Chávez Wins New Term in Venezuela

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19867445
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/world/americas/venezuela-presidential-election.html?pagewanted=1&ref=world&_r=0
On October 7, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, was re-elected to serve a six-year term, as he has already served thirteen years in office. He defeated his opponent, Henrique Capriles Radonski, after the counting of ninety percent of the votes left him with fifty-four percent, and Capriles with a shockingly close forty-five. This was a narrower win than in his previous victories, and it appears that the opposition is gaining more momentum, as about eighty percent of the population participated in this vote, a much greater number than in decades. I believe that it is possible that Chávez, with his great deal of power, may have potentially fixed the votes so that he would inevitably win the election. The struggling economy and poor infrastructure throughout Venezuela show the ineffectiveness of Chávez's rule, and I think that this has helped Capriles build followers and convince people that opposing Chávez is necessary. I do not think that Chávez is an efficient ruler, as he has done next to nothing for the economy and seizes nearly all of the power for himself, nearly ruling Venezuela as an absolute dictator. Similarly, Hitler in Germany gave himself absolute power after being elected, so much so that it was impossible for others to oppose him successfully, and he became a dictator. Will the outcome of the recent presidential election weaken or strengthen the morale of the opposition? Was the result of the election accurate or was Chávez unwilling to relinquish his throne?