Chavez: Only a 'Traitor' Will Vote No

[Will]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez warned his supporters on Friday that anyone voting against his proposed constitutional changes would be a "traitor," rallying his political base before a referendum that would let him seek unlimited re-election in 2012 and beyond.
Brandishing a little red book listing his desired 69 revisions to Venezuela's charter, Chavez exhorted his backers to redouble their efforts toward a victorious "yes" vote in the Dec. 2 ballot.

"He who says he supports Chavez but votes 'no' is a traitor, a true traitor," the president told an arena packed with red-clad supporters. "He's against me, against the revolution and against the people."

His speech followed the recent high-profile defection of his former Defense Minister Gen. Raul Baduel, a longtime ally who called the president's proposed reforms a "coup." Others have also broken with the Chavista movement in recent months, including politicians of the small left-leaning party Podemos.

Chavez's opponents accuse him of concentrating power and seeking to be president-for-life like his close friend Fidel Castro of Cuba. Chavez insists he will only stay on as long as Venezuelans continue to vote for him.

"If you don't approve (the referendum), maybe we'll have time for a parachute jump in five years," Chavez, a former paratrooper, told the crowd. "But if you wish—if you approve the referendum—I will stay as long as God wills! Until the last bone of my skeleton dries out!"

The proposed revisions would do away with presidential.... {LINK}

Can someone say.....DICTATOR!!!!

[Buzzy]

Hillary's hero.

[Bilbo Baggins]

I find it difficult to comment on the Venezuela situation as I only get to see the Western perspective of Chavez, which is already hostile regardless of what hes doing. I like some of his policies and I like how he's promoting grassroots democracy. However, I'm not sure what I think of this President-for-life business, seems like it could head down a dangerous road. If the people keep voting for him (and those elections are free and fair, as they have been so far) then why shouldn't he be allowed to continue ruling?

[old goat]

Wow, talk about clueless about what is going on there. Yeah, that is a "free" country, so long as you are Hugo Chavez. Grassroots democracy? Man, I don't know what you are taking there Hobbit, but I certainly don't want any of it, I like to have a mind.

[KSigMason]

Hillary's mentor.

There, fixed it for ya.

[Buzzy]

Bildo, I don't know how you can call anything Chavez is doing to Venezuela democratic. He's setting up a dictatorship and calling for anyone who doesn't agree with him to be silenced. Defining a "traitor" in the way he has is defining them as a enemy of the state in Venezuela and subject to imprisonment and maybe even death. This is the stuff the left always accuses the right of doing but every time we see it it's being done by the socialists. Nobody with a brain could possibly see Chavez as good.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Bildo, I don't know how you can call anything Chavez is doing to Venezuela democratic. He's setting up a dictatorship and calling for anyone who doesn't agree with him to be silenced. Defining a "traitor" in the way he has is defining them as a enemy of the state in Venezuela and subject to imprisonment and maybe even death. This is the stuff the left always accuses the right of doing but every time we see it it's being done by the socialists. Nobody with a brain could possibly see Chavez as good.

First are foremost, he said that anyone who says they support him and then votes no to his reforms is a traitor, not just anyone who votes no. Lets also recall that he significantly won a referendum on his leadership in 2004, and won the Presidency by an even larger margin in 2006 (These results have been confirmed by the Carter Center as legitimate representations of the will of the people). His reforms - like limiting Central Bank autonomy and ending presidential term limits - is subject to approval from the Venezuelan Assembly, and a national referendum.

[Buzzy]

Chavez is eroding Venezuela's democracy bit by bit and putting himself in complete and total power. I have some dear friends down there that have opposed him and they tell me that it's coming to the point that they fear being imprisoned or disappeared.

Bilbo, the term traitor is a term that, when used by the leader of a nation, usually telegraphs the coming suppression of those who legally oppose them or their plans.

Can I take it that you'll support brutal leaders if you agree with their politics?

[Bilbo Baggins]

Can I take it that you'll support brutal leaders if you agree with their politics?

Definitely not, because I would only agree with their politics if it had democracy, free speech etc as a core tenet. I admit, I find some of Chavez's reforms dangerous, but I don't think we get enough of unbiased reporting on what is really happening. It appears to me that this is a classic case of the US governent and media condemning Chavez as a dictator because he isn't completely subservient to your economic policies. There's just too much oil in Venezuela to ignore Chavez, and thats why you hate him.

[Buzzy]

Probably the unbiased reporting thing is the fact that Chavez now controls all the press in Venezuela and doesn't allow any dissenting views. Mark my words, there will come a day when the world will be looking at "killing field" photos from Venezuela much like they did in Cambodia. Socialism is a death cult and mass killings follow when it is not controlled by a armed and free thinking population.

[Buzzy]

Of course threatening those who don't agree that you should be Prez for life always gets the socialistas panties wet.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,2217771,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

[Buzzy]

Looks like there is growing opposition to Chavez's fascist plans.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8T7H9BO0&show_article=1