Venezuelan Politics

Hugo Chavez's Successor, Nicolas Maduro, Narrowly Elected President

In Doral and Weston, South Florida's Venezuelans loudly celebrated Hugo Chávez's death last month. But it appears his revolution didn't die with him. Chávez's handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro, has won the keys to the presidency. With 99 percent of the ballots counted last night ... More >>

Hugo Chavez's Death Gets the Bizarre Taiwanese Animation Treatment

Taiwan's NMATV is known for bizarre CGI takes on current events, but its take on the death of Hugo Chávez is bonkers even by the network's standards. It involves the Venezuelan president in ghost form, a devil-horned George W. Bush, the former pope in a Hawaiian shirt, and, of course, Martians in m ... More >>

As Chavez's Condition Worsens, Government Asks Supporters to Be "On War Footing"

Venezuela's government inched closer last night to admitting what its opponents have been saying for months: Hugo Chávez is on death's door. A government spokesman announced that Chávez's condition has become "very delicate" after another round of strong chemotherapy.More worrying, Communications ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Is "Battling For His Life," Venezuelan VP Confirms

OK, so those rumors flying around Twitter that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has been brain dead since last weekend may not be true. But that doesn't mean Chavez is recovering well from his latest bout with cancer.Venezuela's vice president confirmed this morning that Chavez is in fact "battling ... More >>

Fake Hugo Chavez Photo Actually Shows Mexican Man With Gigantism

How badly do some people want Hugo Chávez to die?  Badly enough to splash a phony photo purportedly portraying the Venezuelan president's last moments on newspapers and websites around the world.The fake photo was quickly debunked. But who was the poor bastard whose intubation was met with gle ... More >>

Sorry Miami, That's Not Really Hugo Chavez On a Breathing Machine

The dramatic photo went viral last night, shared hundreds of times on Facebook and splashed across Latin American blogs. It showed Hugo Chavez in exactly the kind of dire condition so many of his opponents believed he was in since missing his inauguration earlier this month: Strapped into a breathin ... More >>

Hugo Chávez Has "Severe" Respiratory Infection, May Be on Respirator and Close to Death

Hugo Chávez is in "severe" condition with what Venezuelan officials say is a "respiratory deficiency" following months of cancer treatment.The statement has led some to predict that the leftist president is on life support and will pass away imminently. But here in Miami -- where el exilio has been ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Names Successor Before He Undergoes Fourth Cancer Surgery

When Hugo Chavez made his first mysterious trip to Cuba for cancer surgery last year, many predicted the Venezuelan president's health would give out before last October's elections. The dictator seemed to have made a surprising recovery and won reelection, but it seems his health problems are far f ... More >>

Fidel Castro Reportedly Made Public Appearance at Havana's Hotel National

Wow, what opportune timing.After weeks of the rumor mill churning out reports of Fidel Castro's ailing health, the retired Cuban dictator has reportedly made an appearance at Havana's famed National Hotel and talked to hotel workers for about half an hour.

Florida Man Would Like His Lock Of Simon Bolivar's Hair Back, Sues Venezuela

In Miami's federal courthouse downtown, thousands of lawsuits are filed every day over every conceivable kind of property: houses, boats, cars, drug money, jewelry, fine art. It's a fair bet, though, that a suit filed two weeks ago is a first: A demand that the Venezuelan government give a lock of S ... More >>

Miami Venezuelans Chartering Planes and Buses to Exercise Their Right to Vote Against Hugo Chavez

When Venezuela closed its consulate in Miami, it left the country's largest group of foreign-based voters without a convenient polling place. In order to vote in the upcoming October 7 election, those that live in Miami would have to travel to another consulate. Which isn't easy, considering the nea ... More >>

Budare Bistro: A Taste of Venezuela in the Shadows of Brickell

It's still unclear whether Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez closed his country's consulate in Miami or whether developer Tibor Hollo simply evicted Venezuelan diplomats from 1101 Brickell Ave. Either way, there's been an influx of Venezuelan restaurants to the Brickell area, and that's a good ... More >>

