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Chavez's reelection: US expats shocked, Cubans celebrate

Dunya News

The reelection of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has shocked US expats but the Cubans celebrated.

Thousands of Venezuelans living in the southern United States were returning to Florida Monday distraught and in disbelief after their political nemesis Hugo Chavez won re-election as president.I feel like our people here were betrayed. We are devastated. So much effort for nothing, said an emotional Francisco Paje, a voter who traveled Friday to New Orleans to cast his ballot because Chavezs government had closed the consulate in Miami.With nearly all the votes counted, Chavez had 7,731,972, or 54.66 percent, compared to 6,327,429, or 44.73 percent, for his youthful opponent, center-left former Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles.Paje thought Chavez more moderate rival Capriles at least would have tied Chavez.The united Venezuelan opposition (MUD) office in Miami said that in New Orleans, 8,351 votes were cast: 8,349 for Capriles, two blanks and none for Chavez.If Capriles lost it is because of some wrongdoing, because if it were in a clean vote, he would win for sure, said an incredulous Jannette Cabrera.More than 200,000 Venezuelans live in south Florida. Miami has the largest community of expatriate Venezuelans in the United States.The United States declared Venezuelas consul general Livia Acosta persona non grata on January 6 and gave her until January 10 to leave the country.It gave no reason for the action. But the State Department had been looking into a report that while serving in the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico, Acosta had discussed a campaign of cyber attacks against the United States.Chavez, a socialist, is a staunch critic of the United States, responded by closing the Miami consulate, calling the expulsion unjust and abusive.Meanwhile, Cuban President Raul Castro cheered Hugo Chavezs historic triumph in Venezuelas presidential elections and reaffirmed Havanas unbreakable support, in a message made public Monday.In the name of the government and people of Cuba, I congratulate you for this historic triumph, which demonstrates the strength of the Bolivarian revolution and its unquestionable popular support, the statement said.He said Chavezs decisive victory in Sundays elections assures the continuity of the struggle for a genuine integration of our America and pledged Cubas solidarity and unbreakable support.Long championed by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Chavez has made Venezuela Cubas closest ally and the communist-ruled islands main source of economic support through cheap oil and an army of Cuban doctors and technicians.Chavez won handily with more than 54 percent of the vote despite a strong challenge from a unified opposition led by former Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles, who won nearly 45 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Council.Cubas state-controlled press also celebrated Chavezs victory.Venezuela, fiesta of democratic participation, read the headline in Granma, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party. Chavez wins, the People win.