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the key industrial state of Carabobo, the country’s 3 rd most populous
which was ruled by local oligarch and top opposition figure Salas Feo; and
Táchira, in the very strategic border region with Colombia. In oil rich
Monagas, PSUV candidate Yelitza Sanataella defeated incumbent José
Gregorio “Gato” Briceño, the local governor elected on a Bolivarian ticket
only to jump ship and join the opposition.
In Nueva Esparta (Margarita island), opposition governor Morel
Rodriguez who had ruled it since 2004, was clearly defeated by the PSUV
candidate by 54% to 45%. The only two states where the opposition won
in the October 7 presidential elections were now won by PSUV
candidates.
Meanwhile, the opposition won in the sparsely populated state of
Amazonas where the governor had been elected on a Bolivarian (PPT)
ticket but subsequently joined the opposition and renewed his mandate on
Sunday. The only significant victories for the opposition were in Lara,
where again the governor Henri Falcón had been originally elected on a
PPT ticket with Chávez’s support and now won against PSUV candidate
Reyes Reyes (56 – 43) and Miranda where, as we said, Capriles Radonski
beat Elias Jaua (52-47). Even here, the PSUV will have a majority in the
state legislative council.
The sum of the total votes of official PSUV candidates was 4.5
million, while the opposition received 3.5 million.
The rate of abstention is usually higher in regional elections than it is
in presidential elections. This time the turnout was 53%, as opposed to
64% in 2008 when the opposition mobilized all its forces, and 44% in
2004 with a demoralized opposition which had just been beaten in the
presidential recall referendum. It is clear that abstention was higher
amongst opposition voters, demoralized by the October 7 elections.
The defeat of the opposition – for that is what it is – will further
aggravate the internal contradictions amongst the amalgam of parties
which compose it, particularly now that they might be forced to select a
new presidential candidate for a possible early election in 2013. A report
in the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) graphically described the somber
and demoralized mood in the opposition headquarters as the results were