The second phase of a presidential election audit in Venezuela begins on Monday. Losing opposition leader Henrique Capriles has boycotted the process, saying it does not go far enough. Meanwhile, even supporters of Nicolas Maduro are impatient for the new president to tackle the country’s problems ranging from power outages to inflation. Rather than celebrating [...]
Nicolas Maduro to be Sworn in as Venezuela President
April 19, 2013 | Posted by
Nicolas Maduro will be sworn in as Venezuela’s president at a ceremony to be attended by several Latin American leaders, after a decision to widen an electronic audit of the vote took some of the heat out of a dispute over his election. Maduro, a former bus driver-turned-foreign minister who was the late Hugo Chavez’s [...]
Capriles Demands Recount After Losing to Maduro in Venezuela Vote
April 15, 2013 | Posted by
Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro squeaked out a narrow victory at the polls this weekend, but opposition leader Henrique Capriles refuses to accept the result, demanding a recount in the closely watched election. Since Hugo Chavez’s death last month, Maduro, his confidant and hand-picked successor, had a handy lead in polls. So it came as a [...]
Fidel Castro Gets Emotional Listening to Song About Chavez
April 12, 2013 | Posted by
The former Cuban leader Fidel Castro was shown on state television visibly moved as he listened to a song in memory of his close ally, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Meeting students and teachers for the opening of a school, Castro said “The Return of a Friend” was a “pretty” song. The TV report [...]
Hugo Chavez’s Legacy Still Bears Influence on Venezuela’s Voters
April 12, 2013 | Posted by
Venezuela’s presidential contenders have held huge rallies as their campaigns draw to a close ahead of Sunday’s election. For the first time in 14 years he is absent, but Hugo Chavez’s name is on everyone’s lips. The late leader’s choice to succeed him, acting President Nicolas Maduro, says he is the sole guarantor of the [...]
Chavez as Cult Figure Shaping Venezuela Polls
April 9, 2013 | Posted by
Venezuela’s murder rate, economy and land rights are among the major issues for voters in Sunday’s presidential election. But the poll is being influenced by memories of the late former President Hugo Chavez, who is becoming a cult figure in the country. Critics say the government, including administration candidate Nicolas Maduro, is shamelessly exploiting Chavez’s [...]
Venezuela to Investigate Possible Poisoning of Hugo Chavez
March 14, 2013 | Posted by
Venezuela will investigate whether or not late President Hugo Chavez was poisoned, according to acting President Nicolas Maduro. Chavez died while battling an undisclosed cancer in his pelvic region. Speaking on a regional TV network, Telesur, Maduro said that he believes Chavez was poisoned, echoing similar statements he made earlier this month accusing the United [...]
U.S. Expels 2 Venezuelan Diplomats in ‘Reciprocal Action’
March 11, 2013 | Posted by
In what has been deemed a retaliatory action, the U.S. State Department announced the expulsion of two Venezuelan diplomats, one week after Venezuela expelled a pair of U.S. Embassy officials from the country. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland announced that Orlando Jose Montanez Olivares and Victor Camacaro Mata were both declared persona non grata, and [...]
New President Nicolas Maduro Begins Solidifying Power in Venezuela
March 11, 2013 | Posted by
As newly installed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro tries to find the right tone to show the Venezuelan people that he is ready and able to continue the policies and grandness of the late President Hugo Chavez, observers say his best strategy is to concentrate on wooing the military to solidify his power and the poor [...]
Jesse Jackson Eulogizes Chavez, Praises Service to The Poor
March 9, 2013 | Posted by
When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was laid to rest yesterday in Caracas, ironically it was American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson who eulogized the controversial leader whose dislike of the U.S. sometimes seemed obsessive. “Hugo fed the hungry,” Jackson said. “He lifted the poor. He raised their hopes. He helped them realize their dreams. And, [...]
