Doubts raised about Venezuela's elections at New York Meeting
Doubts raised about Venezuela's elections at New York Meeting
AS/COA’s “The Road to Venezuela’s Elections” keynote speaker and President of Consultores 21 Luis Christiansen speaks to El Universal about Venezuela’s polarization in the eve of the presidential elections in October.
Uncertainty fell as hard as the rain on Park Avenue outside the Americas Society building in Manhattan on September 18, as a concerned audience of about 75 North and South Americans queried four panelists about polls, the media and scenarios for the elections scheduled in Venezuela for 7-O. After a few hours of discussion, uncertainty seemed the big winner in the discussion.
The audience heard from Luis Christiansen, President of Consultores 21, a Venezuelan polling firm; Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists in Latin America (CPJ); and Alejandro Grisanti, head of research for Barclays Capital. The program was moderated by David Papadopoulos of Bloomberg, who peppered the panelists with provocative questions which were mostly unanswerable.
The missions restored optimism
Mr. Christiansen showed comprehensive research data showing how President Chavez revitalized Venezuelan optimism as well as his own political favorability by creating missions for the poor in preparation for the 2004 Recall Referendum, and continuing them afterwards. The missions have become the one clear edge the president has over his current opponent, Henrique Capriles Radonski, a former mayor and governor Miranda.
Venezuelan minds are still dramatically polarized, Mr. Christiansen's finds. Voters are committed to President Chavez regardless of facts that would seemingly derail any incumbent especially after 14 years of governing.
Mr. Christiansen showed that Venezuela's atrocious homicide and inflation rates coincide with unsurprising poll findings that insecurity and economic problems top voter concerns on both sides of the political fence.
Nevertheless, President Chavez, who seems to have no solution to these chronic problems, is rated evenly with Mr. Capriles, who has described concrete solutions and actually has a record of real accomplishment as governor of Miranda....
