Breaking News: Uhuru Kenyatta Rais Halali wa Kenya

Mahakama kuu nchini kenya Imemtangaza bwana Uhuru Kenyatta Kuwa ndiye
Rais Halali wa Jamhuri ya Kenya, Matokeo Hayo yametangazwa na Jaji
mkuu bwana Willy Mutunga
Mahaka kuu imetangaza matokeo Hayo baada ya Mgombea Urais Bwana Raila
Odinga kupinga matokeo ya Uraisi.Rais Uhuru Kenyatta anatalajia kuapishwa rasmi tareh 9 April mwaka huu.
Hongera Rais Uhuru Kenyatta na Amani kwa Wakenya wote

Mchina Apandishwa Kizimbani.

RAIA wa China, Xu Wenze (29) amefikishwa katika Mahakama ya Hakimu
Mkazi Wilaya ya Mpanda akikabiliwa na tuhuma za kukamatwa na meno
matatu ya fisi.
Mwendesha Mashitaka wa Hifadhi ya Wanyamapori yaMbuga ya Taifa ya
Katavi, Pele Malima, alidai mbele yaHakimu Mkazi Mfawidhi Chiganga
Tengwa kuwa mhuhumiwa alitenda kosa hilo Januari 3 mwaka huu, majira
ya saa 6 mchana.
Alidai raia huyo wa China ambaye anatengeneza barabara kwa kiwango cha
lami kutoka Mpanda kuelekea Sitalike, alikamatwa na meno hayo matatu
wakati akiwa kwenye uwanja wa ndege wa Mpanda muda mfupi kabla ya
kupanda ndege kuelekea jijini Mwanza.
Mtuhumiwa alikana mashitaka na yuko nje kwa dhamana ya shilingi
milioni tano. Kesi itatajwa Aprili 29 mwaka huu.

Updates: Jengo Laanguka Jijini Dar es salaam

Taarifa kutoka katika jengo lililoanguka leo asubuhi katika mtaa wa
Andra ghandi na makutano ya barabara ya morogoro, tunaendelea
kuwaabalisha kwa taarifa zilizopo mpaka sasa ni kuwa zimepatikana
maiti kumi na nne na Majeruhi 17 ambao wamekimbizwa hospitali, pia
inaemekana kifusi kimewafukia watu wapatao sabini kabla ya uokoaji,
kwa sasa juhudi za wokozi zinaendelea.

Picha:Teknolojia-yetu.blogspot.com

Uzinduzi Wa Mashina

Upokeaji wa wanachama wapya

Mwenyekiti Akifungua moja ya jiwe la msingi

Mwenyekiti K. W mbogo akihutubia mkutano

Mr. Mbogo na wananchi wakifuatilia mechi moja wapo ya mapumziko

Mwenyekiti wa vijana kupitia CCM mkoa wa katavi(UVCCM) Bwana Kelvin William Mbogo Amefanya ziara mkoa mzima wa katavi na kufungua mashina mapya, mikutano ya hadhara sambamba na kupokea wanachama wapya wa UVCCM mkoani humo.
Pia aliweza kuhuzuria mechi za mpira wa miguu zilizofanyika katika maeneo aliyotembelea.

CHADEMA Ya Saini Mkataba Wa Ushirikiano

CHADEMA yasaini Mkataba wa Ushirikiano na Conservative ya Watu wa Denmark!
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo CHADEMA kimesaini mkataba wa
ushirikiano na Chama cha Conservative cha watu wa Denmark. Mkataba huo
una lengo la kuwajengea uwezo Vijana na Wanawake zaidi ya 30,000 kwa
njia ya mafunzo mbalimbali kupitia mabaraza yao ya Vijana na Wanawake.
Mkataba huo utagharimu takribani kiasi cha Tsh Milioni 400.
Akisaini Mkataba huo mbele ya Waandishi wa Habari KatibuMkuu wa
CHADEMA Dr. Wilbrod Slaa amesema wamefanya shughuli hiyo mbele ya
waandishi wa habari na kuweka hadharani mkataba huo ili kuonyesha
uongozi wamfano kwani CHADEMA imekuwa ikiitaka mikataba yote
inayosainiwa kwa niabayaWananchi kuwekwa hadhari ili wananchi waweze
kuitambua na kuielewa.
Dr. Slaa ameongeza kuwa wanafanya mambo yao kwa uwazi ilikuepuka
propaganda zinazofanywa na serikali kupitia usalama wa taifa pamoja na
Chama Cha Mapinduzi juu ushirikiano ambao CHADEMA imekuwa ikiupata
kutoka kwavyama rafiki duniani.
CHADEMA ni mwanachama wa umoja wa vyama vya kidemokrasia duniani
unaojulikana kama IDU. Walioshuhudia utiaji huo wa saini ni Makatibu
wakuuwa Baraza la Vijana Deogratius Munishi na wa Baraza la Wanawake
Naomi Kaihula.Wengine ­ ni Wakurugenzi na Maafisa mbalimbali wa
CHADEMA Makao Makuu.

Wizi Wa Taa Za Magari

Kijana mmoja ambaye jina lake Halijafaamika amenusurika kufa muda huu
saa kumi na nusu(4:30) katika eneo la bunge jijini Dar baada ya kuwa
akijalibu kuiba taa za gari lililokuwa limepaki katika eneo hili.
Baada ya kukamatwa na raia na madereva waliopaki magari katika eneo
hili walianza kumpa kipigo hadi apo askari walipokuja kumuokoa.
AMechukuliwa na gari la polisi na kumpeleka kituoni

Polisi: Hakuna Mwanafunzi Wa IFM aliyelawitiwa

Kamati iliyoundwa kuchunguza vitendo vya udhalilishaji na kuporwa vitu
vyao wanavyofanyiwa wanafunzi wa Chuo cha Usimamizi wa Fedha (IFM),
wanaoishi katika hosteli zilizopo Kigamboni Manispaa ya Temeke
imebaini hakuna wanafunzi waliofanyiwa vitendo hivyo.
Kamati hiyo iliyoundwa na Kamanda wa Polisi, Kanda Maalumu ya Polisi
jijini Dar es Salaam, Suleiman Kova baada ya kuwahutubia wanafunzi hao
katika Viwanja vya Machava, ilijumuisha wanafunzi wanne wa IFM na
wakuu wa upelelezi kutoka kanda hiyo .
Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jana, Kamanda wa Polisi wa Mkoa wa
Kipolisi Temeke, Englebert Kiondo, alisema kamati hiyo ilichunguza kwa
kina madai hayo ya wanafunzi, lakini hakuna na hata mojawalilobaini
kuwa na ukweli .
Alisema suala la ulawiti walilodai wanafunzi, walijaribu kufuatilia
kwa ukaribu kutumia dawati la jinsia ikiwamo kuwauliza wanafunzi hao
ni nani alifanyiwa kitendo hicho, lakini hamna hata mmoja
aliyejitokeza kusema amefanyiwa.
"Tuliwauliza wanafunzi ni nani amefanyiwa kitendo kama hiki ili tujue
cha kufanya, lakini hakuna aliyejitokeza kukiri kuwa alilawitiwa
tofauti na walivyodai hivyo wakati wa maandamano ," alisema Kamanda
Kiondo.

Taifa Stars Yaifumua Morocco

Taifa Stars imefanya kile Watanzania walichowatuma baada ya kuwalaza
Simba wa Atlas kwa mabao matatukwa moja. Kipindi cha kwanza Stars
walicheza kandanda la kuvutia na kupoteza nafasi nyingi za wazi huku
Mbwana Samatta akionekana kuwa mwiba mkali kwa beki ya Morocco muda
wote. Katika kipindi cha pili, Thoma Ulimwengu akitokea benchi
alifunga bao la kwanza baada ya kuunganisha mpira wa kona, Dakika ya
66 ilikuwa ni Mbwana Samatta ambaye alimchambua golikipa wa Morocco na
kufunga bao la pili na kuongeza bao la tatu katika ya 80. Stars
iliendelea kushambulia kwa kasi huku ikigonga mwamba mara mbili.
Dakika ya 90 Morocco ilipata baola kufutia machozi na hivyo mchezo
kuisha kwa 3-1. Kwa sasa Msimamo wa Kundi C baada ya Mechi ya Jana
kati ya Ivory Coast na Gambia na Leo kati ya Tanzania na Morocoo,
Jumla zimechezwa Mechi Tatu tatu.
Ivory Coast 7 Points
Tanzania 6 Points
Morocco 2 Points
Gambia 1 Point

Kila la Heri Taifa Stars

Kila la heri Taifa stars hapo kesho, kwenye mtanange wa kufuzu
michuano ya fainali za kombe la Dunia zitakazo fanyika mwaka 2014 Nchi
Brazil, Tanzania Inacheza kesho na Morocco katika mchezo ambao ni
muhimu kwa stars, Stars Ipo kundi C ikiwa na Timu za Ivory coast,
Gambia na Morocco.
Katika kundi C Ivory Coast inaongoza kwa Pointi 4, Tanzania 3, Morocco
2, Gambia 1 huku zote zikiwa zimesha cheza mechi Mbili mbili.
Tanzania mechi ya kwanza ilifungwa goli 2 bila n Ivory Coast kabla ya
Kuitungua Gambia 2-1 katika uwanja wa Taifa Jijini Dar es salaam.
Mungu ibariki Tanzania, Mungu Ibariki Stars.

