Vargas Llosa: "What do we want: another Chavez or getting rid of Chavez?"

Merco Press Agency: President Hugo Chavez defeat in the recent legislative elections is "more significant than what numbers indicate," but the Venezuelan opposition must not hail victory or feel satisfied with such an excellent result, according to Mario Vargas Llosa.

The legislative election results in the last Sunday of September show the increasing unpopularity of Chavez and his regime and expose "the grotesque manipulation of the popular vote," writes the renowned Peruvian author in a Sunday column of Spain's main daily, El Pais.

Vargas Llosa points out that with the 65 seats obtained in the national Assembly, having won 52% of the vote, the opposition will have the necessary strength to stop the constitutional reforms that President Chavez is drafting. "The advance of the regime towards a Cuban model, of an integral Marxist-Leninist dictatorship will have many more obstacles to face before it materialize," says Vargas Llosa who nevertheless calls on the opposition not to "hail victory," nor again commit the mistakes of 2005. "By abstaining from an electoral process they delivered to Chavez parcel in hand the gift of an automatic rubber stamp National Assembly which during all these years has been a docile servant of the constitutional excesses of the Comandante."

Therefore, "it is essential" that the unity of parties, movements and simple citizens from the opposition under the umbrella of a Democratic Union forum "remains and strengthens" to continue advancing and integrating Venezuelans "that overwhelmed or fearful of the regime reprisals, abstained from participating in the dispute."

"To many of these sceptical abstentionists the electoral victory or resistance must have shook them and shown that there are still reasons for hope" says Vargas Llosa who disagrees with those who criticize the opposition for allegedly "not having leaders."

The big question is: "what do we want: another Chavez or getting rid of Chavez?"

The Peruvian writer anticipates that the coming months and years "won't be easy" for Venezuela because "the regime has advanced too much in the construction of dictatorial structures" and it's not clear if Chavez is willing to step down if the ballot so indicates.

"The greatest danger is that following the peaceful beating he received, a challenging Chavez through ukases and repressive bullying can achieve what he was unable through the democratic ballot."

Nevertheless Vargas Llosa believes it won't be "that easy" since he has lost that condition of messianic leader which he enjoyed for so long and now not only him but also "the Venezuelan people know that he is fallible and vulnerable."

The Peruvian writer ends forecasting "tense periods ahead, in which, once again, as two centuries ago, the future of freedom will be decided for the whole of Latin America on Venezuelan soil."