Venezuela’s Parliamentary Elections: Everybody Wins

On September 26th, Venezuela held its first parliamentary elections since 2005. While Hugo Chávez’ United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) retained a majority in Venezuela’s National Assembly, the opposition, largely represented by the Democratic Unity Coalition (MUD), made massive gains. Moreover, according to the OAS, Venezuela’s democratic institutions operated pristinely.i The elections were largely uncontroversial, with few instances of technical error, violence, or accusations of fraud. These elections ultimately proved positive for all parties involved. The PSUV can honestly say that it won the elections; the opposition can honestly say that it dealt the PSUV a harsh blow, and Venezuela as a whole can say that its institutions functioned properly and democratically.

A Referendum on Chávez?

The period between Venezuela’s two parliamentary elections was defined by high levels of polarization and numerous political controversies. Chávez left the 2005 elections with a solid majority, which reflected both his popularity and the decision of numerous opposition parties to boycott the elections.ii Since then, Chávez has embroiled himself in controversy after controversy. Some of these divisive situations, such as the one surrounding his 2006 speech at the UN in which he implied that former U.S. President George W. Bush was the devil, were little more than boisterous verbal gaffes. Others, such as his 2007 attempt to reform the Venezuelan constitution, have had far more serious political consequences. For many observers, the September 26th elections represented a referendum on the past five years of Chavismo. Since the media and polling firms in Venezuela are themselves affected by polarization, the elections may have been the first objective indicator of Chávez’ popularity in years.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Geoff LeGrand