I love it: Chávez and his brand of "21st Century Socialism" -- a mix of populism, intervention and anti-U.S. rhetoric -- being challenged.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's hammerlock on state and municipal governments will likely loosen for the first time in years, as voters in several key states appear poised to reject pro-Chávez candidates in statewide elections Sunday.

The president has [threatened] to cut off funding -- or send in tanks -- to states where Chávez opponents are elected.

Governors and mayors loyal to Mr. Chávez are expected to remain the majority, and several seats hotly challenged by the opposition could go either way. But the outcome is almost sure to highlight a growing opposition -- as well as divisions in Mr. Chávez' own party, posing an increasingly tricky political outlook for the president.

Just four years ago, Mr. Chávez won all but two of the nation's 24 governorships, riding a wave of support for his brand of "21st Century Socialism" -- a mix of populism, economic intervention and anti-U.S. rhetoric.

Key to the outcome are several tight races in the densely populated, prosperous states that set the nation's political tone. Underscoring the stakes, Mr. Chávez has brought criminal charges against some opposition candidates.

Mr. Chávez came to power in a 1998 election promising to lift the poor by distributing the nation's vast oil wealth in a more equitable manner. The stipends, free meals, and improved access to basic health care have built up a deep reservoir of support among the nation's majority poor.