Venezuelan legislative election: Chavista leaders are not Chavez

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

One the major difficulties faced by Hugo Chavez in the legislative elections of September 2010, is the popularity of his candidates. It is not the same to be a Chavez fan than a follower of the PSUV candidates, as seen in past non-presidential elections in Venezuela.

Chavez has always proven far more popular than his candidates, as noted, for example, in the regional elections of 2008. A moment in which chavismo lost the Venezuela's most important governorships despite Chavez's high approval ratings -he slightly exceeded the 60% according to the Venezuelan leading pollsters-.

But things have become more difficult for the current Venezuelan president. Now his popularity has fallen to just under 50%, therefore the vote that Chavez's candidates will receive in 2010 should be more impaired.

It is very likely that Chavez will manage to lift his popularity as September approaches, however, his candidates will still be less magnetic than the PSUV's principal leader.

"It's not the same to vote for Chavez than to vote for his candidates," is still a valid assumption in today's Venezuela. And there is no reason to believe that this will be different in the parliamentary elections of 2010.

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