Kilimanjaro Marathon 2013

Kilimanjaro Premium Lager
Zimesalia siku 5 na masaa machache kabla ya michuano ya Kilimanjaro
Marathon 2013 kufanyika jijiniMoshi. Mpaka sasa washiriki 6,000 kutoka
nchi zaidi ya40 wamethibitisha kushiriki kwenye mbio hizo
zitakazofanyika katika makundi ya mbio ndefu za marathon (km 42), nusu
marathoni (km21) na mbio za km 5 za kujifurahisha. Hujachelewa
kujiandikisha, tembelea tovuti yetu ambayo ni
http://www.kilimanjaromarathon.com

Askari Auwawa na Waendesha Bodaboda

BREAKING NEWS: Mauaji ya Askari
Wananchi na waendesha bodaboda wa wilaya ya Namtumbo mkoani Ruvuma,
wamemuua askari polisi baada ya mwendesha boda boda mwenzao kuuliwa na
askari polisi.
Mwendesha boda boda huyo aliyeuliwa inasemekana ni wale wavunjaji wa
sheria za barabarani, baada ya kufanya kosa la kuvunja sheria
walikimbizana na askaripolisi na ndipo askari polisi alipoachia risasi
iliyomuua dereva boda boda huyo.
Baada ya tukio hilo waendesha boda boda wa eneo hilo kwa kushirikiana
na baadhi ya wananchi walianza mashambulizi ya silaha za jadi dhidi ya
askari hao na hatimaye kumuua askari mmoja.


SOURCE: Radio One.

Xi Jinping Kutua Dar

Dar es Salaam. Rais wa China, Xi Jinping anatarajiwa kuwasili nchini
kesho kwa ziara ya siku moja, ambapo pamoja na mambo mengine atasaini
mikataba 17, katiya nchi hiyo na Tanzania, ukiwamo wa ujenzi wa
Bandari ya Bagamoyo mkoani Pwani.
Ujenzi huo utakaofanywa na Kampuni ya Merchants Holding ya China,
utakwenda sambamba na ujenzi wabarabara inayounganisha bandari hiyo na
Reli ya Kati na Mamlaka ya Reli ya Tanzania na Zambia (Tazara).
Akizungumza jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na
Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Bernard Membe alisema ujio wa rais huyo
aliyechaguliwa wiki mbili zilizopita, utakuwa wa manufaa makubwa kwa
Tanzania.
"Mbali na mkataba huo pia tutasaini mikataba wa kidiplomasia.
Vilevile, China imefungua soko la Watanzania kuuza tumbaku nchini humo
na mkataba wa kuliendeleza Shirika la Utangazaji Tanzania
(TBC),"alisema Membe.
Waziri huyo alisema kiongozi huyo wa China pia atafungua jengo la
kisasa la mikutano la Mwalimu Nyerere.
"Kwa kuwa anakuja Afrika kwa mara ya kwanza huku Tanzania ikiwa nchi
ya kwanza, Jinping pia atatoa hotuba yake juu ya msimamo wa China kwa
Tanzania na Afrika kwa jumla," alisena Membe.

Mahakama Kuu Yaitisha Mafaili ya Kesi Ya Lwakatare

Mahakama Kuu yaitisha mafaili kesi ya Lwakatare
Mahakama Kuu Kanda ya Dar es Salaam, imeiamuru Mahakama ya Hakimu
Mkazi Kisutu iwasilishe majalada ya kesi ya ugaidiinayomuhusu
Mkurugenzi wa Ulinzi na Usalama wa Chadema, Wilfred Lwakatare na
mwenzake katika kesi hiyo, Ludovick Joseph.
Hati ya kuitisha majalada hayo ilitolewa jana alasiri na Msajili wa
Mahakama Kuu, baada ya mawakili wanaomtetea Lwakatarekuwasilisha
maombi ya marejeo ya mwenendo wa kesi hiyo, iliyofunguliwa katika
Mahakama ya Kisutu.
Maombi hayo ya marejeo yaliwasilishwa mahakamani hapo jana chini ya
hati ya dharura yakiambatanishwa na hati kiapo yammoja wa mawakili
wanaomtetea Lwakatare, Peter Kibatala. Wengine ni Mabere Marando,
Profesa Abdallah Safari, Nyaronyo Kicheere na Tundu Lissu.
Habari ambazo gazeti hili lilizipata kisha baadaye kuthibitishwa na
mmoja wa mawakili wanaomtetea Lwakatare zilisema kuwa jana Msajili wa
Mahakama Kuu alisaini na kutoa hati hiyo kwenda Mahakama ya Kisutu.
Mapema jana mawakili wanaomtetea Lwakatare waliwasilisha maombi hayo
ambayo yalipokewa na kupewa usajili wa namba 14 ya 2013.
Mawakili hao wanaiomba Mahakama Kuu, iitishe majalada yote mawili ya
kesi hiyo, jalada namba 37 ya mwaka 2013 na namba 6 ya mwaka 2013 kwa
ajili ya uchunguzi ili iweze kujiridhisha usahihi na uhalali wa
mwenendo wake.
Pia wanaiomba Mahakama Kuu ifanye marejeo au kutengeua hati ya
Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka (DPP) iliyowafutia mashtaka watoa maombi (Nolle
Prosequi) kabla ya kuwakamata na kuwafungulia tena mashtaka hayohayo.
Maombi yao mengine ni kutaka Mahakamaya Kisutu iamriwe kutoa uamuzi wa
maombi ya dhamana, uliokuwa umepangwa kutolewa na Hakimu Mkazi
Mwandamizi, Emillius Mchauru, Machi 20, 2013, katika kesi namba 37.
Mawakili hao wanadai kuwa uamuzi huo ambao ulihusu dhamana ya
watuhumiwa, ulitenguliwa na hati ya DPP ya kuwafutia mashtaka
washtakiwa hao, isivyo halali.
Maombi mengine ni kurejea au kutengua mwenendo wa kesi namba 6
iliyofunguliwabaada ya hati ya kuwafutia mashtaka watoa maombi hao na
badala yake iendelee kesi namba 37.
Wanaiomba pia Mahakama Kuu iamue kwamba utaratibu uliotumiwa na wajibu
maombi (Jamhuri) kutoa hati ya kuwafutia mashtaka watoa maombi katika
kesi namba 37 ilikuwa kinyume cha sheria au haukuwa sahihi.
Wanadai kuwa utaratibu huo ulisababisha matumizi mabaya ya taratibu za
kimahakama na matumizi mabaya ya mamlaka ya kiuendeshaji mashtaka na
kushusha hadhi na uhuru wa mahakama.
Chanzo: Mwananchi

Chinua Achebe Amefariki Dunia

Mwandishi Maarufu wa vitabu duniani Chinua Achebe amefariki dunia
akiwa na umri wa miaka 82.
Msemaji wa jimbo la Anambra nchini Nigeria Mike Uda ameiambia BBC kuwa
wanaomboleza kifo cha wanayemwita mtoto wa taifa la Nigeria na Afrika
kwa ujumla.
Chinua Achebe alizaliwa mwaka 1930, miaka 30 kabla ya Nigeria kupata uhuru.
Taarifa iliyotolewa kwa niaba ya familia yake, imemwelezea Chinua
Achebe kuwa mmoja wa waandishi wakubwa wa vitabu vya fasihi katika
kipindi chake, ambaye busara yake ilikuwa kichocheo cha kumwiga kwa
wale wote waliomfahamu.
Rais wa Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan amesema Profesa Achebe ataishi
daima katika mioyo ya akili za watu wa kizazi kiliochopo na vijavyo.
Alipata umaarufu mkubwa kutokana na utunzi wa kitabu chake cha kwanza
cha fasihi kitwaacho 'Things Fall Apart', ambachoalikitunga mwaka 1958
kikizungumzia athari za ukoloni barani Afrika.
Kitabu hiki kiliuza zaidi ya nakala milioni 10. Things Fall Apart
kimetafsiriwa katika zaidi ya lugha 50 na kuelekeza mtazamo wake
katika jamii ya Wa-Igbo na mgongano wa kimaadili kati ya nchi za
mgaharibi na kijadi.
Alipata ngazi ya uprofesa kutoka chuo kikuu cha Boston nchini Marekani
mwaka 1970 ambapo katika siku za hivi karibuni alikuwa akikosoa baadhi
ya mienendo mibaya ya serikali ya Nigeria.
Amekuwa akiishi nchini Marekani tangu mwaka 1990 kufuatia kujeruhiwa
katika ajali ya gari.
Ameandika kazi za kitaaluma zaidi ya 20, baadhi zikikosoa vikali
wanasiasa na uongozi mbaya nchini Nigeria.
Rais wa Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan amesema Profesa Achebe ataishi
daima katika mioyo na akili za watu wa kizazi kiliochopo na vijavyo.


Source:BBC

Lwakatare apata zamana na Kukamtwa tena.

Mkurugenzi wa Ulinzi na Usalama wa CHADEMA Wilfred Lwakatare ameachiwa
kwa dhamana baada ya kushikiliwa na jeshi la polisi kwa siku 6 kwa
tuhuma za uchochezi lakini akakamatwa tena muda huo huo kwa tuhuma za
ugaidi na kutakiwa kupelekwa ngazi ya juu ya Mahakama kwa kuwa
mahakama ya Kisutu haina mamlaka ya kusikiliza kesi ya ugaidi.


Source:ITV

Mashua Yazama Nigeria

Mashua iliyokuwa imebeba watu 160 imezama umbali wa kilometa 74 toka
pwani ya Nigeria, wanaosimamia shughuli za uokoaji wamesema.
Mashua hiyo, iliyoundwa kwa mbao, ilianzia safari yake huko
kusini-mashariki mwa Nigeria Ijumaa, ikielekea Gabon, safari kati ya
Afrika Magharibi na Kati inayopendwa na wafanyibiasahara wengi.
Tomi Oladipo wa BCC, akiwa mjini Lagos, anasema kwamba safari hizi
huchukua siku kadhaa, na huwa si salama sana. Kwa ajili hiyo ajali
hutokea mara kwa mara.
Mashua hiyo ilianzia safari mjini Oron, jimboni Cross River, na
ilikuwa inasafiri katika Ghuba la Guinea ilipozama, duru rasmi
zimesema.
Waokoaji waliokuwa karibu na mji mkuu wa Jimbo la Cross River,
Calabar, walisema wameokoa makumi ya maiti ya wasafiri waliokufa maji.
Wawili wa walionusurika, mvulana mdogo na mwanamke, walishikilia
silinda ya gesi kabla ya kuokolewa na wavuvi, afisadharura wa Jimbo la
Cross River, David Akate, aliliambia shirika la habari la Reuters.

