The Chavez record, Published 18 August 2004 The Globe and Mail

Re Voting For Chavez (editorial -- Aug. 17): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may not be an administrative superstar, but he hasn't made a lot of friends "of late" among Venezuela's poor.

The poor helped Mr. Chavez to his two previous election victories, and now to this landslide. It's clear that Venezuela supports him, and the independent Carter Center and the analysis of the recall vote by the Organization of American States confirms this.

Moreover, Mr. Chavez was principally responsible for the constitution that allowed the opportunity for his democratic recall to take place. In contrast, the opposition has attempted a coup, insisted Mr. Chavez's win entailed massive fraud and now rejects a return to the bargaining table to rebuild civil society in Venezuela.

This autocratic behaviour spits in the face of democracy in general and the Venezuelan people in particular.