Hugo Chavez Faces Voters On October 7

After 14 years in power, Hugo Chavez faces what looks to be his toughest re-election bid to date on October 7.

A hard-leftist, Chavez is being challenged by “a center-right candidate” named Henrique Capriles.

Capriles has posited himself as a leader who will return a more democratic spirit to Venezuela by reversing the nationalizing tendencies that Chavez has shown toward business. 

He has also indicated his belief that Chavez’s governing ability has been greatly diminished by the cancer he’s been suffering from since 2011. Capriles sees this as a contributing factor to Venezuela’s high crime rate.   

The murder rate in that country is 92 persons for every 100,000 citizens. Such numbers earn Venezuela a place among the world’s most violent countries.