Word: latinizes
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...grown fearful that Chavez was moving the country toward a Cuba-style dictatorship - his reforms were narrowly beaten back by a 51% to 49% margin. The result, and Chavez's graceful acceptance of it, may well have set not only Venezuela, a key U.S. oil supplier, but all of Latin America on a far surer path to democracy in the 21st century. "This was a photo finish," Chavez told his stunned backers after his defeat was announced. "Don't feel sad, don't feel burdened...
...tens of thousands of fellow students proved decisive: They articulated an opposition message and galvanized its sympathizers far more effectively than Venezuela's older political elite ever could. It was a force Chavez had not planned on reckoning with, particularly since students have long been a bloc that Latin America's political left could depend on. Chavez also couldn't withstand the defections within his own bloc, including socialist state Governors and, perhaps most important, his erstwhile pal and former Defense Minister, Raul Baduel, who earlier this month called Chavez's amendments a "constitutional coup d'etat." The attempt...
...government. "But if our agenda were Stalinist we would have imposed it by now. Instead we're subjecting these reforms to an election - totalitarian states don't do that." Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S., concurs: "We're trying to create institutionality in Latin America precisely because its present institutions don't function." As for unlimited presidential re-election, Alvarez notes that Chávez will still be subject to elections to remain in power - and he adds wryly that the U.S., "where the Bush and Clintons families have been alternating power since 1989," is in no position...
Observers like White agree the U.S. will have to patiently resign itself to Latin America's democratator phenomenon for now. "In the end it's the Latin Americans themselves who have to come to the understanding that even if they can't trust their judicial and legislative institutions," says White, "the lack of them is leading to an executive absolutism that won't be good for them, either." With reporting by Jens Erik Gould/Caracas
Still, despite polls that show tepid support at best for the reforms - as well as the growing anti-reform protest movement by university students, a cohort that used to be a reliable vanguard of Latin American leftism - Chávez is expected to win on Sunday. That's largely because the fiery anti-U.S. leader knows how to get out his base. His administration has politically and economically enfranchized the majority poor for perhaps the first time in Venezuela's history and he has been very skillful at whipping up that mass of his support by portraying contests like this...