Traffic Gongwa na gari

Picha za traffik wa kike aliyekuwa akiongoza magari katika mataa ya
kuongozea magari(traffic lights) eneo la Bamaga, Mwenge Jijini Dar es
salaam aligongwa na kufariki papo hapo, Mungu ailaze roho mahala pema





Picha:GlobalPublshers

Breaking News: Ajari ya gari

WATU 6 WAMEKUFA PAPO HAPO NA WENGINE ZAIDIYA 30 KUJERUHIWA VIBAYA
BAADA YA BASI LA KAMPUNI YA MAKWIZI WALILOKUWA WAKISAFIRIA KUTOKA
MUSOMA KWENDA MWANZA KUGONGANAUSO KWA USO NA LORI LA MCHANGA ENEO LA
NYAMONGOLO IGOMA JIJINI MWANZA..

China Yapata Rais Mpya

Bunge la uteuzi nchini China limemteua kiongozi wa Chama cha Kikomunisti, Xi Jinping, kuwa rais hatua inayomuweka kwenye kilele cha madaraka ya taifa hilo linalokuwa kwa kasi kubwa ya kiuchumi duniani.

Xi Jinping aliinama kwa heshima juu ya jukwaa kuu katika Ukumbi Mkuu wa Watu wa China, kama linavyoitwa jengo la bunge la nchi hiyo, huku wajumbe wakimpigia makofi ya kumpongeza katika tukio hilo lililorushwa moja kwa moja na televisheni ya taifa.
Kati ya kura 2,961 zilizohisabiwa, ni kura moja tu iliyomkataa, huku wajumbe watatu wakiripotiwa kutokuhudhuria mkutano huo maalum wa uteuzi. Kwa hivyo, akiwa mgombea pekee wa nafasi hiyo, Xi amepitishwa kwa asilimia 99.7 ya kura.
Tayari Xi alishachukua nafasi ya ukuu wa chama cha Kikomunsti kutoka kwa Hu hapo mwezi Novemba, na kabla ya kura ya leo kupigwa, mikutano ya awali ya viongozi wa kisiasa wa baraza hilo ilishalipitisha na kulipendekeza jina lake.
Kiongozi mkuu wa mambo yote

Xi Jinping akitembelea jeshi la China kaskazini magharibi mwa nchi hiyo mwezi Februari 2013.

Sasa mwanasiasa huyo mwenye miaka 59 anatazamiwa kuwa rais na kiongozi mkuu wa chama kwa miaka 10 ijayo, ikiwa kila jambo litakwenda salama.
Katika mkutano huo, Li Yuanchao, ambaye ni mkuu wa Idara ya Oganaizesheni ya chama hicho cha Kikomunisti, ameteuliwa kuwa makamu wa rais, akiwa amepata asilimia 96 ya kura zilizohisabiwa.
Li, mwenye umri wa miaka 62 , ni mwalimu wa zamani wa skuli aliyejiunga na chama mwaka 1978, ambako alipanda ngazi haraka haraka kufikia nafasi ya kuongoza idara hiyo muhimu ya chama hapo mwaka 2007.
Pamoja na kuvikwa kofia mbili za uwenyekiti wa chama na urais wa nchi, wajumbe wa mkutano mkuu pia wamemuidhinisha Xi Jinping kuwa mwenyekiti wa kamisheni ya jeshi ya taifa, ikiwa ni nyongeza ya ukuu wa Kamati Kuu ya Kijeshi ya Chama, ambao aliuchukua mwaka jana kutoka kwa Hu Jintao.
Hu aaga kwa mafanikio

Rais mteule wa China Xi Jinping akiinama kwa heshima mbele ya mkutano mkuu wa bunge la nchi hiyo.

Wote wawili, Hu na Xi, walipeana mikono ya pongezi mara mbili baada ya kutangawa kwa urais na nafasi ya kijeshi ya Xi, ingawa Xi hakuzungumza chochote juu ya uteuzi wake.
Hu, mwenye umri wa miaka 70, alijiuzulu nafasi zote za uongozi wa chama na urais, kutokana na sheria za China zinazohusu umri na kipindi ambacho kiongozi anaweza kuhudumu. Alikuwa ameshikilia nyadhifa hizo kwa miaka 10, akiwa kiongozi mkuu wa nchi hiyo.
Hapo kesho, Ijumaa, mkutano huo mkuu wa Bunge la Watu wa China unatarajiwa kumthibitisha Naibu Waziri Mkuu Li Keqiang, ambaye kwa sasa anashikilia nafasi ya pili kwenye chama cha Kikomunsti, kuwa waziri mkuu akichukua nafasi ya Wen Jiabao.
Nafasi muhimu ya uwaziri wa mambo ya nje na zile za mawaziri wengine zitatangazwa hapo Jumamosi.

Afrika Kusini, Wanafunzi 28% Wameambukizwa HIV

Waziri wa afya wa Afrika Kusini Amesema kuwa zaidi ya asilimia 28% ya wasichana wa shule wameambukizwa virusi vya Ukimwi, ikilinganishwa na asili mia 4% tu ya vijana wa shule.

Hii ameelezea ni kutokana pakubwa na kuongezeka kwa mababa sukari au kwa jina lingine, *fataki*, ( Wazee wanao tembea na wasichana wadogo kwa umri).
Waziri Aaron Motsoaledi amesema kuwa wamepata ushahidi kuwa wasichana wengi wamejiingiza katika mapenzi na wazee waliowazidi ki umri badala ya kuwa na vijana wa rika lao.
Takwimu za punde zaidi zimeonyesha kuwa asilimia kumi ya raia wa Afrika Kusini wanaishi na virusi vya HIV. Nchi hiyo imekuwa na mradi wa kuvuma zaidi wa kutoa dawa za kukabili makali ya virusi hivyo vya HIV , ARV tangu rais Jacob Zuma alipomteua bwana Motsoaledi kuongoza wizara hiyo ya afya yapata miaka minee iliyopita.

'Kupotosha watoto'

Waziri huyo pia aliongeza kuwa zaidi ya wasichana 94,000 walipata mimba katika mwaka wa 2001 and kati yao 77, 000 walilazimika kuavya mimba hizo katika kliniki za serikali, kwa mujibu wa taarfa katika magazeti ya Soweto.
Akizungumza katika mkutano wa hadhara katika mji wa Carolina, mkoa wa Mpumalanga, bwana Motsoaledi alisema kuwa idadi hiyo kubwa ya wasichana wanaoharibiwa maisha yao ''inanivunja moyo sana''.
''Lazima tuchukue hatua dhidi ya mababa sukari hawa kwa sababu wanaangamiza vizazi vyetu''.
Mwaka uliopita zaidi ya watu 260,000 wanaoishi na Ukimwi walifariki ikiwa ni takriban nusu ya watu wote waliofariki katika nchi hiyo.


Source: BBC

Tanzania Yapanda Viwango Vya FIFA

Mabingwa wa Ulaya na dunia Spain wameendelea kubaki nafasi ya kwanza kwenye viwango vya FIFA mwezi huu, wakati timu ya taifa ya Tanzania ikipanda kwa pointi nane zaidi, huku Afghanistan wakipanda mpaka kwenye nafasi ya 48 kutoka 141, baada ya kushinda mechi kadhaa kwenye AFC Challenge Cup.

Spain wanawaongoza Germany, Argentina, England na Italy. Colombia wapo nafasi ya sita huku Ureno wakishuka mpaka nafasi ya saba.

 

Tanznia mchezo ujao inacheza na Morocco katika uwanja wa taifa jijini Dar es salaam tarehe 24 March 2013, ni mchuano wa kufuzu fainal za kombe la dunia hapo mwaka 2014 nchini Brazil

Papa mpya Achaguliwa

Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio wa Buenos Aires amechaguliwa kuongoza Wakatoliki billioni moja kama Papa Francis I.

Ni Baba Mtakatifu wa kwanza kutoka Amerika ya Kusini. Kwenye hotuba yake ya kwanza amwombea Benedict, aomba Kanisa "litembee pamoja katika imani".

Ametoa baraka yake ya kwanza ya umma saa nne unusu EAT. Awaomba waumini wamwombee.Wachambuzi wasema Francis ni Papa "mnyenyekevu."
Francis Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 is the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, elected on 13 March 2013. In that role, he is both the leader of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State. From 1998 until his election as pope, he served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and was created cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Francis speaks Spanish, Italian, and German fluently.
Francis is the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to be elected Pope. He is the first non-European pope in 1200 years

Uhuru Kenyatta Rais Mpya wa Kenya

Uhuru Kenyatta wins Kenya presidential election by a hair!

With all 291 constituencies reporting, Uhuru had 6,173,433 valid votes (50.03%) against Raila’s 5,340,546 (43.28%) - Total Vote cast - 12,338,667

Uhuru wakati akiweka kura yake

Uhuru Kenyatta akiwa na baba yake Jomo Kenyatta
siku hizo za zamani Uhuru akiwa mdogo



Rais wa nne wa kenya Mh. Uhuru Kenyatta

Uhuru Kenyatta amechaguliwa kuwa Raisi wa nne wa Jamuhuri ya Kenya, waliomtangulia ni Baba yake mzee Jomo Kenyatta akifuatiwa na Daniel Arap Moi kisha Rais aliyemaliza muda wake bwana Mwai Kibaki. Hongera kwa Bwana Uhuru kwa Kushinda Uchanguzi
Tunawatakia wakenya Amani na utulivu tele.
 

