Chavez: Unity Ballot of Venezuelan Opposition a Fraud

Caracas, Aug 1. – President Hugo Chavez said Monday that a so-called unity ballot promoted by opposition political parties comprising the Democratic Unity Council (MUD) was a fraud.

Referring to the announcement of a unified slate of opposition candidates after the bloc selects its presidential candidate, Chavez said in an interview with the Venezolana de Television network, that opposition groups would not maintain the achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution.

"What unity? Unity is what we have, even with our differences. It is evident that (the opposition) is divided," and the unity ballot is a cover-up for their lack of unity, Chavez said.

The opposition is attempting to discredit the National Electoral Council and undermine the authority of the military high command as strategies to claim fraud and provoke violence in the face of a Bolivarian victory in the 2012 elections, he said.

Venezuela is not alone in the world, and has the support of many allies, such as Russia and China, and belongs to groups such as the Union of South American Nations and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, he said.

In that sense, he referred to criticism about Venezuela's relations with Cuba, noting the help offered in various areas by the Cuban government under diverse cooperation agreements.(Prensa Latina)