Chavez demands support

last updated 8 January 2015

Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez this week told state oil workers that if they don’t back him in the Dec. 3 presidential election, they should “go somewhere else. Go to Miami.” Venezuela’s energy minister, Rafael Ramirez, made a similar threat to executives of PDVSA, the national oil company. “We are supporting Chavez,” Ramirez declared. “Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable with this orientation needs to give up their seat.” Opposition politicians complained the government was violating a law against using state enterprises for politicking. Chavez denied any wrongdoing, and threatened to cancel broadcast licenses of any TV station that airs a video of Ramirez’s speech, which was taped surreptitiously.