About 59 percent of Venezuelans disagree with the fact that President Hugo Chávez is governing from Cuba, according to a poll conducted by pollster Venezuelan Institute for Data Analysis (IVAD) between June 16 and June 21.

The survey showed that 35.9 percent of respondents agreed with the fact that the Venezuelan president is instructing his ministers from the Caribbean island, while 5.1 percent did not know or did not answer.

Among the options proposed in the poll with regard to the end of the presidential term, (1,200 interviews conducted throughout the country) 42 percent of Venezuelans included in the sample agreed that Chávez should complete his constitutional presidential term in 2012 to give way to other leaders; 15.1 percent believe the Venezuelan president should leave office before completion of his presidential term; 14.8 percent said that Chávez should remain in power until 2018; 22.1 percent thinks that he should stay in office beyond 2018 and 5.3 percent did not answer to the poll.

In the poll, 35 percent of respondents said that they were Chávez supporters; 36.5 percent said that they opposed Chávez; 25.3 percent said that they do not belong to any of the groups and 3.2 percent did not answer.
sdiaz@eluniversal.com

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas