Miami-based Venezuelans to vote in New Orleans

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) -- By bus and car, commercial flight and charter, U.S.-based Venezuelans are traveling en masse to New Orleans in the coming days, spending hundreds of dollars and in some cases more than a day of their time to cast a vote in their country's presidential election.

The government of President Hugo Chavez earlier this year closed the country's consulate in Miami, where most Venezuelans living in the U.S. have cast ballots in the past. It later said voters would have to travel to New Orleans if they want to participate on Oct. 7.

It's a hardship in terms of time and money for many potential voters. But some, especially those who want to stop Chavez from being re-elected after 13 years in power, are determined to make the trip anyway.

Carolina Guevara, a 21-year-old college student, plans to take the 15-hour bus ride from Miami to the Louisiana capital, an 870-mile (1,400-kilometer) trek.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VENEZUELAN_VOTERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-09-30-11-40-07

[jonesgirl]

1. Wow. Are there that many US based Venezuelans around Miami? I wish them the best in their

travel.

[joshcryer]

2. About 100k of them. Venezuela closed the Miami consulate...

...so they have to travel to New Orleans to vote.

[MADem]

3. That's an impressive number of voters--I'm thinking that not many are Hugo fans. nt

[nolabear]

4. I'll be in the city that day. Should be interesting to see.

[Marksman_91]

5. I'm Venezuelan and living in Miami

I'm part of the people who will be mobilizing to go vote in New Orleans. I've seen first-hand how people are preparing to go, and the response has just been phenomenal. We've actually received help from TONS of people, even I think the city of New Orleans itself. It's a long trip, but hopefully it'll be worth it. Chávez knows that at least 95% of the venezuelans registered here in Miami are gonna vote against him, hence why he decided to close down the consulate. But that is NOT gonna stop us. In fact, all that did was infuriate us and motivate us even more to go vote against him. Just today there was a MASSIVE concentration in Caracas in support of Capriles, probably the largest concentration of people I've ever seen in the city in support of ONE candidate. I feel the winds of change are coming to my country. Let's hope we win. We really can't stand 6 more years of Chávez and his hateful, dividing attitude. HAY UN CAMINO!

[efhmc]

6. My daughter lived in Venezuela for several years (before Chavez) and I visited many times

and found the country and the people to be quite wonderful. Many of the young people said they wanted to come to the US because of what was happening to their country, politically and economically. My daughter's response was "why don't you stay here and help your country make the changes it needs?". I am not sure if that was a naive comment or not. These young people loved and were very proud of their country but were very frustrated.

[Marksman_91]

7. Yeah, we are ALL frustrated.

Believe me, if I could stay studying in my country, I would. But nowadays, it's simply dangerous to even step out of your own house, worse even if people know you have money. It's the real reason why I decided to go to college in Miami, to get away from the danger, which also relieved my parents of the stress of my brother and I going out into those streets every night. Sure is a load off their shoulders knowing that we're alive and well, living in the safe community of Miami-Dade county.

[efhmc]

8. When she lived in Caracus, I felt she was very safe. She took the subway to work and everyone on it

was so very nice and polite. I walked around the city while she worked and was always treated well and felt very safe. Sad to hear it is so different.

[wordpix]

36. I know a young man traveling with friends in a car - they were ALL kidnapped

when they got out of the car. There were four young men kidnapped for the sole reason that they looked middle class or at least not poor. Luckily, they were all returned after their families paid ransoms. Also luckily, the kidnappers did not know one of the men was the son of an important Chavez opposition leader, or his price would have gone up. Novice kidnappers sell their more important victims to professionals, who know how to negotiate higher ransoms.

[dipsydoodle]

9. You know exactly why he closed down the Consulate

which wasn't the reason you stated.

[joshcryer]

10. The US expelled a Venezuelan diplomat conspiring to do "cyber warfare."

Chavez claims that the consulate was closed because we expelled that diplomat, caught on audio, talking about cyber warfare.

The reason the consulate was closed was to disenfranchise Miami voters. Full stop.

A rational, mature, sane government would've simply apologized for their diplomat scheming, on video and audio, about cyber warfare. Instead it was a prime opportunity to close a consulate unnecessarily and shut down the Miami vote.

[fascisthunter]

11. right wing liars

they never debate honestly

[Marksman_91]

13. Yes, it was

There is absolutely NO reason to close the consulate just because the consul herself was expelled. The Venezuelan Government would lose NOTHING if they had just simply replaced her and kept the consulate open. The only reason he closed it was because he knows at least 95% of the Venezuelans in Miami want to vote against him, so obviously he took the easy way out and made it a 14-hour drive harder to let us vote. Don't be so naive. Then again, you have a Che Guevara avatar, so it's obvious you'd be too ignorant to understand.

[dipsydoodle]

14. I respect what both men achieved

not losers who left their own country.

[Marksman_91]

17. Loser, am I?

Alright, please, do try and live in a city where approximately 50 people lose their lives to violence every weekend or a country where 13,000 people are murdered every year. Let's see if you think yourself a loser after leaving those conditions.

[naaman fletcher]

18. LOL. So Che was a loser?

He did, you know, leave his own country.

