Hugo Chavez: abstention would be a gigantic political defeat for our movement
By Hugo Chavez | New Strategic Map
13.12.05 | Remarks made by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez during the high level forum "The New Strategic Map" celebrated November 12 - 13 2004. "We can not afford the luxury of allowing this oligarchy to maintain 40% of our population captive, no, that is too many people."
227. Too many people, we can not afford the luxury of an important part of the millions of disenfranchised compatriots abstaining from voting, be what may the authorities to be elected, mayors, community representatives. Should we continue like this, in next year's elections for local government and councilmen, the abstention will be 90% if we don't reflect on it and push from the base. Abstention would be a gigantic political defeat for our movement. Because of that I wanted to meet all of you to demand from today, an immediate change of course in that sense, immediate. So that we can see results in the short term.
228. For let us remember brothers and sisters that the party Acción Democrática managed to get 60% of electoral support and had leaders capable of mobilizing the people, but I think this year that party is finished, is only a rotten shell, not only hollow, rotten. This is our course. If we don't change such shall be the destiny of our parties. For there's no possible magic here: we either have popular support, to be increased by means of participation and attention and love for the people, not only to brag about it but demonstrating it; or we don't have it and our destiny shall be political demise. Write it down! for thus it shall be.
Translation Aleksander Boyd
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