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WORLD NEWSWednesday 9 December

Venezuela’s poor rejected socialists, now fear economic pain

In this Dec. 6, 2015 photo, the emblematic 23 De Enero apartment complex is covered with neighborhood, murals of On Election Day, many in
Chavez in various iterations the neighborhood stood in
a banner that reads in Spanish “Vote for PSUV, we’re those of Chavez” during congressional peer down from the neigh- their doorway with a cup
borhood’s walls: Chavez of rum. Grinning young
elections in Caracas, Venezuela. The district patrolled by pro-government motorcycle gangs the stone-faced general. people danced to reg-
Chavez the child des- gaeton and wagged their
turned against the socialist party for the first time Sunday, part of a tide of voters who punished tined for greatness. Older indelible ink-stained pinkie
Chavez relaxing in a ham- fingers in the air, proclaim-
the government for the country’s collapsing economy and handed the opposition a landslide mock. Younger Chavez ing that they had voted for
plotting a 1992 coup at- change.
victory in legislative elections. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) tempt in this very slum. The socialists lost by less
Jhon Ramirez worries less than a single percentage
HANNAH DREIER president. from the country’s triple- about betraying the man point here Sunday. They
Associated Press Even if the new legislature digit inflation. whose face greets him at won the district by a mar-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) elected Sunday devotes “It’s very difficult to remove every turn than whether gin of almost 2 to 1 during
— Residents of the slum itself to righting the econo- economic controls. Even if there will be food to buy in the last legislative elec-
where Hugo Chavez’s final my, things in this neighbor- you do everything right, January, always a time of tions, in 2010.
remains rest are expecting hood could soon get worse you might end up hurting intense shortages here as On Monday, doors were
deeper economic pain af- before they get better. The a lot of poor people in the factories furlough workers shut, stores were closed,
ter they helped a majority same price and currency short term,” said political for long holiday vacations. and pro-government para-
of the nation’s voters deliv- controls that have turned science professor Javier “We’re all pretty nervous. military groups kept watch
er a landslide for the oppo- daily life into a scavenger Corrales of Amherst Col- We need someone who over public spaces in this
sition against the socialist hunt for food and medi- lege in Massachusetts. can fill the shelves again,” slum named for the date
party founded by the late cine also shield the poor Around the 23 of January he said. “We’re just hoping of the end of Venezuela’s
the new politicians don’t last military dictatorship.
turn out to be like the ones Armed Chavez loyalists still
we have now— stubborn police the area. One of
and out for their own gain.” them ordered an Associat-
The district patrolled by ed Press reporter to leave
pro-government motorcy- on Tuesday, saying the
cle gangs turned against neighborhood is a “bour-
the socialist party for the geoisie-free zone.”
first time Sunday, part of The coalition of parties
a tide of voters who pun- that ran against the gov-
ished the government for ernment has promised to
the country’s collapsing free jailed opposition lead-
economy and handed the ers, but has offered few
opposition a landslide vic- economic proposals. The
tory in legislative elections. economy currently suffers
The atmosphere changed from sliding reserves, heavy
overnight. government pre-election
spending and choked rev-
Haiti presidential candidate Moise stands by results enue from a plunge in oil
prices that account for 95
DAVID McFADDEN packed field of 54 presi- not clear whether a Dec. were various problems with percent of exports.
dential candidates. Con- 27 presidential runoff be- the first round and he has Some slum dwellers, such
Associated Press tested officials results have tween the top two finishers made recommendations as a woman selling fresh
the government-backed can take place as sched- to the much-criticized Pro- fish in the narrow stone
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti candidate with 117,602 uled. visional Electoral Council, streets, worry that the op-
more votes than second- At a press conference, “but you can’t discredit position will ignore the
(AP) — The banana ex- place finisher Jude Ce- Moise asserted that Haiti’s the whole process.” economy and focus on
lestin, a former state con- National Human Rights De- “The Haitian people voted tearing down the socialist
porter who is the leading struction chief. fense Network and other for me and they put me administration.
The disputed results have organizations have been in the first position,” said President Nicolas Maduro is
candidate in the disputed brought a renewed surge making baseless accusa- Moise, an agricultural busi- capitalizing on those fears.
of paralyzing street pro- tions of widespread fraud nessman who was plucked “The opposition has no po-
first round of Haiti’s presi- tests and so many broad including ballot-box stuff- from political obscurity litical project,” he said in a
accusations of electoral ing and political-party by outgoing President television address Monday
dential vote said this week fraud from civil society representatives voting mul- Michel Martelly to be his night. “They only have one
and opposition groups it is tiple times. He said there successor.q objective: Destroy the rev-
that critics aren’t providing olution by any means.”q

evidence to back up their

allegations of “massive

fraud.”

Haiti’s Provisional Electoral

Council says Jovenel Moise

received 33 percent of the

Oct. 25 vote to clear the