Chavez storms to re-election
Hugo Chavez has attempted to forge an anti-US alliance in Latin America
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Monday, 04, Dec 2006 10:41
Hugo Chavez has won re-election as president of Venezuela for another six years.
The left-of-centre firebrand won a crushing victory over his more moderate opponent, social democrat Manuel Rosales.
According to the Central American country's National Electoral Council, Mr Chavez received 61 per cent of the public vote, while his opponent could only garner 38 per cent with just 20 per cent left to be counted.
Mr Rosales conceded defeat and Mr Chavez, who has been in office since 1999, will now have six more years to carry out his "social revolution" which involves what he calls "missions"; community projects in the country's most deprived areas.
Much of his popularity - primarily among Venezuela's poor communities - has been based on his fierce anti-US stance, which he again propagated during his victory speech.
"Today we gave another lesson in dignity to the imperialists, it is another defeat for the empire of Mr Danger," he told supporters, referring to US president George Bush.
"It's another defeat for the devil who tries to dominate the world."
Mr Rosales, 53, gained popularity among the country's middle and upper classes and successfully warned that his rival wanted to take Venezuela down the route forged by ailing Cuban president Fidel Castro, who Mr Chavez paid homage to after his re-election.
But the president is seen to have the nation's poor behind him and his strong public support has enabled him to survive a 2002 coup and a 2004 recall referendum.