Connie Mack Takes Aim at Hugo Chavez Before Venezuelan Elections

From his perch as the ranking Republican on the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, one of the leading critics of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez in Congress, weighed in on the elections that will be held in that South American nation on Sunday.

It is unfortunate that Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez continues to embrace dirty tactics in advance of this weekends elections, such as pushing through redistricting measures that heavily favor pro-Chavez candidates, intimidating the press, and working to discredit any figure that he feels could possibly oppose him, said Mack.

Despite Chavezs anti-democratic maneuvers, we must applaud the positive role the opposition has played in these important elections, added Mack. The opposition has provided a viable alternative platform to Chavezs socialist agenda, and they have focused on issues of immediate concern to Venezuelans, like improving security.

No matter the outcome of Sundays election, the manner in which opposition party leaders and civil society in Venezuela worked diligently to bring freedom, security and prosperity to their country has been an impressive step toward strengthening democracy in Venezuela, said Mack.