Wakenya Watakiwa kuwa watulivu

Wakati Tume Huru ya Uchaguzi na Mipaka (IEBC), ikiwataka wananchi wa Kenya kuwa na subira wakati ikiendelea kukusanya na kuhesabu kura, mgombea wa Jubilee, Uhuru Kenyata anaendelea kuongoza kwa kura dhidi ya mgombea wa Muungano wa Cord, Raila Odinga.

Tangu kura zianze kuhesabiwa juzi jioni, Kenyatta amekuwa akiongoza wagombea wengine wa urais katika uchaguzi huo.

Tamko la Mwenyekiti wa IEBC, Isaack Hassan jana asubuhi lilitokana na malalamiko yaliyoanza kutolewa na wananchi na vyama vya siasa vilivyoshiriki uchaguzi huo kuwa matokeo yanacheleweshwa.

IEBC ilikuwa imeahidi kutangaza matokeo ya urais ndani ya saa 48 baada ya kufungwa kwa vituo vya kupigia kura juzi saa 11 jioni hakukuwa na matokeo hayo.

Kwa siku nzima jana, matokeo ya awali yaliendelea kutolewa lakini kwa kasi ndogo ikilinganishwa na juzi, huku mgombea urais kupitia Jubilee, Uhuru Kenyatta akiongoza akiwa na kura 2,735,353 (53.49%) dhidi ya Raila Odinga wa Cord aliyekuwa na 2,145,721 (41.96%) hadi kufikia saa 1 jioni jana.

Hassan alisema matokeo hayo yalichelewa kutokana na matatizo yaliyojitokeza ya baadhi ya mashine za utambuzi wa wapigakura kukwama na kusuasua kwa mtandao (network down) juzi usiku.

Aliwataka wananchi kuwa watulivu na wavumilivu wakati wakiendelea kupokea matokeo ya awali, kwa kuwa matokeo rasmi yangesubiri wasimamizi kuwasili Nairobi kutoka mikoani, wakiwa na karatasi rasmi za matokeo kwa ajili ya kulinganisha, hatua ambayo alisema isingewezekana ndani ya saa 48.

Alisema wasimamizi kutoka katika majimbo 290 na kaunti 47 walikuwa safarini kutoka mikoani kwenda Nairobi, hatua ambayo ingesaidia tangazo rasmi la matokeo.

“Tunatarajia wafike mchana wa leo (jana),” alisema Hassan alipozungumza na waandishi wa habari katika kituo cha kujumlishia kura, Bomas.

Hassan alitupilia mbali madai ya Muungano wa Cord kuwa matokeo hayo yanacheleweshwa akisema hayana msingi kwa kuwa sheria ya uchaguzi inaruhusu matokeo kutangazwa ndani ya siku saba, hivyo alikuwa bado na siku sita mkononi kisheria.

Alitumia nafasi hiyo kuzima furaha ya baadhi ya watu: “Hadi sasa tumepata matokeo kutoka vituo 23,000 kwa nchi nzima.

Hakuna anayestahili kushangilia, hakuna anayestahili kulalamika. Huu siyo muda wa kushangilia wala kuhuzunika,” alisema Hassan. Katika uchaguzi huo kulikuwa na vituo 31,981.
Alisema hawawezi kurudia makosa yaliyofanywa na iliyokuwa Tume ya Uchaguzi (ECK), mwaka 2007 yaliyoharibu uchaguzi na kusababisha machafuko.

“Tuko makini sana na suala hilo na ndiyo maana tumetumia gharama kubwa kuandaa mtandao huu. Hatuna nia ya kubadili matokeo yaliyotoka vituoni wala maeneo ya kuhesabia kura. Kila kura iliyopigwa itahesabiwa na itatangazwa,” alisema.
Polisi na msimamizi
Msimamizi mmoja wa uchaguzi aliripotiwa kuuawa kwa bahati mbaya na polisi juzi usiku wakati wakisafirisha masanduku ya kura kwenye kituo cha kujumlishia kura cha Kangema, Muranga, Mkoa wa Kati.

Askari na msimamizi huyo walikuwa wanasafiri kwenye gari moja, ndipo bunduki ikamponyoka na risasi kufyatuka ikielekea kwa msimamizi huyo.

Mkuu wa Kituo cha Polisi Muranga Mashariki, Chris Mushimba alisema aliyeuawa alikuwa Msimamizi wa Kituo cha Ichichi na uchunguzi wa awali unaeleza ilikuwa ni bahati mbaya.
Waangalizi wapongeza
Timu za waangalizi wa uchaguzi wa kutoka Afrika Mashariki (EAC), Comesa na IGAD wameipongeza IEBC kwa kuendesha uchaguzi huru na haki kwa kufuata kanuni sheria na taratibu, licha ya kasoro za kiufundi zilizojitokeza.

Akisoma taarifa ya awali jana, Mwakilishi wa EAC, Abdulrahman Kinana alisema kwa jinsi uchaguzi ulivyoendeshwa, wana imani kuwa matokeo yatakuwa ndiyo matakwa halisi ya Wakenya.

Kinana ambaye pia ni Katibu Mkuu wa CCM, aliwataka wadau wa uchaguzi, Serikali na wengine, kuendelea kulinda amani, licha ya changamoto za kiusalama zilizojitokeza katika maeneo ya Garisa, Kilifi, Mombasa na Wajir.

Alivipongeza vyombo vya habari kwa kutimiza wajibu wao kuelimisha umma na kuwa makini dhidi ya habari ambazo zingeweza kuhatarisha amani.

Kwa upande wa polisi, alisema walifanya kazi yao vizuri, hawakutisha watu na walionekana wakiwasaidia wapigakura.

Alishauri IEBC kuendelea kupitia daftari la wapigakura mara kwa mara, msajili wa vyama vya siasa apewe mamlaka kisheria kusimamia chaguzi za awali ndani ya vyama na elimu ya uraia itolewe ili kupunguza matukio kadhaa yaliyojitokeza kama vile kuharibu kura.

Moto wateketeza Bidhaa

Dar es Salaam. Moto mkubwa uliotokana na hitilafu ya umeme, umeteketeza bidhaa za mabilioni zilizokuwa zimehifadhiwa katika maghala ya Kampuni ya Sunda ya jijini Dar es Salaam.

Magari zaidi ya 20 ya vikosi vya zimamoto na uokoaji vya taasisi mbalimbali vilishindwa kuzima moto huo, ulioanza saa 4:45 asubuhi na kuendelea hadi jana mchana.

Akizungumza katika eneo la tukio, Kaimu Kamanda wa Zimamoto Kanda Maalumu, Bakari Mrisho, alisema walichelewa kupata taarifa za moto huo uliokuwa unateketeza maghala hayo ya kuhifadhi vifaa vya ujenzi na samani za ndani la ‘Ubungo Business Park’.

Mmoja wa wamiliki wa maghala hayo ambaye jina lale halikupatikana, alizimia baada ya kuona mali zake zikigeuka jivu.

Baadhi ya vifaa vilivyoelezwa kuwamo kwenye ghala hilo ni pamoja na marumaru, mashine za kufyatulia matofali, jasi, baiskeli, matoroli, mabomba ya plastiki na makasha mbalimbali yaliyokuwa na vocha za simu.

Vifaa vingine ni matairi ya baiskeli, vifaa vya maalumu vya ulinzi (CCTV, Smart Card ) na kontena zipatazo nne za vocha, (Pampasi, chupa za chai, vikombe vya chai vyote  vilitekelea kwa moto huo).

Baadhi ya kampuni zilizokumbwa na janga hilo ni Sandu (T) Limited, Kampuni ya Simu za Mkononi ya Zantel, Poly Machinery na Brick Machinery.

Kaimu Mkurugenzi wa Kampuni ya Sunda (T) Limited, Mashaka Zuberi alisema moto huo ulianza muda mfupi baada ya fundi umeme wa ghala hilo kufanya matengenezo ya kuongeza nguvu ya nishati hiyo.

Alisema fundi wa umeme jana (juzi) alikuwa anafanya matengenezo  ya kuongeza nguvu ya umeme kwani umeme uliokuwapo haukuwa na uwezo wa kuhudumia vifaa vilivyokuwapo.

Zuberi alisema leo (jana) saa 4.30 fundi huyo alifika kumalizia kazi hiyo ambapo aliwataka kuzima vifaa vyote vya umeme ili kuwezesha kuwasha baada ya kumaliza matengenezo.

Naye Kaimu Kamanda wa Zimamoto, Kanda Maalumu ya Dar es Salaam, Bakari Mrisho alisema kitendo cha baadhi ya watu kukaidi kuzingatia sheriza zimamoto ndio chanzo cha maafa ya aina hiyo.

Alisema walifanya ukaguzi na kuwataka kuweka kisima cha maji jambo ambalo hawakulitekeleza na kusababisha usumbufu wa kupata maji ya kuzimia moto huo.

Kamanda wa Polisi wa Mkoa wa Kipolisi Kinondoni, Charles Kenyela alisema kutokana na moto huo kuwa mkubwa aliamua kuomba msaada wa magari ya zimamoto kutoka Bandari na Uwanja wa ndege.

Alisema chanzo cha moto huo hakijaweza kujulikana ambapo vitu mbalimbali vimeweza kuteketea kwa moto na hakuna aliyejeruhiwa katika tukio hilo.

Rais Wa Venezuela Afariki dunia

Taarifa iliyotolewa na makamu wa raisi wa venezuera bwana Nicolas Maduro ametangaza kuwa Rais wa nchi hiyo bwana Hugo Chavez amefariki dunia kufuatia kusumbuliwa na ugonjwa wa saratani(cancer) kwa muda mrefu. Hugo chavez amefariki akiwa na umri wa miaka 58, alianza kuitawala venezuera tangu mwaka 1999. Munu ailaze mahala pema pepono roho ya marehemu

Akikagua gwaride wakati wa uhai wake

 

Fahamu Hugo Chavez ni nani?

