Uruguay Election Night Reports: Open Thread

This recalls the elections that brought Lula and the Workers' Party to power in Brazil, and Nestor Kirchner and his left-nationalist Peronist faction to power in Argentina, each of which saw record voter turnout in those countries.

According to exit poll results by the Globo TV network from today's vote, Suplicy, of the Worker's Party of President Lula da Silva was beat by former national health minister and presidential candidate Jose Serra, by a vote of 55-percent to 45-percent.

The Workers party apparently, according to exit polls, also lost the City of Curitiba and the City of Porto Alegre is too close to call right now as votes are being counted.

All three cities have been pioneers, under the outgoing administrations, in the field of Harm Reduction policies to reduce the harms caused to drug users under prohibition.

Now, drug policy reformers in Brazil, according to Narco News co-publisher Semiramis Vedovatto of Curitiba, will be going to the new administrations in these cities and making the case for continuing the progressive policies and programs to educate and protect, instead of persecute, drug users... but the coin is in the air as to what will happen.

The National party is shown recieving 29.1 percent, and the Colorado party, the ruling party for the better part of 150 years, is running a distant third. Official results are not expected until after midnight.

A ballot question on the privitization of water also looks like it will go against privitization.

And guess who tried an 11th hour attempt to influence them?

None other than White House National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice!

Rice told reporters earlier this week that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is "a real problem... he will continue finding ways to subvert democracy in his own country and finding ways to make his neighbors unhappy."

Heh. We'll find out how happy or unhappy one of those neighbors, Uruguay, is tonight... as well as Venezuelan voters throughout that nation's provinces.

Chávez, this afternoon, fired back at Rice and her boss, George W. Bush.

Aporrea reports that Chávez, today, said:

"The government of George Bush is a much bigger, infinitely, real problem for the world. The big problem is that a government invades other peoples, that it drops bombs on children and women indiscriminately...

"I want to call upon the conscience of the people of the United States, that the U.S. people elect a president who respects the laws and doesn't attack other brother and sister peoples...

"The North American empire is the most perverse of all the one's we've ever seen... We don't have much hope that there will be a noticeable change in the international policies of that government if it elects Mr. Bush or Mr. Kerry..."

Chavez added that he hopes that "what occured four years ago doesn't happen again" in the "very anachronistic" United States election system that "elects the choice of a minority."

He added:

"God willing, they will look at the example of Venezuela, with a clean, transparent, and rapid elections system..."

As for the pre-election attack by Condoleeze Rice, Chavez said:

"Mrs. 'Condolencia' (Spanish for "condolences") made a fool of herself, beyond her statement being irrelevant to the people of Latin America. It is the imperialist herself who is speaking, who believes she is owner of the world. Poor thing, as Christ would say. Poor thing, forgive her, for she knows not what she does. I don't know if they will be forgiven, really."

Venezuela election results coming in, along with more from Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, shortly tonight, to The Narcosphere...

A newly sensitized Juan Forero, of the New York Times, before a single hard result is in, predicts a sweep by supporters of President Hugo Chavez.

Surreal but true!