[dipsydoodle]

19. Not for associated reasons mentioned he didn't.

But then I think you already know that.

[naaman fletcher]

20. Who knows what associated reasons each person left?

Are you a mind reader?

PS, do you think Americans over-seas should be allowed to vote?

[dipsydoodle]

21. With regard to your second question.

Not my affair - I'm English in case you'd never realised.

With regard the first comment he left to travel and finished up in Guatemala at the age of c. 26. He skipped to Mexico when the US helped remove Guatemala's democratically elected president and the rest is history.

hasta la victoria siempre

[naaman fletcher]

23. I hadn't realized that, sorry.

I am not a huge che fan, but his life story (at least his younger life story) is compelling. Certainly through the time period you described here.

That being said, there are Venezuelans in Miami for a multitude of reasons. If the country wants to vote to disenfranchise non-resident citizens that is fine with me. But, Chavez is simply trying to do it on his own for purely political reasons.

[Marksman_91]

24. I find it hilariously ironic when people use Che's image, especially as accessories.

So you're English then? Wow... I bet you know a WHOLE lot more about politics and the going-ons in Latin America than the actual people who live there.

[wordpix]

37. huh? Many of your so-called "losers" fled for their lives & I know a family who did

Law abiding, educated citizens who care about Venezuela. Their only "crime" was opposing Chavez. He doesn't like anyone criticizing him and using media/social media/organization to do it.

[dipsydoodle]

38. He's also increased literacy there

not quite as well as Cuba did but he's getting there.

As a result of representations by Che Guevara starting 1961 Cuba increased their literacy to 96%. Hugo has only managed to get it up to 95.2%.

I didn't use the alternative expression of rats leaving a sinking ship because the ship isn't sinking. We'll know the results by next Monday.

[snooper2]

15. Oh here we go LOL

viva la revolucion!

[Pterodactyl]

25. You are awesome! Thanks for posting this!

Lots of folks on DU support Chavez, so you are very brave! I wish you all the best of luck in the election.

[Marksman_91]

26. I really don't understand the support he gets here

I honestly thought people in this website were educated. But apparently, some people think that anybody who's left-leaning automatically makes them a saint. It's sad, really. And it's not that I have anything against people who are left-leaning. Hell, I consider myself more socialist than capitalist, and I really hope Rmoney doesn't win this year either.

[joshcryer]

28. You don't have to be insulting.

Just a heads up because you are a low post count poster your insults are a one way ticket to the banhammer.

I say this being a leftist against Chavez' policies.

DU is a mixed bag when it comes to Chavez. Chavez probably had much more support 5 years ago but his coddling totalitarian states and being a blowhard has lost him fans here (I would be one of them).

Some people still believe in the revolution and think he's still loved in Venezuela, etc, but they're in for a surprise in 5 days.

[Marksman_91]

29. Right, I'll tone it down with the offenses

It's actually nice to see people try to keep this site civil and under control.

It's just that it the subject of Chávez is probably the only thing that gets me mad the most out of anything, really. I just find it baffling that people who have had an education and live in developed countries can still support someone like him.

[bitchkitty]

30. You're a socialist?

Why don't I believe you?

[Marksman_91]

32. It's not necessary to be a capitalist to hate Chávez or Che, my friend.

[bitchkitty]

33. It's not necessary to call me friend,

when clearly you and I are on opposite sides of the fence.

[Marksman_91]

34. So you can't be friends with people who disagree with you on political issues?

Come on, dude. That's a bit prejudiced, don't you think?

[bitchkitty]

35. Not a dude.

And no, it's not predjudiced.

I have long time friends and relatives who are Republicans. They were Republicans long before I became interested in politics and engaged in what was going on. I can't change that. I can't choose my family, and I am not going to dump long time friends because of their politics.

But this is not my living room - this is a message board, and I'm not interested in revising my opinions toward the right, in order to make friends.

[KamaAina]

12. You can't spell crap without AP

Carolina Guevara, a 21-year-old college student, plans to take the 15-hour bus ride from Miami to the Louisiana capital, an 870-mile (1,400-kilometer) trek.

Any third-grader knows that Baton Rouge, not New Orleans, is the capital of Louisiana.

[jody]

16. Does Venezuela recognize dual citizenship? If so then its citizens who are naturalized US citizens

can vote in Venezuela for its president and also in our election for president.

Naturalized US citizens from Mexico, Canada, Israel and over 50 nations that recognize dual citizenship can vote in US elections and their home country.

[joshcryer]

27. No Venezuelan dual citizenship after they turn 25.

Presumably they allow it for younger people because they may not have had the choice to leave the country, etc. So it gives citizens an opportunity to return to their country. Source.

In any event, you can live in the US on a permanent resident visa forever and not ever be allowed to vote in federal elections. So, yeah...

I'm sure the consulate will check the residency status of those voting. Most expat Venezuelans probably haven't been out of Venezuela long enough for naturalization, imo. The whole exodus is fairly recent.

[revolution breeze]

22. New Orleans is not the capital of Louisiana

Just a pet peeve of mine.

[ButterflyBlood]

31. That's actually a rather inexcusable error.

Minor in terms of the story, but embarrassing for the AP.