Courtesy of: AFP
The CNE’s attack on opposition candidate Henrique Capriles’ use of a hat with the Venezuelan reveals just how far Hugo Chávez is willing to go to tilt the electoral playing field in his favor. More controversy was also stirred up when Chávez accused Capriles, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, of having ties to Nazi groups, then doubled down on the attack again this weekend. Chávez’s economic policies have disillusioned many of his former supporters, as they have caused food shortages and raised the prices of fruits and vegetables. On the campaign trail, Capriles promises to encourage production to solve these problems. Meanwhile, analysts say that any new government will be faced with the serious task of reforming Venezuela’s bloated and ineffective oil industry — if such reform does not occur, Venezuela will face serious economic consequences.
A Feather in Capriles’s Cap, International Herald Tribune
Venezuela’s campaign for the presidential contest of Oct. 7 descended into farce last week when election officials chastised the opposition for abusing campaign rules.
Venezuela candidate slams Chavez’s Nazi accusations, AFP
Venezuela’s leading opposition candidate — whose grandmother is a Holocaust survivor — on Tuesday slammed President Hugo Chavez’s accusations that he is tied to Nazi groups.
Chavez Reiterates Claim Capriles Was a Member of a Fascist Group, Bloomberg
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reiterated his claim that rival Henrique Capriles Radonski is a fascist who belonged to a neo-Nazi group in his youth, days after Capriles asked him to respect his Jewish background.
Venezuelan food shortages bode ill for Chavez’s re-election, USA Today
A year ago, Romero’s fields overlooking the Tacarigua Valley were neatly lined with green onions, peppers and tomatoes. Today, they are knotted with weeds.
Capriles: “Oil is the only income source we rely on”, El Universal
Addressing local residents during a rally in the state of Mérida, west Venezuela, opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski spoke about the Venezuelan economic situation, and stressed that “oil is the only revenue source we rely on.”
The Venezuelan Elections: How Can PDVSA Recover?, Journal of Energy Security
The Venezuelan oil industry can be pictured as a toothless tiger resting on its haunches before a huge slice of raw meat.
