5:30 P.M. (Eastern Time U.S.): The revolution will be liveblogged, albeit half-assedly from this end.
Anyway, polls closed half an hour ago, and Reuters is quoting two government sources saying exit polls have the Yes vote is up “by between six and eight percentage points.” Stay tuned.
6:15 P.M. Update: Radio Venezuela En Vivo is reporting that opposition student movements are already handing out blue T-shirts reading "Fraude!" around the country. The Marigold Revolution begins.
6:30 P.M. Update: Radio Venezulea in Vivo reports that the “student movements” are preparing to protest, paint their hands black and to tear apart red t-shirts on T.V. If you’ve seen it in the Ukraine and Belarus, you know what to expect. Remember, they didn’t even bother changing their stupid fisty logo when they moved their movement to Venezuela.
6:35 P.M. Update: Gothamist is reporting that in New York City Venezuelans and their supporters rallied around the Venezuelan Consulate today in support of the reforma.
6:58 P.M. Update: In probably the surest sign yet that the “Si” side is ahead, Simon Romero has filed his preliminary story for tomorrow’s New York Times explaining that that poor people there are ignorant and probably never understood what this vote was about anyway, and that people weren’t really voting much.
7:40 P.M. Update: We're still a couple hours away from official results, it looks like. Meantime here's some video from Friday's demonstration outside the Houston Chronicle offices protesting their crappy Venezuela coverage in the leadup to all this.
8:30 P.M. Update: But wait OMG an opposition blogger is saying that they won probably! And it must be true since his mom called and she was overseeing the voting table in her upmarket neighborhood where the “Si” vote only received 8.9% in a part of town where Chavez usually receives ten percent! Abort! Abort!
9:40 P.M.: Hey wait I’ve got “sources” too! And they say we’re looking at maybe a seven point spread with the Si vote winning. A few Caracas barrios are still open because the law says they can’t close until everyone who was in line at closing time must vote. These are Chavez strongholds, so it may spread the margin a bit but it means that official results may come in late. Yawn. No link.
10:01 P.M. : The New York Times stirs the shit up and updates its report!! “The streets here were unusually free of traffic on Sunday evening, adding to the tension.” Drama! They’re also saying the “Si” vote is up by 4 percent
10:20 P.M. No new info here. You? Sorry. But did you see Angelo Rivero Santos’ opinion piece in the L.A. Times on Friday? Great, sane background on this whole mess.
11: 25 P.M. Ok just so you know, this isn’t one of those “responsible” blogs in the sense that it that stays up all night to give you round the clock info. Instead it’s one of those “responsible” blogs that gets up in the morning to go to work. Check out round-the-clockness from Radio Venezuela En Vivo (in English, French and sometimes Portuguese). Although they sound sort of tired too.
12:45 A.M.: Or not. It looks like "No" won in a squeaker: 50.7 to 49.29 percent.
2:00 A.M.: The Washington Post writes: "Chávez immediately went on national television and conceded before a roomful of government allies and other supporters. 'I thank you and I congratulate you,'" and dictatorship is redefined forever and ever. The end.
