SODOM & GOMORRAH: Following Hugo Chavez’s unfruitful struggle against cancer, his appears to be the faction firmly in charge of Venezuela.
Elections were held. Elections are always held. After a “close vote”, Nicolas Maduro, a friend of the late Chavez, was declared the president. Violence erupted as protestors clashed with police. Before papers could even be filed, the pro-government court ruled out the possibility of a recount.
Violence has been fierce. Maduro has accused his rivals, including the main challenger, Henrique Capriles, of being fascists. Capriles and the opposition party continue to call for a recount of the close election.
61 were injured and eight were killed. Capriles, currently the governor of the Miranda state, has called for nights of cacerolazos. This tactic, which consists of banging pots and pans at night, was used against Chile’s Augusto Pinochet and several other Latin American leaders.
The socialist party still hold the reins of power in the country, and it’s unlikely this situation will change.