Stephanie Rugolo on the Election in Venezuela

Hugo Chávez' presidency has been a disaster for the Venezuelan people, Stephanie Rugolo writes. Chávez' "Socialism of the 21st Century" changed Venezuela from one of the most prosperous and politically free countries in Latin America to one of the least competitive and most repressive countries worldwide. Venezuelans who go to the polls today will ponder many of the President's policy failures, including a long list of Chávez' blunders in the last year alone. While Chávez may be a popular figure amongst many Venezuelans and even some Westerners, his policies speak for themselves. Hugo Chávez' leadership has made his country less prosperous, more dangerous, and much more repressive. Venezuelans who care about liberty and human rights will hope to see Chávez defeated in today's presidential election.