Hugo Chavez has won his bid to serve another six-years as president of Venezuela. Chavez has already served eight years as president, and vowed to continue the Socialist Revolution. His opponent, Manuel Rosales, conceded defeat as initial results showed Chavez won 61 percent over Rosales’ 38 percent. The Venezuelan president said he would reform the Venezuelan constitution to do away with presidential term limits, which prevent him from running again in 2012.

There was a large voter turnout with long queues throughout the day. “We’re here to support our president, who has helped us so much,” said Jose Domingo Izaguirre, a factory worker who waited hours to vote. By law, polling stations were required to stay open until the last person in line had voted.

Rosales, who is the governor of the western oil-rich state of Zulia, was heading an alliance of opposition groups unified by their hatred of Chavez. His supporters accused Chavez of squandering Venezuela’s oil wealth on the poor, deepening class divisions, and seeking to turn Venezuela into a communist state. Rosales argues that the country’s future lay in free market and attracting foreign investment. He called Chavez “a puppet seated on Castro’s lap”, while Chavez dismissed Rosales early on as a lackey of the “US Empire”. The US has funded operations to remove Chavez from power, hypocritically claiming he was destabilizing Latin America.

Chavez appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace pledging to further transform Venezuela into a more egalitarian society. “Long live the socialist revolution! Destiny has been written,” Chavez shouted. We have shown that Venezuela is red! … No one should fear socialism … Socialism is human. Socialism is love,” Chavez said. “Down with imperialism! We need a new world!” Chavez has posed a strong challenge to US capitalist interests in Latin America while allying himself with countries like Iran and Syria (who’ve been declared enemies of the US by the Bush administration).

Venezuela is the world’s fifth largest oil exporter, with climbing global oil prices making it the continent’s fastest growing economy. Chavez has used his country’s oil profits to fund programs for the poor including: subsidized food, free university education, and cash benefits for single mothers. He has even done more for poor American citizens than the United States government. Though Chavez has boosted state control over the oil industry, he says he will continue to respect private property while possibly nationalizing utilities.

Chavez said his victory was another blow to President Bush, who has not had as much luck with recent elections. “It’s another defeat for the devil, who tries to dominate the world,” Chavez said. “Down with imperialism! We need a new world!” Bush’s unpopularity has not only won the Democrats both houses of congress in America, but shifted Latin America even further to the left (where the left is truly left). This year, five left-wing presidents have been elected into office in Latin America, forming a bloc of opposition to the US. Apparently, the CIA has their work cut out for them again.

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