Why Venezuela's Neighbors Are Hoping For A Chavez Win Sunday [View all]
Why Venezuela's Neighbors Are Hoping For A Chavez Win Sunday
By Flavia Marreiro
FOLHA DE S. PAULO/Worldcrunch
SÃO PAULO - When Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos met with Hugo Chávez’s opponent Henrique Capriles, recently in Bogotá, the Venezuelan opposition brandished the pictures like a trophy.
In effect, this meeting was a rare achievement in a region where Chávez maintains a close strategic relationship with his neighbors, and is hailed as a benefactor by the countries to which he sells oil at bargain rates.
Most of Latin America is hoping for Chávez to stay in power after next Sunday’s election. Besides former rival Colombia, countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Nicaragua and Cuba want him to win as easily as possible, to avoid any turbulence in the region.
The only exception in the region is Paraguay, who opposed Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur this summer. Venezuela’s admission into the trading bloc was made possible thanks to Paraguay’s temporary suspension after its president was impeached.
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