Venezuela: Support for Hugo Chavez still strong

Venezuela’s Súmate Primaries: Fowl Cries for Democracy
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 By: Simone Baribeau - Venezuelanalysis.com -- Many Venezuelans, opposition and Chavistas alike, have given up on December’s presidential elections as a done deal. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s approval ratings are among the highest in Latin America, and the Venezuelan opposition, after a coup attempt it failed to distance itself from, is disorganized, fractured, and largely discredited. And while much of the middle class may still hate Chávez, they’re far more likely to be hating him taking advantage of the economic boom—say, in a new car heading for lunch at the mega shopping mall Sambil—than on their way to a protest, as would have been the case a few years ago..... more