Jimmy Carter Praises Recall Procedure in Venezuela

This weekend, Venezuelans have had an opportunity to verify (or un-verify) their signatures on petitions calling for a recall elections for President Hugo Chavez. Former President and Nobel Prize Winner Jimmy Carter has been observing the process:

Carter said he had "found everything to be in order." He noted isolated incidents of intimidation and technical problems but said they were "relatively minor and have not disturbed the overall process."

Kudos to AP for presenting a report much more even-handed in its treatment of Chavez (at least in this article) than the typical tripe coming from the Washington Post.

From what I've read and heard, it seems likely that Chavez will face a recall vote, but will survive it easily. The Constitution requires that there must be more votes to recall him than he received when he was elected in 2000, meaning a substantial majority. It is very unlikely that the opposition can muster those kinds of numbers.