Venezuela's Chavez Seeks to Centralize Power; Some Critics Claim He Intends to Install a Cuban-Style Dictatorship

Summary

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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Strengthened by his victory in a recall referendum, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez set his sights Tuesday on centralizing power, including exerting control over the courts, local police and the nation's broadcast stations.

The leftist government is "going to deepen the social and democratic revolution in Venezuela," vowed Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, the right-hand man to Chavez, who is praised by supporters for giving the poor majority better services and a voice in politics.

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Venezuela's Chavez Seeks to Centralize Power; Some Critics Claim He Intends to Install a Cuban-Style Dictatorship

The opposition was in a shambles after 58 percent of voters in Sunday's referendum rejected a measure to end Ch...

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