▁his ▁presiden cy ▁by ▁abol ishing ▁Venezuela ' s ▁old ▁punto f ij ismo ▁political ▁system ▁of ▁two - party ▁patron age , ▁and ▁opening ▁up ▁political ▁power ▁to ▁independent ▁and ▁third ▁parties . ▁Second , ▁Ch á vez ▁promised ▁to ▁end ▁cor ruption . ▁Third , ▁Ch á vez ▁promised ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁pover ty ▁in ▁Venezuela . ▁In ▁working ▁to ▁gain ▁the ▁trust ▁of ▁vot ers , ▁Ch á vez ▁draft ed ▁an ▁ag enda ▁that ▁drew ▁heavily ▁on ▁his ▁interpretation ▁of ▁Boliv arian ism . ▁Ch á vez ▁also ▁util ized ▁his ▁char is ma ▁and ▁fl am boy ant ▁public ▁speaking ▁style — not ed ▁for ▁its ▁abund ance ▁of ▁col lo qu ial isms ▁and ▁rib ald ▁manner — on ▁the ▁campaign ▁trail ▁to ▁help ▁win ▁the ▁trust ▁and ▁favor ▁of ▁a ▁primarily ▁poor ▁and ▁working ▁class ▁following . ▁On ▁one ▁occasion , ▁he ▁threatened ▁to ▁" f ry " ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁his ▁oppon ents . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁traditional ▁main ▁parties ▁hoped ▁that ▁ 8 ▁November ▁legisl ative ▁and ▁regional ▁elections ▁would ▁give ▁them ▁a ▁boost , ▁a ▁month ▁ahead ▁of ▁ 8 ▁December ▁president ial ▁elections , ▁but ▁the ▁poll ▁remained ▁a ▁two - hor se ▁race . ▁At ▁this ▁point ▁pol ls ▁generally ▁showed ▁Ch á vez ▁with ▁a ▁ 6 - 1 2 - point ▁lead ▁over ▁Sal as ▁Rö mer ' s ▁approximately ▁ 3 8 % ▁poll ▁numbers , ▁though ▁in ▁some ▁pol ls ▁he ▁exceed ed ▁that ▁margin .