Obama Says Hugo Chavez Doesn't Present Serious National Security Concern; Rubio and Republicans Jump to Attack

América TeVe, the little Spanish-language, Hialeah Gardens-based scored a big interview with President Barack Obama, and it's causing a major controversy.Obama told reporter Oscar Haza that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has not posed a "serious national security impact" to America in the past fe ... More >>

Venezuelan Citizens in Miami Must Travel to New Orleans to Vote

It seems as if Hugo Chávez is going to be a vindictive, democracy-skewering bastard right down to the very end.South Florida may have the largest concentration of Venezuelan exiles in the entire world, but Chávez's government isn't going to make it easy for them to vote in the next Venezuelan ... More >>

Report: Hugo Chavez Near Death, Not Expected to Live More Than a Few Months

According to Dan Rather, of all reporters, a source close to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez says his cancer has reached its final stages and the dictator is not expected to live for more than a few more months. Reports of Chavez's failing health first emerged when he mysteriously flew to Havana in ... More >>

Hugo Chavez in "Good Physical Condition" After Second Surgery in Cuba

Did you expect anything but optimism as the official line from the Venezuelan government following President Hugo Chavez's second surgery in Cuba this week?Vice President Elias Jaua told the country's national chamber today that, "President Chavez is in good physical condition," even after reports s ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Will Die In "Less Than One Year" From Cancer, WikiLeaks Emails Say

​Yesterday, WikiLeaks dumped a trove of emails from a Texas-based intelligence firm called Stratfor that includes an insider talking about Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's cancer. If the firm's Venezuelan sources are any good, it's very bad news for the Bolivarian strongman.Citing a "well-connec ... More >>

Hugo Chavez's Daughter Poses With a Wad of American Cash

​Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez may think America is an evil imperialist empire, but his teenage daughter Rosines sure seems to love our dollar, dollar bill, y'all. The 14-year-old snapped a picture of herself posing behind a fan of United States currency and shared it on Instagram.

Hugo Chavez Says He's Closing Venezuela's Consulate in Miami

​Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says his country will close its consulate in Miami. The news comes after a Venezuelan diplomat headquartered in Miami was expelled by the state department earlier this week for her alleged role in a cyber-terrorism plot against the United States.

Sean Penn Gets Called "Communist Asshole" in Airport Fight with Former Co-Star Over Hugo Chavez

​There's a reason we don't see outspoken actor Sean Penn visiting Miami more often. Probably because the Hollywood star who keeps warm company with the likes of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro would be accosted every time he walks down the street. Kind of like he was by former co-star and Cuban-Ameri ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Hit With $1 Billion Lawsuit By Boca Raton Businessman Nelson Mezerhane

Chavez is now battling a $1 billion lawsuit in addition to cancer​Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had one crappy week.First, reports surfaced that he is, in fact, not cancer-free but rather has only a few months to live. Then the kidnapping of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos d ... More >>

Eligio Cedeño: A banker battles Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan Exiles Throw Arepa in Chavez's Eye with Spinning Simon Bolivar Statue in Doral

This Simon Bolivar statue in Caracas will soon have a rival in Doral​Venezuelan exiles announced today that they are installing a statue of their country's founding father, Simon Bolivar, in front of the Arepazo restaurant in Doral.The life-size, revolvable statue is intended as an arepa in the ey ... More >>

Cancer Stricken Hugo Chavez Intends to Run for Reelection in 2012

​News of Hugo Chavez's mysterious cancer diagnosis has Miami's el Exilio buzzing over the possibility that the Venezuelan president, and one of Fidel Castro's biggest allies, will not be in office for much longer. In an interview today with the BCC however, Chavez admitted that he may need fur ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Has Cancer

Hugo Chávez has cancer, he announced Thursday night.​Hugo Chávez has cancer.For nearly a month, rumors have been circling about the Venezuelan president's health. But his mysterious sojourn to Havana became a little less murky Thursday night when a noticeably thinner Chávez announced in a live ... More >>

Where In The World Is Hugo Chavez? Watching Porn Perhaps

​Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is still officially recovering from surgery. Although, we think his people would have come up with a better excuse than he needed to have an abscess removed from his pelvic region. Cuz that only makes us wonder where he's been dipping his stick if you catch our dr ... More >>

Where in the Hell is Hugo Chavez?

