Voters Approve Chavez’s Reforms

Voting in a nationwide referendum, Venezuelans overwhelmingly endorsed the centerpiece of President Hugo Chavez’s agenda for a “social revolution”--his proposal for a new constitution. With 80% of the votes counted, 88% cast ballots in favor of forming an assembly to rewrite the constitution, and 82% approved the terms Chavez has laid out for electing the assembly’s members, the National Electoral Council said. Chavez’s opponents fear he will use a new constitution to install an authoritarian regime, but the president contends the change is needed to overhaul a corrupt political system.