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was the President of Venezuela, having held that position from 1999 until his death in 2013. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Following his own political ideology of Bolivarianism and "socialism of the 21st century", he focused on implementing socialist reforms in the country as a part of a social project known as the Bolivarian Revolution, which has seen the implementation of a new constitution, participatory democratic councils, the nationalization of several key industries, increased government funding of health care and education, and significant reductions in poverty, according to government figures.
Born into a working-class family in Sabaneta, Barinas, Chávez became a career military officer, and after becoming dissatisfied with the Venezuelan political system, he founded the secretive Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 (MBR-200) in the early 1980s to work towards overthrowing it. Chávez led the MBR-200 in an unsuccessful coup d'état against the Democratic Action government of President Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1992, for which he was imprisoned. Released from prison after two years, he founded a social democratic political party, the Fifth Republic Movement, and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998. He subsequently introduced a new constitution which increased rights for marginalized groups and altered the structure of Venezuelan government, and was re-elected in 2000. During his second presidential term, he introduced a system of Bolivarian Missions, Communal Councils and worker-managed cooperatives, as well as a program of land reform, whilst also nationalizing various key industries. On 7 October 2012, Chávez won his country's presidential election for a fourth time, defeating Henrique Capriles, and was elected for another six-year term.
Chávez described his policies to be anti-imperialist, and he was a vocal critic of neoliberalism and laissez-faire capitalism. More generally, Chávez was a prominent adversary of the United States' foreign policy. Allying himself strongly with the Communist governments of Fidel and then Raúl Castro in Cuba and the Socialist governments of Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, his presidency was seen as a part of the socialist "pink tide" sweeping Latin America. He supported Latin American and Caribbean cooperation and was instrumental in setting up the pan-regional Union of South American Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, the Bank of the South, and the regional television network TeleSur. Chávez was a highly controversial and divisive figure both at home and abroad.
On 30 June 2011, Chávez stated that he was recovering from an operation to remove an abscessed tumor with cancerous cells. He required a second operation in December 2012.Chávez was to have been sworn in on January 10, 2013, but the National Assembly of Venezuela agreed to postpone the inauguration to allow him time to recuperate and return from a third medical treatment trip to Cuba.Chavez died on March 5, 2013, at the age of 58

Childhood

Further information: Early life of Hugo Chávez

Sabaneta, Barinas, where Chávez was born and raised.

Hugo Chávez was born on 28 July 1954 in his paternal grandmother Rosa Inéz Chávez's home, a modest three-room house located in the rural village Sabaneta, Barinas State. The Chávez family were of Amerindian, Afro-Venezuelan, and Spanish descent.^[10] His parents, Hugo de los Reyes Chávez and Elena Frías de Chávez, were working-lower middle class schoolteachers who lived in the small village of Los Rastrojos. Hugo was born the second of seven children, including their eldest, Adán Chávez.^[11][12] The couple lived in poverty, leading them to send Hugo and Adán to live with their grandmother Rosa,^[13] whom Hugo would later describe as being "a pure human being... pure love, pure kindness."^[14] She was a devout Roman Catholic, and Hugo was an altar boy at a local church.^[15] Hugo described his childhood as "poor...very happy", and experienced "humility, poverty, pain, sometimes not having anything to eat", and "the injustices of this world."^[16]
Attending the Julián Pino Elementary School, Chávez's hobbies included drawing, painting, baseball and history. He was particularly interested in the 19th-century federalist general Ezequiel Zamora, in whose army his own great-great-grandfather had served.^[17][18] In the mid-1960s, Hugo, his brother and their grandmother moved to the city of Barinas so that the boys could attend what was then the only high school in the rural state, the Daniel O'Leary High School.^[19]

Military Academy: 1971–1975

Aged seventeen, Chávez decided to study at the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in Caracas. At the Academy, he was a member of the first class that was following a restructured curriculum known as the Andrés Bello Plan. This plan had been instituted by a group of progressive, nationalistic military officers who believed that change was needed within the military. This new curriculum encouraged students to learn not only military routines and tactics but also a wide variety of other topics, and to do so civilian professors were brought in from other universities to give lectures to the military cadets.^[20][21][22] Living in Caracas, he saw more of the endemic poverty faced by working class Venezuelans, something that echoed the poverty he had experienced growing up, and he has maintained that this experience only made him further committed to achieving social justice.^[23][24] He also began to get involved in local activities outside of the military school, playing both baseball and softball with the Criollitos de Venezuela team, progressing with them to the Venezuelan National Baseball Championships. Other hobbies that he undertook at the time included writing numerous poems, stories and theatrical pieces, painting^[25] and researching the life and political thought of 19th-century South American revolutionary Simón Bolívar.^[26] He also became interested in the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (1928–67) after reading his memoir The Diary of Che Guevara, although he also read books by a wide variety of other figures.^[27]
In 1974 he was selected to be a representative in the commemorations for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho in Peru, the conflict in which Simon Bolívar's lieutenant, Antonio José de Sucre, defeated royalist forces during the Peruvian War of Independence. It was in Peru that Chávez heard the leftist president, General Juan Velasco Alvarado (1910–1977), speak, and inspired by Velasco's ideas that the military should act in the interests of the working classes when the ruling classes were perceived as corrupt,^[28] he "drank up the books [Velasco had written], even memorising some speeches almost completely."^[29] Befriending the son of Panamanian President Omar Torrijos (1929–1981), another leftist military general, Chávez subsequently visited Panama, where he met with Torrijos, and was impressed with his land reform program that was designed to benefit the peasants. Being heavily influenced by both Torrijos and Velasco, he saw the potential for military generals to seize control of a government when the civilian authorities were perceived as serving the interests of only the wealthy elites.^[28][30] In contrast to military presidents like Torrijos and Velasco however, Chávez became highly critical of Augusto Pinochet, the right-wing general who had recently seized control in Chile with the aid of the American CIA.^[31] Chávez would later relate that "With Torrijos, I became a Torrijist. With Velasco I became a Velasquist. And with Pinochet, I became an anti-Pinochetist."^[32] In 1975, Chávez graduated from the military academy, being rated one of the top graduates of the year (eight out of seventy five).^[33][34][35]

Early military career: 1976–1981

Further information: Military career of Hugo Chávez

I think that from the time I left the academy I was oriented toward a revolutionary movement... The Hugo Chávez who entered there was a kid from the hills, a Ilanero with aspirations of playing professional baseball. Four years later, a second-lieutenant came out who had taken the revolutionary path. Someone who didn’t have obligations to anyone, who didn't belong to any movement, who was not enrolled in any party, but who knew very well where I was headed.

Hugo Chávez.^[36]

Following his graduation, Chávez was stationed as a communications officer at a counterinsurgency unit in Barinas,^[37] although the Marxist-Leninist insurgency which the army was sent to combat had already been eradicated from that state, leaving the unit with much spare time. Chávez himself played in a local baseball team, wrote a column for the local newspaper, organized bingo games and judged at beauty pageants.^[38] At one point he found in an abandoned car riddled with bullet holes a stash of Marxist literature that apparently had belonged to insurgents many years before. He went on to read these books, which included titles by such theoreticians as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, but his favourite was a work entitled The Times of Ezequiel Zamora, written about the 19th-century federalist general whom Chávez had admired as a child.^[39] These books further convinced Chávez of the need for a leftist government in Venezuela, later remarking that "By the time I was 21 or 22, I made myself a man of the left."^[40]
In 1977, Chávez's unit was transferred to Anzoátegui, where they were involved in battling the Red Flag Party, a Marxist-Hoxhaist insurgency group.^[41] After intervening to prevent the beating of an alleged insurgent by other soldiers,^[42] Chávez began to have his doubts about the army and their methods in using torture.^[40] At the same time, he was becoming increasingly critical of the corruption in both the army and in the civilian government, coming to believe that despite the wealth being produced by the country's oil reserves, Venezuela's poor masses were not receiving their share, something he felt to be inherently un-democratic. In doing so, he began to sympathise with the Red Flag Party and their cause, if not their violent methods.^[43]
In 1977, he founded a revolutionary movement within the armed forces, in the hope that he could one day introduce a leftist government to Venezuela: the Venezuelan People's Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación del Pueblo de Venezuela, or ELPV), was a secretive cell within the military that consisted of him and a handful of his fellow soldiers. Although they knew that they wanted a middle way between the right wing policies of the government and the far left position of the Red Flag, they did not have any plans of action for the time being.^[42][44][45] Nevertheless, hoping to gain an alliance with civilian leftist groups in Venezuela, Chávez then set about clandestinely meeting various prominent Marxists, including Alfredo Maneiro (the founder of the Radical Cause) and Douglas Bravo, despite having numerous political differences with them.^[46][47] At this time, Chávez married a working-class woman named Nancy Colmenares, with whom he would go on to have three children: Rosa Virginia (born September 1978), Maria Gabriela (born March 1980) and Hugo Rafael (born October 1983).^[48]

