Venezuelan Surprise

Sunday’s election in Venezuela surprised most observers. Expecting to ride the emotional pull of the death of Hugo Chávez, and despite pulling out all the stops and spending tons of money to bring out the voters and make it hard for the opposition, his hand-picked candidate barely won. The opposition claimed fraud and asked for a recount, while the government apparatus hastily declared victory and denied the need for a recount. There was no such thing as a level electoral playing field.  Maduro faces extraordinary challenges in trying to govern: a highly polarized society, world class violence and corruption, falling oil revenues, huge debt, an emerging split within the chavista movement, declining political legitimacy, and his own political ineptitude. He’s no Chávez.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/15/3346163/outcome-of-venezuelan-vote-leaves.html