Politics
Sitting at the podium of the National Assembly, in his own words to handle more easily the reports and statistics supporting his annual message to the nation, President Hugo Chávez devoted most of his speech, which took more than eight hours, to summarize and advocate the achievements of his government during 2008. Chávez addressed the country in a nationwide mandatory broadcast on all free-to-air TV and radio channels.  

"You can bet that we will be here for a long time," said the Venezuelan leader at the beginning of his State of the Union address at 2:33 pm., almost three hours later than scheduled.

Chávez advocated the socialist project and said: "I came here to account for an administration that is not mine. I thank all workers, producers, farmers, craftsmen, public and private sector, who worked to turn 2008 into another year of positive results."

"There are some oppositionists (...) who are still saying that Chávez wants to smuggle socialism into the country. They claim that socialism was rejected in 2007 together with the (constitutional) reform," he said. The Venezuelan ruler later said that his project is based on the "Simón Bolívar Socialist Plan 2007-2013" and that 60 percent of the Venezuelan people approved such plan when they reelected him in 2006. "We are implementing the first national socialist plan 2007-2013. This plan is a law passed by the National Assembly. We must remember that. This is a law."

"The fact that some Venezuelans reject and question the project is valid, (...) but arguing that the president wants to smuggle in socialism is wrong. That amounts to political manipulation," he stressed.  

Chávez accused the groups that criticize socialism of trying to restore the Puntofijo Pact (a formal pact signed by Venezuela's main political parties in 1958) . "It seems that the same sectors that promoted in 1958 the Puntofijo Pact want to bring it back to life with the Pact of Puerto Rico," said Chávez. Reference was made to a meeting that, according to Chávez, was held by Alberto Federico Ravell, director of private news TV channel Globovisión, some leaders of opposition parties AD, Copei, Un Nuevo Tiempo and Primero Justicia, and "Yankee advisors." Chávez, who described these opposition leaders repeatedly as "the Fantastic Four," seized the opportunity to congratulate reporter Pedro Carvajalino, the state-run television station Ávila TV, who was engaged in a verbal clash with the director of Globovisión.

Chávez also hoped that Washington stops "meddling" in Venezuela's internal affairs as of President Barack Obama's arrival in the White House.

The Venezuelan head of State strongly advocated in his annual address the figures related to poverty reduction. According to Chávez, during his 10-year administration "2,196,392 fellow citizens overcome poverty," and out of that 94,030 people did so in 2008.

Chávez also highlighted: "Ten years ago there were more than 8,000 abandoned children living in the streets in Venezuela. Today, there are no children living in the streets in our country. There is, of course, a remnant, a group of children that wander around the streets but it is a very low number."

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas

María Lilibeth Da Corte
EL UNIVERSAL