Help us find Hugo.​Where in the hell is Hugo Chavez?The normally voluble Venezuelan president has been missing for nearly a month. The official explanation is that he's recovering from surgery to remove a pelvic abscess in Cuba, but rumors abound.Is he pissing into the Mississippi to make it flood ... More >>

Lat Am Round-Up: Leaders Play Game of Libyan Hot Potato

Agência Brasil via Wikimedia CommonsHugo Chavez: democratically elected, but a supporter of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi​What do Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and Fidel Castro have in common? Berets, cigars, military fatigues, state-controlled economies... Errr... scratch that. This could take ... More >>

Hugo Chavez Emerges as Voice of Reason in Fight Over Carlos Andres Perez's Remains

Hugo Chavez: Voice of reason?​We have taken our fair share of shots at Hugo Chavez over the years. But in the tug-of-war over the remains of former Venezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez, Chavez has somehow come across as a veritable voice of reason.Yesterday Chavez pleaded for a quick resolutio ... More >>

Carlos Andres Perez, Ex-Venezuelan Prez, Has Burial Delayed While Wife and Mistress Argue Over the Gravesite (Update)

Perez led Venezuela until 1992, when Hugo Chavez ousted him. His mistress pledges his body won't return until Chavez is gone.​After a week of kind eulogies for Carlos Andres Perez -- including our own arguing the world would be a better place if he could have just held off the coup-crazy Hugo Chav ... More >>

Latin American Round-Up: Hugo Chávez Gets Decree Powers, Raúl Castro Gets Depressed

Cheer up buddy. I've got decree powers!​Hugo Chávez won't be making any Obama-like compromises in 2011. The Venezuelan National Assembly is expected to pass a ley habilitante today that would allow the bombastic president -- best known for his twitter histrionics -- to pass laws by decree for 12 ... More >>

Crying Hugo Chavez Exhumes 19th-Century Corpse to Prove Conspiracy Theory

​Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez seems to be acting absolutely insane. At least more than usual. He took to Twitter to let the world know he cried tears of joy after seeing the 180-year-old remains of South American hero Simón Bolívar. Chávez had the corpse exhumed with the hopes of ... More >>

Hugo Chávez Calls Twitter a Tool of Terrorism

Socialist crank Hugo Chávez doesn't much care for communication he can't control, so it was only a matter of time before he put the kibosh on Twitter in Venezuela.Last week, the tag #FreeVenezuela became a trending topic thanks to citizens protesting Chávez's crackdown on press freedom and ca ... More >>

Guilty Verdict in the "Suitcase Trial"

Jury In "The Suitcase Trial" Can't Reach A Verdict

Chavez Takes a Page from 1984

Chávez bid deflated, win for democracy?

Haven and Hell

As Chávez grabs more power, three Venezuelans who fled death threats find their struggles don't end with asylum.

King Juan Carlos and Chavez do Trance

Terrorists Weigh in on Supermodel Visit

War on Hugo Chávez

An outlaw and former spook takes on the Venezuelan dictator

Chavéz Chat Fest

"Star Witness" in Poleo Case in Jail Again

Castro Who?

The Fugitive

Patricia Poleo, a Venezuelan journalist and political activist, is accused of murder. She's in exile in Miami.

Concierto Aniversario

BEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE RADIO PERSONALITY

Enrique Santos and Joe Ferrero

How to Organize a Peace Protest in Little Havana

First, get unified; next, give out food

Miami in the Meantime

With the future of their country in flux, Venezuelans are setting up shop, and opposing camps, in Florida

Have Cars, Will Travel

Why are all those South American cop cars parked off Le Jeune Road? Ask salesman Ricardo Callado.