Too long have I failed to mention Venezuela and the growing problems caused by its potentially unstable president, Castro-wannabe Hugo Chavez. That oversight needed to be corrected, as I feel the country, already grown quite problematic, is going to shortly become quite a thorn in the side of regional stability.
Today, its own stability took a hit, as opposition parties have bailed out of congressional elections only five days before the scheduled voting.
Three Venezuela opposition parties have pulled out of Sunday’s congressional poll, accusing the electoral body of favouring pro-government candidates.
The head of the main opposition party, Democratic Action, said they felt the result would be biased against them.
However, Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel said the party was pulling out because it was facing defeat.
Venezuelans will vote for an expanded 167-seat congress, where supporters of President Hugo Chavez have a majority.
Correspondents say that the government has vowed to increase its majority to two-thirds, which would allow it to pass constitutional reforms that opposition leaders strongly oppose.
Democratic Action chief Henry Ramos said his party was demanding a suspension of the elections until equal conditions existed for parties.
He told a news conference the electoral board had not convinced opposition candidates that the software used in the computerized voting system did not endanger voters’ confidentiality.
He said the decision to pull out had been a difficult one to take at such a late stage in the campaign.
“Imagine what it means to us to say today that under these conditions we cannot participate in the electoral process.”
Project Venezuela and the Social Christian Party, or Copei, later said they too were withdrawing and called for a suspension.
Publius Pundit and Gateway Pundit bring us stories of rioting breaking out in the oil-rich South American state, both in reaction to today’s news and in opposition to the strongly anti-American Chavez.