Venezuela

Post-Chavez Venezuela Grows More, Not Less, Polarized

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:46:00 +0000

Under the rule of its late president, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela became a nation sharply divided between those who supported his self-styled socialist revolution and those who opposed it.

But after a disputed presidential election in which Chavez's deputy was ruled the winner by a razor-thin margin, the country appears more polarized than ever.

Since Sunday's results, there have already been protests, eight deaths and angry cl

U.S. Calls On Venezuela 'To Respect ... Free Speech' Of Its Citizens

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:02:00 +0000

The United States called on the Venezuelan government to be transparent in its effort to "audit the ballots" of the presidential election held this weekend.

If you missed it, the news that Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor Nicolás Maduro had won by a razor-thin margin unleashed protests in the streets of Caracas.

The New York Times<

Venezuela: Recount Likely After Chavez Heir's Close Win

Mark Memmott — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:25:00 +0000
A surprisingly small victory margin for Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor in Sunday's special presidential election looks likely to be followed by a recount in Venezuela.
Chavez, Venezuela's fiery, controversial and charismatic leader, died on March 5.
NPR's Juan Forero tells our Newscast Desk that Nicolas Maduro, who had b

Even In Death, Chavez Dominates Venezuelan Election

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 09:33:00 +0000
In Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro — the president of a powerful government — should be at center stage. But as he runs in Sunday's snap presidential elections, it's his larger-than-life predecessor who is getting much of the attention.
The death of Hugo Chavez, who taunted the U.S. and empowered the poor, is triggering the special vote.

Venezuela's Telenovelas

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:49:00 +0000
Transcript
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Hugo Chavez, the late president of Venezuela, had a touch for the dramatic. He appeared on television all the time. It turns out, he also admired dramatic acting. In the 1990s, when he was in prison for an attempted coup, he never missed an episode of his favorite TV drama.
Once he gained power, a deeper drama developed. Venezuela was a huge exporter of Latin-American multi-episode dramas called telenovelas, until President Chavez's government changed that.