Later military career and the Bolivarian Revolutionary Army-200: 1982–1991

Five years after his creation of the ELPV, Chávez went on to form a new secretive cell within the military, the Bolivarian Revolutionary Army-200 (EBR-200), later redesignated the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 (MBR-200).^[20][49][50] Taking inspiration from three Venezuelans whom Chávez deeply admired, Ezequiel Zamora (1817–1860), Simón Bolívar (1783–1830) and Simón Rodríguez (1769–1854), these historical figures became known as the "three roots of the tree" of the MBR-200.^[51][52] Later describing the group's foundation, Chávez would state that "the Bolivarian movement that was being born did not propose political objectives... Its goals were imminently internal. Its efforts were directed in the first place to studying the military history of Venezuela as a source of a military doctrine of our own, which up to then didn't exist."^[53] However, he always hoped that the Bolivarian Movement would become politically dominant, and on his political ideas at the time, remarked that "This tree [of Bolívar, Zamora and Rodríguez] has to be a circumference, it has to accept all kinds of ideas, from the right, from the left, from the ideological ruins of those old capitalist and communist systems."^[54] Indeed, Irish political analyst Barry Cannon noted that the early Bolivarian ideology was explicitly capitalist, but that it "was a doctrine in construction, a heterogeneous amalgam of thoughts and ideologies, from universal thought, capitalism, Marxism, but rejecting the neoliberal models currently being imposed in Latin America and the discredited socialist and communist models of the old Soviet Bloc."^[55]
In 1981, Chávez, by now a captain, was assigned to teach at the military academy where he had formerly trained. Here he indoctrinated new students in his so-called "Bolivarian" ideals, and recruited those whom he felt would make good members of the MBR-200, as well as organizing sporting and theatrical events for the students. In his recruiting attempts he was relatively successful, for by the time they had graduated, at least thirty out of 133 cadets had joined it.^[56] In 1984 he met a Venezuelan woman of German ancestry named Herma Marksman who was a recently divorced history teacher. Sharing many interests in common, she eventually got involved in Chávez's movement and the two fell in love, having an affair that would last several years.^[57][58] Another figure to get involved with the movement was Francisco Arias Cárdenas, a soldier particularly interested in liberation theology.^[59] Cárdenas rose to a significant position within the group, although came into ideological conflict with Chávez, who believed that they should begin direct military action in order to overthrow the government, something Cárdenas thought was reckless.^[60]
However, some senior military officers became suspicious of Chávez after hearing rumours about the MBR-200. Unable to dismiss him legally without proof, they re-assigned him so that he would not be able to gain any more fresh new recruits from the academy. He was sent to take command of the remote barracks at Elorza in Apure State,^[61] where he got involved in the local community by organizing social events, and contacted the local indigenous tribal peoples, the Cuiva and Yaruro. Although they were distrustful due to their mistreatment at the hands of the Venezuelan army in previous decades, Chávez gained their trust by joining the expeditions of an anthropologist to meet with them. His experiences with them would later lead him to introduce laws protecting the rights of indigenous tribal peoples when he gained power many years later.^[62] While on holiday, he retraced on foot the route taken by his great-grandfather, the revolutionary Pedro Pérez Delgado (known as Maisanta), to understand his family history; on that trip, he met a woman who told Chávez how Maisanta had become a local hero by rescuing an abducted girl.^[63] In 1988, after being promoted to the rank of major, the high-ranking General Rodríguez Ochoa took a liking to Chávez and employed him to be his assistant at his office in Caracas.^[64]

Operation Zamora: 1992

In 1989, Carlos Andrés Pérez (1922–2010), the candidate of the centrist Democratic Action Party, was elected President after promising to oppose the United States government's Washington Consensus and financial policies recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nevertheless, he did neither once he got into office, following instead the neoliberal economic policies supported by the United States and the IMF. He dramatically cut spending, put prominent men in governmental posts. Pérez's policies angered some of the public.^[65][66][67] In an attempt to stop the widespread protests and looting that followed his social spending cuts, Pérez ordered the violent repression and massacre of protesters known as El Caracazo, which "according to official figures ... left a balance of 276 dead, numerous injured, several disappeared and heavy material losses. However, this list was invalidated by the subsequent appearance of mass graves", indicating that the official death count was inadequate.^[68][69][70] Pérez had used both the DISIP political police and the army to orchestrate El Caracazo. Chávez did not participate in the repression because he was then hospitalized with chicken pox, and later condemned the event as "genocide".^[71][72]
Disturbed by the Caracazo, rampant government corruption, the domination of politics by the Venezuelan oligarchy through the Punto Fijo Pact, and what he called "the dictatorship of the IMF", Chávez began preparing for a military coup d'état,^[70][73] known as Operation Zamora.^[74] Initially planned for December, Chávez delayed the MBR-200 coup until the early twilight hours of 4 February 1992. On that date, five army units under Chávez's command moved into urban Caracas with the mission of overwhelming key military and communications installations, including the Miraflores presidential palace, the defense ministry, La Carlota military airport and the Military Museum. Chávez's immediate goal was to intercept and take custody of Pérez, who was returning to Miraflores from an overseas trip. Despite years of planning, the coup quickly encountered trouble. At the time of the coup, Chávez had the loyalty of less than 10% of Venezuela's military forces,^[75] and, because of numerous betrayals, defections, errors, and other unforeseen circumstances, Chávez and a small group of rebels found themselves hiding in the Military Museum, without any means of conveying orders to their network of spies and collaborators spread throughout Venezuela.^[76] Furthermore, Chávez's allies were unable to broadcast their prerecorded tapes on the national airwaves, during which Chávez planned to issue a general call for a mass civilian uprising against the Pérez government. Finally, Chávez's forces were unable to capture Pérez, who managed to escape from them. Fourteen soldiers were killed, and fifty soldiers and some eighty civilians injured during the ensuing violence.^[77][78][79]
Realising that the coup had failed, Chávez gave himself up to the government. On the condition that he called upon the remaining active coup members to cease hostilities, he was allowed to appear on national television, something that he insisted on doing in his military uniform. During this address, he invoked the name of national hero Simón Bolívar and declared to the Venezuelan people that "Comrades: unfortunately, for now, the objectives we had set for ourselves were not achieved in the capital city. That is, those of us here in Caracas did not seize power. Where you are, you have performed very well, but now is the time for a reflect. New opportunities will arise and the country has to head definitively toward a better future."^[80] Many viewers noted that Chávez had remarked that he had failed only "por ahora" (for now),^{[20][81][82][83][84]} and he was immediately catapulted into the national spotlight, with many Venezuelans, particularly those from the poorer sections of society, seeing him as a figure who had stood up against government corruption and kleptocracy.^[85][86][87]
Chávez was arrested and imprisoned at the San Carlos military stockade, where he remained wracked with guilt, feeling responsible for the coup's failure.^[88][89] Indeed, pro-Chávez demonstrations that took place outside of San Carlos led to his being transferred to Yare prison soon after.^[90] The government meanwhile began a temporary crackdown on media supportive of Chávez and the coup.^[91] A further attempted coup against the government occurred in November, which was once more defeated,^[73][92] although Pérez himself was impeached a year later for malfeasance and misappropriation of funds for illegal activities.^[93][94]

Political rise: 1992–1998

Whilst Chávez and the other senior members of the MBR-200 were in prison, his relationship with Herma Marksman broke up in July 1993.^[95] She would subsequently become a critic of Chávez.^[96] In 1994, Rafael Caldera (1916–2009) of the centrist National Convergence Party was elected to the presidency, and soon after taking power, freed Chávez and the other imprisoned MBR-200 members as per his pre-election pledge. Caldera had however imposed upon them the condition that they would not return to the military, where they could potentially organise another coup.^[97][98] After being mobbed by adoring crowds following his release, Chávez went on a 100-day tour of the country, promoting his Bolivarian cause of social revolution.^[99] Now living off a small military pension as well as the donations of his supporters, he continued to financially support his three children and their mother despite divorcing Nancy Colmenares around this period. On his tours around the country, he would meet Marisabel Rodríguez, who would give birth to their daughter shortly before becoming his second wife in 1997.^[100][101]
Travelling around Latin America in search of foreign support for his Bolivarian movement, he visited Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, and finally Cuba, where the Communist leader Fidel Castro (1926–) arranged to meet him. After spending several days in one another's company, Chávez and Castro became friends with the former describing the Cuban leader as being like a father to him.^[102] Returning to Venezuela, Chávez failed to gain mainstream media attention for his political cause. Instead, he gained publicity from small, local-based newspapers and media outlets.^[103] As a part of his condemnation of the ruling class, Chávez became critical of President Caldera, whose neoliberal economic policies had caused inflation and who had both suspended constitutional guarantees and arrested a number of Chávez's supporters.^[104] According to the United Nations, by 1997 the per capita income for Venezuelan citizens had fallen to US$ 2,858 from US$ 5,192 in 1990, whilst poverty levels had increased by 17.65% since 1980, and homicide and other crime rates had more than doubled since 1986, particularly in Caracas.^[105] Coupled with this drop in the standard of living, widespread dissatisfaction with the representative democratic system in Venezuela had "led to gaps emerging between rulers and ruled which favoured the emergence of a populist leader".^[106]
A debate soon developed in the Bolivarian movement as to whether it should try to take power in elections or whether it should instead continue to believe that military action was the only effective way of bringing about political change. Chávez was a keen proponent of the latter view, believing that the oligarchy would never allow him and his supporters to win an election,^[107] whilst Francisco Arias Cárdenas instead insisted that they take part in the representative democratic process. Cárdenas himself proved his point when, after joining the Radical Cause socialist party, he won the December 1995 election to become governor of the oil-rich Zulia State.^[108] Subsequently changing his opinion on the issue, Chávez and his supporters in the Bolivarian movement decided to found their own political party, the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR – Movimiento Quinta República) in July 1997 in order to support Chávez's candidature in the Venezuelan presidential election, 1998.^{[77][109][110][111]}

The election of a leftist president in Venezuela in 1998 foreshadowed what would, in the following seven years, become a wave of successes for left-leaning presidential candidates in Latin America... Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva in Brazil in October 2002, then Lucio Gutiérrez in Ecuador in January 2003, Néstor Kirchner in Argentina in May 2003, Tabaré Vázquez in Uruguay in October 2004, Evo Morales in Bolivia in December 2005, Rafael Correa in Ecuador in November 2006, and then Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, also in November 2006. While some of these moderated [towards the centre or centre-right] significantly shortly after taking office, such as Gutiérrez and da Silva, they represent a wave of left-of-center leaders whose election came as a bit of a surprise given the... disorientation within the left around the world.

