Venezuela: ‘Hangouts’ for the Election’s Final Stretch · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

This post is part of our special coverage Venezuela Elections 2012.
Blogger and journalist Luis Carlos Díaz [es] organizes conversations and debates over the Presidential elections that will take place at the end of this week. Throughout different episodes that will go on until Sunday, October 7, there will be a space to discuss the campaigns, evaluate government management, risks and opportunities; and review what people think days before the most contested elections in the last 14 years.
Each broadcast showcases detailed analysis of various episodes of the Venezuelan political life during Hugo Chavez's terms. During the first TwitCam [es], Luis Carlos covered the communication and polling strategies that were used before this election and that have shaped today's discourse.
Starting September 29, the discussions take place via Google Hangout and are published daily on YouTube. On that day's video, the blogger and communications expert Naky Soto [es] was a guest and participated in the conversation opening the debate over the priorities that the candidates have had and should have.
That same day they compared the candidates’ numbers and highlighted some of the changes that have taken place in the different campaigns:
Nos acostumbramos a un estilo de Chávez […] Tenemos como mínimo 12 años con una sobreexposición mediática [… que] se vuelve un mecanismo regular de comunicación de un presidente con su pueblo. […Por otro lado, el candidato opositor,] Capriles trabaja más sobre el espacio de lo operativo que sobre lo comunicacional.
We got used to Chavez's style […] We have had at least 12 years of media over-exposure […which] becomes a mechanism to regulate the communication of a President with his people. […on the other hand, the opposition candidate] Capriles works more with actions than communication.
In this Hangout, they also discussed the prices of subsidized gas [es] in Venezuela and the risks of violence during election weekend (taking into account the acts of violence that took place during the “Unity March” lead by Presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski in Barinas, which was widely commented on Twitter).
On the following meetings, the focus was closing campaign events [es] and citizen movements in Caracas; and also, they continued talking about the polarization elements in the electoral promotion efforts.
They also reminded the participants to send their complaints regarding the rules of campaign promotion to the Twitter account @Ustedabuso [es] (“You abused”).
Every Hangout is available on Luis Carlos Díaz's YouTube channel [es]. There you'll find the recordings for each day with detailed and varied analysis. These conversations will continue to take place every week day at 8.30pm (-4:30GMT) until Election Day.
This post is part of our special coverage Venezuela Elections 2012.