Chavez's gamble

Will Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's gamble on '21st Century Socialism' pay off?

Electioneering begins in earnest in Venezuela this Sunday, with the opening of an official campaign related to a referendum on controversial changes to the Constitution proposed by Chavez. Groups supporting and rejecting the modifications will be allowed to engage in electioneering until the end of November, under the rules outlined by the National Electoral Council

In August, Chavez presented proposed modifications to 33 articles of the 1999 constitution. Although small in number, the changes imply profound alteration to structures of governance, national institutions and economic policy-making. These are intended to move Venezuela towards becoming a socialist state.

Political tensions in the country are rising amid vocal domestic and external criticism of the reforms, which would allow for unlimited re-election of the president and broader state of emergency powers for the executive. Students will be among the most vocal critics in coming weeks; they have demanded that the referendum on the reform, currently scheduled for December 2, be put back to February 3 in order to allow for greater debate.