Gregory Wilpert, German-American political analyst (2007).^[112]

1998 election

At the start of the election run-up, most polls gave Irene Sáez, then-mayor of Caracas' richest district, Chacao, the lead. Although an independent candidate, she had the backing of one of Venezuela's two primary political parties, Copei.^[113] In opposition to her right-wing and pro-establishment views, Chávez and his followers described their aim as "laying the foundations of a new republic" to replace the existing one, which they cast as "party-dominated"; the current constitution, they argued, was no more than the "legal-political embodiment of puntofijismo", the country's traditional two-party patronage system.^[114] This revolutionary rhetoric gained Chávez and the MVR support from a number of other leftist parties, including the Patria Para Todos (Motherland for All), the Partido Comunist Venezolano (Venezeuelan Communist Party) and the Movimiento al Socialismo (Movement for Socialism), which together fashioned a political union supporting his candidacy called the Polo Patriotic (Patriotic Pole).^[111][115]
Chávez's promises of widespread social and economic reforms won the trust and favor of a primarily poor and working class following. By May 1998, Chávez's support had risen to 30% in polls, and by August he was registering 39%.^[116] Much of his support came from his 'strong man' populist image and charismatic appeal.^[117] This rise in popularity worried Chávez's opponents, with the oligarchy-owned mainstream media proceeding to attack him with a series of allegations, which included the claim – which he dismissed as ridiculous – that he was a cannibal who ate children.^[118] With his support increasing, and Sáez's decreasing, both the main two political parties, Copei and Democratic Action, put their support behind Henrique Salas Römer, a Yale University-educated economist who representated the Project Venezuela party.^[119]
Chávez won the election with 56.20% of the vote. Salas Römer came second, with 39.97%, whilst the other candidates, including Irene Sáez and Alfaro Ucero, gained only tiny proportions of the vote.^[94][120] Academic analysis of the election showed that Chávez's support had come primarily from the country's poor and the "disenchanted middle class", whose standard of living had decreased rapidly in the previous decade,^[121] although at the same time much of the middle and upper class vote had instead gone to Salas Römer.^[122] Following the announcement of his victory, Chávez gave a speech in which he declared that "The resurrection of Venezuela has begun, and nothing and no one can stop it."^[120]

Presidency: 1999–2013

Further information: Presidency of Hugo Chávez

First Presidential Term: 2 February 1999 – 10 January 2001

A triumphant Hugo Chávez visiting Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2003.

Chávez's presidential inauguration took place on 2 February 1999, and during the usual presidential oath he deviated from the prescribed words to proclaim that "I swear before my people that upon this moribund constitution I will drive forth the necessary democratic transformations so that the new republic will have a Magna Carta befitting these new times." He subsequently set about appointing new figures to a number of government posts, including promoting various leftist allies to key positions; he for instance gave one of the founders of MBR, Jesús Urdaneta, the position in charge of the secret police; and made one of the 1992 coup leaders, Hernán Grüber Ódreman, governor of the Federal District of Caracas. Chávez also appointed some conservative, centrist and centre-right figures to government positions as well, reappointing Caldera's economy minister Maritza Izaquirre to that same position and also appointing the businessman Roberto Mandini to be president of the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. His critics referred to this group of government officials as the "Boliburguesía" or "Bolivarian bourgeoisie", and highlighted the fact that it "included few people with experience in public administration." He also made several alterations to his presidential privileges, scrapping the presidential limousine, giving away his entire presidential wage of $1,200 a month to a scholarship fund, and selling off many of the government-owned airplanes, although alternately many of his critics accused him of excessive personal expenses for himself, his family and friends.The involvement of a number of his immediate family members in Venezuelan politics has also led to accusations of nepotism, something Chávez denies. Meanwhile, in June 2000 he separated from his wife Marisabel, and their divorce was finalised in January 2004.
Although he publicly used strong revolutionary rhetoric from the beginning of his presidency, the Chávez government's initial policies were moderate, capitalist and centre-left, having much in common with those of contemporary Latin American leftists like Brazil's president Lula da Silva. Chávez initially believed that capitalism was still a valid economic model for Venezuela, but that it would have to be Rhenish capitalism or the Third Way that would be followed rather than the neoliberalism which had been implemented under former governments with the encouragement of the United States. He followed the economic guidelines recommended by the International Monetary Fund and continued to encourage foreign corporations to invest in Venezuela, even visiting the New York Stock Exchange in the United States in an attempt to convince wealthy investors to do so. To increase his visibility abroad, Chávez spent fifty-two days of his first year as president outside of Venezuela, travelling the world meeting various national leaders, such as American President Bill Clinton, Governor of Texas George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin.


Whilst he was remaining fiscally conservative, he introduced measures in an attempt to alleviate the poverty of the Venezuelan working class. Chávez immediately set into motion a social welfare program called Plan Bolívar 2000, which he organised to begin on 27 February 1999, the tenth anniversary of the Caracazo massacre. Costing $113,000,000, Plan Bolívar 2000 involved 70,000 army officers going out into the streets of Venezuela where they would repair roads and hospitals, offer free medical care and vaccinations, and sell food at cheap prices. Chávez himself described the Plan by saying that "Ten years ago we came to massacre the people. Now we are going to fill them with love. Go and comb the land, search out and destroy poverty and death. We are going to fill them with love instead of lead." In order to explain his latest thoughts and plans to the Venezuelan people, in May he also launched his own Sunday morning radio show, Aló Presidente (Hello, President), on the state radio network, as well as a Thursday night television show, De Frente con el Presidente (Face to Face with the President). He followed this with his own newspaper, El Correo del Presidente (The President's Post), founded in July, for which he acted as editor-in-chief, but which was later shut amidst accusations of corruption in its management. In his television and radio shows, he answered calls from citizens, discussed his latest policies, sung songs and told jokes, making it unique not only in Latin America but the entire world.

Constitutional reform

Chávez holds a miniature copy of the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution at the 2005 World Social Forum held in Brazil.

Chávez then called for a public referendum – something virtually unknown in Venezuela at the time – which he hoped would support his plans to form a constitutional assembly, composed of representatives from across Venezuela, as well as from indigenous tribal groups, which would be able to rewrite the nation's constitution. The referendum went ahead on 25 April 1999, and was an overwhelming success for Chávez, with 88% of voters supporting the proposal.

Following this, Chávez called for an election to take place on 25 July, in which the members of the constitutional assembly would be voted into power. Of the 1,171 candidates standing for election to the assembly, over 900 of them were opponents of Chávez, but despite this, his supporters won another overwhelming electoral victory, taking 125 seats (95% of the total), including all of those belonging to indigenous tribal groups, whereas the opposition were voted into only 6 seats. On 12 August 1999, the new constitutional assembly voted to give themselves the power to abolish government institutions and to dismiss officials who were perceived as being corrupt or operating only in their own interests. Whilst supporters of the move believed that it could force reforms that had been blocked by corrupt politicians and judicial authorities for years, many opponents of the Chávez regime argued that it gave Chávez and the Bolivarians too much power at the expense of their political opponents, and was therefore dictatorial.

The elected members of the constituent assembly put together a new constitution, and a referendum on the issue of whether to adopt it was held in December 1999; the referendum saw an abstention vote of over 50%, although amongst those voting, 72% approved the new constitution's adoption. The new constitution included increased protections for indigenous peoples and women, and established the rights of the public to education, housing, healthcare and food. It added new environmental protections, and increased requirements for government transparency. It increased the presidential term from five to six years, allowed people to recall presidents by referendum, and added a new presidential two-term limit. It converted the bicameral legislature, a Congress with both a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies, into a unicameral one comprising only a National Assembly.^{[155][156][157][158]} The constitution gave greater powers to the president, not only by extending their term but also by giving them the power to legislate on citizen rights as well as the economic and financial matters that they were formerly unable to do. It also gave the military a role in the government by providing it with the mandated role of ensuring public order and aiding national development, something it had been expressely forbidden from doing under the former constitution. As a part of the new constitution, the country, which was then officially known as the Republic of Venezuela, was renamed the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela) at Chávez's request, thereby reflecting the government's ideology of Bolivarianism and the influence of Simón Bolívar on the nation as a whole.

Second Presidential Term: 10 January 2001 – 10 January 2007

This section requires expansion with: Information on the land reform program and workers' councils. (March 2011)

Under the new constitution, it was legally required that new elections be held in order to relegimatize the government and president. This presidential election in July 2000 would be a part of a greater "megaelection", the first time in the country's history that the president, governors, national and regional congressmen, mayors and councilmen would be voted for on the same day. For the position of president, Chávez's closest challenger proved to be his former friend and co-conspirator in the 1992 coup, Francisco Arias Cárdenas, who since becoming governor of Zulia state had turned towards the political centre and begun to denounce Chávez as autocratic.Although some of his supporters feared that he had alienated those in the middle class and the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy who had formerly supported him, Chávez was re-elected with 59.76% of the vote (the equivalent of 3,757,000 people), a larger majority than his 1998 electoral victory, again primarily receiving his support from the poorer sectors of Venezuelan society.



