of producing movies that satisfy no one but marketing and merchandising executives: witness the proliferation of endless sequels and romantic comedies devoid of romance at a time when Korean, German and Indian cinema are producing original films with mass appeal. Meanwhile, the main message to be gleaned from any standard contemporary American pop music video is summed up in the memorable mantra of Curtis James Jackson III, the East Coast rapper with the apposite moniker of 50 Cent: 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

These are not narratives which much of the rest of humanity, or even substantial sections of America's own population, find truly inspiring. Yet the culture of a nation is one of its biggest assets, and a vital determinant in how it is perceived by the rest of the world. By contrast, Barack Obama's own narrative, one which Hollywood itself couldn't conjure up, has captivated the world. If Obama can be the catalyst for an American renaissance, then that will be one of the biggest achievements of his presidency.

8. America is sitting on a mental health time bomb

It is by now common knowledge that over forty-five million Americans are currently not covered by any health insurance, in stark contrast to the healthcare regimes prevalent in many other industrial and post-industrial nations that have attained universal or near universal coverage for their populations. What is much less well-known is the prodigious extent of mental illness within the general population of the United States. Each generation of Americans born in the 20th century suffered from depression to a greater degree than the previous one, and from 1945 to the mid-1990s, the overall rate of depression more than doubled, with the severity and frequency of depression also intensifying.

Around one in 10 Americans filter their lives through anti-depressants; it is estimated that approximately 15 percent of children in the US are on prescribed psychotropic drugs. The United States consumes around 80 percent of the world's Ritalin, which is given to children who are diagnosed as suffering from ADHD. If the US is to avoid partial mental collapse within the next generation, the issue of psychiatric disorders must be holistically addressed.

9. America is in need of role models

One of the more interesting refrains of recent years is that America is seriously lacking role models, people whom can be looked up to provide an example of how to conduct oneself. And it is difficult to argue with this: a scan of the popular press in the US will show celebrities, especially young ones, leaping from dysfunctional relationship to dysfunctional relationship, periodically winding up in jail, rehab or both, and losing any semblance of moral integrity they might once have possessed.

Barack Obama, as the leader of the nation, is in a hugely influential position. As someone who overcame alcohol and drug use in high school -something which he has openly and remorsefully stated as his "greatest moral failing" - to work with and for the underprivileged in community projects, build his family, and ascend to the highest political office in the land with a great deal of dignity, intelligence, and unpretentious religious faith, he is himself a remarkable paradigm. Obama can consciously set the ethical tone for the United States, for the moment at least, from a place of authority. He should grasp this opportunity with both hands. In doing so, he might just create a psychocultural space for virtue.

10. America is no longer alone at the top

Arguably the greatest challenge that Obama will face is that of leading the country into a new era of multilateralism where America plays a key, but not the key, role in the international system. As much as many people within (and some outside) the United States may struggle to accept this, the fact is that a country that only a few years ago needed a new category to be invented for it - that of "hyperpower," as popularised by former French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine - is hugely unlikely to be able to continue to play the preeminent role in world affairs in the manner in which it has done since the end of the Cold War.

Partly this will be because financial constraints will put immense pressure to reduce what is a truly gargantuan military budget: the $668.6 billion allocated by Congress in 2008 represented approximately 50 percent of the total planetary military outlay, a proportion that is virtually the dictionary definition of unsustainable.

However, long before the term "credit crunch" entered the vernacular, the 21st century was forecast as being the Asian Century, and there is little to suggest that there has been a basic divergence from this trajectory. The earth-shattering economic growth rates being recorded in China, as well as the more moderate rates of expansion being posted in India, point the way to a future which is at least as much shaped by Beijing and New Delhi as by Washington, D.C. Add in other competing economic blocs - an ever-expanding Eurozone, South-East Asia, possibly even Latin America (led by Brazil and Mexico) and Russia - and it is clear that the US is going to be one player amongst many.

The key question, therefore, is not whether the United States will have to readjust to a new international environment, but whether it does so successfully. If Obama can rebuild fractured alliances, attract inward investment into the United States, lay a sledgehammer to the more costly aspects of the military-industrial complex and reform the resource-starved public education system to significantly raise the standards recorded in schools across the county, then the US can continue to play a massive and highly influential role in the world. If not, then as a nation the United States may end up replicating the performances of its soccer team at the World Cup: solid, occasionally successful, but a medium-sized fish in a very large pond.

To conclude, then, Barack Hussein Obama, the forty-fourth President of the United States of America, faces a vast array of huge challenges, challenges so deep and wide that they make fixing an economy ripped to shreds and correcting the $3 trillion bloodbath in Iraq appear positively manageable. To successfully solve at least some of these puzzles, he will need to resemble a latter-day Steve Rogers, a fictional American citizen who in the comic books of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby was transformed into Captain America, an ordinary man who possessed no superhuman qualities per se but still managed to be the saviour of his nation. If Obama wins through, America will have no need of any other superhero.

©2008 OhmyNews
Other articles by reporter Asad Yawar