My feelings on Venezuela. . .

So people, I'm disappointed about the results of Venezuela's vote on 69 constitutional amendments. All of them did not pass.

Of course, the major loss for Chavez was the inability to run again in 2012. (I think a lot of people thought this meant he could just be president without being elected, but that isn't true. Every term he'd have to be re-elected.) This loss isn't that important to me as an American expat living in Amsterdam, however, my feeling is without Chavez in office, Venezuela will open itself up to American neo-demo-fascism and be stifled by the race-to-the-bottom economics that is manifest in the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Eek. With all that oil too. . . shit Venezuela!

The most important losses here were things like: the 36 hour work week; Rights for women, multiracial minorities and homosexuals; the establishment of social security benefits; the establishment of communities that help give the poor a greater voice in Venezuela; and housing amendments.

On the outside, Chavez looks like an angry dictator. The truth is, Chavez has struggled as a multi-racial man living in Venezuela and was honestly hoping to make Venezuela a better place with these referenda.

I'm sorry for the loss of Chavez's vision and I'm sorry the U.S. succeeded in clouding the dreams of a patriot.

I'm happy however, that the 56% of Venezuelans that went out to vote- did! The Venezuelan Democracy is doing better than America's in that aspect!

I'm happy Hugo C. handled his loss well. Well played!

I'm scared of what this means for the Venezuelan people.