Chavez allies say victorious in Congress vote
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-05 11:07

STRENGTHENING THE REVOLUTION

Hours before voting began, an oil pipeline in western Zulia State was damaged by small explosives that authorities branded a sabotage attack by radical Chavez foes in the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

The explosion had damaged a pipeline to the huge Amuay-Cardon refinery, but had not affected exports or fuel supplies, officials said.

"This is a miserable terrorist attack," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel told state television.

Elected in 1998, Chavez has helped build his popularity by spending billions in oil revenues on programs for the poor as part of his socialist "revolution."

Venezuelan soldiers and civilians line up to vote at a poll station in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005. [AP]

Since he survived a 2002 coup, Chavez frequently denounces what he calls U.S.-backed attempts to overthrow his government or even assassinate him.

U.S. officials, who portray Chavez as a threat to democracy in Venezuela and the region, reject his anti-U.S. rhetoric as an attempt to stir nationalist sentiment and mobilize his power base among the poor.

The election was mostly calm in Caracas. Officials had suggested "extremist groups" linked to Chavez foes were plotting violence to scuttle the vote, a charge opposition leaders say was just a distraction tactic.

Since Chavez won a referendum last year, his opponents have struggled to overcome divisions and distrust of the electoral council, which they charge manipulated voting machines to help Chavez defeat the 2004 recall vote. Observers said they found no vote-tampering in that referendum.

The Venezuelan leader came into office promising to end years of neglect by traditional parties, whose influence has dimmed after seven years of Chavez government. He survived a coup in 2002 and an oil strike in early 2003 before the referendum consolidated his power.