Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2007
Contact: Megan Morrissey, Venezuela Information Office, 202-347-8081 x602
New Poll Shows Reforms Set to Pass in National Referendum:
Venezuela Information Office Calls for More Balanced Reporting
New public opinion data from the respected Venezuelan polling firm Consultores 30.11 suggests that constitutional reforms will pass in a national referendum this Sunday, December 2nd. Consultores 30.11 found that, among registered voters who are certain that they will vote, 60% will vote 'yes' to the reforms, while 40% will vote 'no.' Taking into consideration undecided voters, the survey predicts that the reforms will pass by between 8 and 12 percentage points.
Germán Campos, Director of Research and Public Opinion for Consultores 30.11, said "though the press says that there has not been sufficient discussion of the reforms, the data shows that in society there has been a profound public debate regarding the significance of the coming constitutional reform."
Testament to the high level of debate in Venezuela, the vast majority of respondents said they had a high level of knowledge of the reforms. The poll also sought to gauge the overall attitude of the electorate toward the administration of President Chavez, as well as the direction of the country, and socialism.
Olivia Goumbri, Executive Director of the Venezuela Information Office, said that the December 2nd referendum is "the result of months of national dialogue and debate in Venezuela and of what may be one of the most democratic processes in the world." News reports ahead of the referendum, she added, have too often distorted the issues and lacked balance.
The Consultores 30.11 poll is based on 1,600 random interviews conducted according to proportional distribution methods in 16 states across Venezuela between November 21st and 27th. It was paid for by a private company in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela. Consultores 30.11 accurately predicted the result of the 2006 presidential elections in Venezuela, when 63% of voters supported President Chavez.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF POLL FINDINGS
Most Have a Positive Perception of the Country
Among those surveyed, 57.7% of respondents felt positively about the current state of the country. The word most frequently chosen to describe citizen attitudes was "hopeful" (22%). The second most-used positive word is "happy" (15.5%), followed by "optimistic" (13.8%). On the other hand, 40.5% of respondents held a negative view of the current state of the country. Words most frequently chosen by those with a negative view were "unsatisfied" (19.6%), angry (9.6%), and frustrated (7.5%).
More Favor Socialism, Self-Identified Moderates Increase
Of those polled, 40% said that they either "agreed" or "totally agreed" with building socialism. 35% either "disagreed" or "totally disagreed" (down from 39% in 2006). About half (49.8%) gave a positive rating to the Chavez administration. Compared to last year, 5.6% less disapproved of the Chavez administration, while a growing percentage was neutral. Overall, less respondents this year identified themselves as either "pro-Chavez" or "anti-Chavez." The data shows that more people identified themselves as moderate or not belonging to any particular category, for a total of 38.8%, up from 27% in 2006.
Overwhelming Majority are Informed About Constitutional Reforms
Among all registered voters in Venezuela, 56.4% stated they were "well" or "very well" informed about the reforms. In contrast, 32.2% felt they were "badly" or "extremely badly" informed. Among those who said they definitely planned to vote in the national referendum, 62% identified themselves as "well" or "very well" informed. Moreover, 79% of those who plan to vote said they had high or medium knowledge of the reforms. On the other hand, only 21% said they had little to no knowledge of the reforms.
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NOTE: The Venezuela Information Office is dedicated to informing the American
public about contemporary Venezuela, and receives its funding from the
government of Venezuela. More information is available from the FARA office
of the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
Venezuela Information Office
2000 P Street NW, Suite 240,
Washington, DC 20036
tel: (202) 347-8081
fax: (202) 223-8029
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