34. After Venezuela’s Election, Chavistas and the Opposition Ready for Long Fight

http://world.time.com/2013/04/19/after-venezuelas-election-chavistas-and-the-opposition-ready-for-long-fight/

On a hill west of Caracas the 23 de Enero slum remains as a memory of the socialist ideals of Hugo Chávez. Close by, his body is buried in a military museum which overlooks his former home. Lisando Pérez lives not too far off. The 54 year old militant leftist commented that, “Power comes from the barrel of a gun…This applies now as we ensure a heavy hand against the fascists.” The “fascists” Pérez references is the opposition of Venezuela and Henrique Capriles Radonski. Radonski lost the recent presidential election against Chávez on Sunday. He lost by less than 300,000 votes and it has been the closest opposition in Venezuala to come this close to power since 1998. Refusing to accept the results of the vote, Capriles accused the government of being dishonest. Capriles also demanded there to be a recount. Capriles has accused the government of forcing people, some at gunpoint, to leave before the counting began. Also, he mentioned a polling station where 200 more people voted than were registered there. Capriles has been given his demand for a recount and the electoral council has agreed to do so in later weeks. People have recently become worried that those for Chávez’s ideals will resort to deadly violence due to some recent violent activities. Tuesday, pro-Chavists wrecked havoc on Los Teques, the state where Radonski was governor. Café owner, Fuad Zarifa, said, “They come looking for trouble.” The following day, protestors were rounded up by police with tear gas and rubber bullets. 24-year-old economics student Alejandro Blanco commented, “We have to protest as there’s an unelected president in office.” Post election violence has resulted in eight deaths and more than 130 arrests. Radonski and Maduro have both been calling for peaceful protests during this uneasy time. Maduro has blamed Radonski for the violence and accused the U.S. of funding the violent acts. Radonski has commented that, “The government wants there to be deaths in this country,” he said, urging supporters not to “play the government’s game… [The violence] is doing me harm.” More belittling comments have been made by Maduro about his opposition. Politicians are still trying to avoid unnecessary deaths during the uneasy feelings in the nation of Venezuela.

Author Girish Gupta uses his article to inform people on recent changes in Venezuela. He starts off by giving a vivid description about the area around Hugo Chávez’s burial site. Gupta gives a detailed article on the events surrounding the post election reactions.  Gupta uses a variety of quotes from Maduro, Radonski, and eyewitnesses. Plenty of background information is given and the article is set up chronologically for the most part. The term, colectivos, which are pro-Chávez gangs, is used as well. There are a few notes enclosed by parenthesis. When politicians say they are vying for peace, Gupta notes the crime rate in Venzuela.