That year, Chávez helped to further cement his geopolitical and ideological ties with the Cuban government of Fidel Castro by signing an agreement under which Venezuela would supply Cuba with 53,000 barrels of oil per day at preferential rates, in return receiving 20,000 trained Cuban medics and educators. In the ensuing decade, this would be increased to 90,000 barrels a day (in exchange for 40,000 Cuban medics and teachers), dramatically aiding the Caribbean island's economy and standard of living after its "Special Period" of the 1990s. However, Venezuela's growing alliance with Cuba came at the same time as a deteriorating relationship with the United States: in late 2001, just after the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in retaliation for the 11 September attacks against the U.S. by Islamist militants, Chávez showed pictures of Afghan children killed in a bomb attack on his television show. He commented that "They are not to blame for the terrorism of Osama Bin Laden or anyone else", and called on the American government to end "the massacre of the innocents. Terrorism cannot be fought with terrorism." The U.S. government responded negatively to the comments, which were picked up by the media worldwide

Chávez's second term in office saw the implementation of social missions, such as this one to eliminate illiteracy in Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the 2000 elections had led to Chávez's supporters gaining 101 out of 165 seats in the Venezuelan National Assembly, and so in November 2001 they voted to allow him to pass 49 social and economic decrees. This move antagonized the opposition movement particularly strongly.
At the start of the 21st century, Venezuela was the world's fifth largest exporter of crude oil, with oil accounting for 85.3% of the country's exports, therefore dominating the country's economy.Previous administrations had sought to privatise this industry, with U.S. corporations having a significant level of control, but the Chávez administration wished to curb this foreign control over the country's natural resources by nationalising much of it under the state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PdVSA). In 2001, the government introduced a new Hydrocarbons Law through which they sought to gain greater state control over the oil industry: they did this by raising royalty taxes on the oil companies and also by introducing the formation of "mixed companies", whereby the PdVSA could have joint control with private companies over industry. By 2006, all of the 32 operating agreements signed with private corporations during the 1990s had been converted from being primarily or solely corporate-run to being at least 51% controlled by PdVSA.

Growing opposition and the CD

During Chávez's first term in office, the opposition movement had been "strong but reasonably contained, [with] complaints centring mainly on procedural aspects of the implementation of the constitution" However, the first organized protest against the Bolivarian government occurred in January 2001, when the Chávez administration tried to implement educational reforms through the proposed Resolution 259 and Decree 1.011, which would have seen the publication of textbooks with a heavy Bolivarian bias. The protest movement, which was primarily by middle class parents whose children went to privately run schools, marched to central Caracas shouting out the slogan "Don't mess with my children." Although the protesters were denounced by Chávez, who called them "selfish and individualistic," the protest was successful enough for the government to retract the proposed education reforms and instead enter into a consensus-based educational program with the opposition. That year, an organization known as the Coordinadora Democrática de Acción Cívica (CD) was founded, under which the Venezuelan opposition political parties, corporate powers, most of the country's media, the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the Frente Institucional Militar and the Central Workers Union all united to oppose Chávez's regime.The prominent businessman Pedro Carmona (1941–) was chosen as the CD's leader. They received support from various foreign sources.

Chávez visiting the USS Yorktown, a US Navy ship docked at Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles, in 2002.

The CD and other opponents of Chávez's Bolivarian government accused it of trying to turn Venezuela from a democracy into a dictatorship by centralising power amongst its supporters in the Constituent Assembly and granting Chávez increasingly autocratic powers. Many of them pointed to Chávez's personal friendship with Cuba's Fidel Castro and the one-party socialist government in Cuba as a sign of where the Bolivarian government was taking Venezuela. Others did not hold such a strong view, but still argued that Chávez was a "free-spending, authoritarian populist" whose policies were detrimental to the country For instance, Venezuelan lawyer and academic Allan R. Brewer-Carías, a prominent and vocal opponent of Chávez, made the claim that under his regime the country had "suffered a tragic setback regarding democratic standards, suffering a continuous, persistent and deliberate process of demolishing institutions and destroying democracy, which has never before been experienced in the constitutional history of the country." Other academics have argued that the opposite was true, and that "the Chávez government is in fact more democratic than previous ones" because of the increased checks and balances introduced by the 1999 constitution and the introduction of workers' councils
The pro-Chávez political analyst Gregory Wilpert argued, in his study of the Bolivarian administration, that the opposition movement was dominated primarily by members of the middle and upper classes. He further argued that this wealthy elite was particularly furious at the Bolivarian government because they themselves had lost much of their dominance over Venezuelan politics with the introduction of the 1999 constitution and the relegitimization of all areas of government that it required He went on to argue that this wealthy elite subsequently used its control of the country's mass media to create an anti-Chávez campaign aimed primarily at the middle classes, stirring up the latent racism and classism that existed in Venezuelan culture.One of the most prominent examples of this was through the popularization of the racist term ese mono ("that monkey") which began to be applied to Chávez by his opponents who would also often accuse him of being "vulgar and common". Both Venezuelan and Western opposition media also characterized Chávez's supporters, who were known as the Chávistas, as being "young, poor, politically unsophisticated, antidemocratic masses" who were controlled, funded and armed by the state, and they were regularly referred to as "hordes" in opposition media discourse, which also commonly referred to the Bolivarian Circles as "terror circles". Such descriptions have been refuted by certain academics, such as Cristóbal Valencia Ramírez, who, after studying Chavista groups, have argued that they consist of people from many classes of society, and are educated and largely non-violentChavista-run organizations have since claimed to have been the target of violent attacks from opposition groups: for instance, the Ezequiel Zamora National Farmers' Coordinator estimated that 50 Chavista leaders involved in the land-reform program had been assassinated during 2002 and 2003

Coup, strikes and the recall referendum

This section requires expansion with: greater detail on the various events described, using a wider range of academic sources.. (July 2011)

Main articles: 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, Venezuelan general strike of 2002–2003, and Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004

The 11 April 2002 rally in Caracas

On 11 April 2002, mass protests took place in Caracas against the Bolivarian government, during which guns were fired, and violence ensued involving both pro- and anti-Chávez supporters, the police and the army. Twenty people were killed and over 110 were wounded. A group of high-ranking anti-Chávez military officers, likely supported by figures in the business community, media and certain political parties^[which?], had been planning to launch a coup against Chávez and used the civil unrest as an opportunity. After the plotters gained significant power, Chávez agreed to step down, and was transferred by army escort to La Orchila, and although he requested to be allowed to leave the country, he refused to officially resign from the presidency at the time. Nonetheless, the wealthy business-leader Pedro Carmona declared himself president of an interim government. Carmona abolished the 1999 constitution and appointed a small governing committee to run the country. Protests in support of Chávez along with insufficient support for Carmona's regime, which many felt was implementing totalitarian measures, led to Carmona's resignation and Chávez was returned to power on 14 April.
Chávez's reaction to the coup attempt was to moderate his approach, implementing a new economic team that appeared to be more centrist and reinstated the old board of directors and managers of the state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), whose replacement had been one of the reasons for the coup. At the same time, the Bolivarian government began preparing for potential future uprisings or even a US invasion by increasing the country's military capacity, purchasing 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles and several helicopters from Russia, as well as a number of Super Tucano light attack planes from Brazil. Troop numbers were also increased, with Chávez announcing in 2005 the government's intention to increase the number of military reserves from 50,000 to 2,000,000.
In December 2002, the Chávez presidency faced a two-month management strike at the PdVSA when he initiated management changes. As Wilpert noted, "While the opposition labelled this action a 'general strike', it was actually a combination of management lockout, administrative and professional employee strike, and general sabotage of the oil industry. The Chávez government's response was to fire about 19,000 striking employees for illegally abandoning their posts, and then employing retired workers, foreign contractors and the military to do their jobs instead. This move further damaged the strength of Chávez's opposition by removing the many managers in the oil industry who had been supportive of their cause to overthrow Chávez.
Following the failure of these two attempts to remove Chávez from power, the opposition finally resorted to legal means in order to try to do so. The 1999 constitution had introduced the concept of a recall referendum into Venezuelan politics, and so the opposition called for such a referendum to take place. A 2004 referendum to recall Chávez was defeated. 70% of the eligible Venezuelan population turned out to vote, with 59% of voters deciding to keep the president in power. Unlike his original 1998 election victory, this time Chávez's electoral support came almost entirely from the poorer working classes rather than the middle classes, who "had practically abandoned Chávez" after he "had consistently moved towards the left in those five and a half years". Meanwhile, some figures in the opposition movement began calling for the United States military to intervene and invade the country in order to topple Chávez.

"Socialism of the 21st century"

This section requires expansion with: further information on Chávez's adoption of socialism and the policies implemented in 2005 and 2006.. (July 2011)

[Bolivarian] socialism would be 'based in solidarity, in fraternity, in love, in justice, in liberty, and in equality' and would mean the 'transformation of the economic model, increasing cooperativism, collective property, the submission of private property to the social interest and to the general interest', created 'from the popular bases, with the participation of the communities'. This socialism was not a dogma, however, but 'must be constructed every day'.

Barry Cannon, Irish political analyst (2009)

The various attempts at overthrowing the Bolivarian government from power had only served to further radicalize Chávez. In January 2005, he began openly proclaiming the ideology of "Socialism of the 21st Century", something that was distinct from his earlier forms of Bolivarianism, which had been social democratic in nature, merging elements of capitalism and socialism. He used this new term to contrast the democratic socialism which he wanted to promote in Latin America from the Marxist-Leninist socialism that had been spread by socialist states like the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China during the 20th century, arguing that the latter had not been truly democratic, suffering from a lack of participatory democracy and an excessively authoritarian governmental structure.
In May 2006, Chávez visited Europe in a private capacity, where he announced plans to supply cheap Venezuelan oil to poor working class communities in the continent. The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone welcomed him, describing him as "the best news out of Latin America in many years".

Third Presidential Term: 10 January 2007 – 10 January 2013

In the presidential election of December 2006, which saw a 74% voter turnout, Chávez was once more elected, this time with 63% of the vote, beating his closest challenger Manuel Rosales, who conceded his loss.The election was certified as being free and legitimate by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center.^{[199][200][201]} After this victory, Chávez promised an "expansion of the revolution."

^{Source of Chavez history: wikipedia}