[ti:Venezuela Mourns President Hugo Chavez]
[ar:]
[al:IN THE NEWS]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]Go to 51voa.com for more...
[00:03.85]From VOA Learning English,
[00:07.59]this is IN THE NEWS in Special English.
[00:11.37]Venezuelans are remembering President Hugo Chavez,
[00:16.25]who died after a heart attack earlier this week.
[00:20.39]The president had not been seen in public since December.
[00:25.32]For the past two years, Hugo Chavez battled pelvic cancer.
[00:31.35]He returned to Venezuela last month
[00:34.74]following medical treatment in Cuba.
[00:38.18]He was unable to attend swearing-in ceremonies
[00:42.71]for another term in office in January.
[00:46.65]On Tuesday, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro
[00:52.22]announced the death of President Chavez.
[00:55.62]"We're going to miss him until the last day of our lives
[01:05.23]but we carry on his legacy here
[01:08.42]and we will carry it on with strength."
[01:11.55]Mr. Maduro said the leader's body will be treated
[01:16.45]so people can see it for many years to come.
[01:20.54]He accused Venezuela's enemies of
[01:23.97]attacking the president with cancer.
[01:27.32]He did not say how that could have been done.
[01:31.20]Hugo Chavez dreamed of playing major league baseball
[01:36.18]in the United States,
[01:37.98]but instead chose to join the Venezuelan army.
[01:42.86]He was jailed in 1992 for leading an unsuccessful attempt
[01:49.85]to oust then-president Carlos Andres Perez.
[01:54.53]In 1998, Hugo Chavez was himself elected president
[02:01.70]after promising to end poverty and corruption.
[02:06.49]To help finance social programs, he nationalized,
[02:11.19]or seized control of, major businesses, including oil companies.
[02:17.57]Millions of Venezuelans loved him
[02:21.31]for using the country's oil wealth to provide low-cost food,
[02:26.74]free medical care and other programs.
[02:31.13]However, the United States and much of Latin America
[02:36.30]criticized President Chavez for his social policies
[02:41.19]and for nationalizing companies.
[02:44.97]They also disapproved of his ties with Cuba, Iran and Libya.
[02:52.15]Observers are wondering what will happen to relations
[02:56.96]between Venezuela and the United States in the coming months.
[03:02.50]After the Venezuelan leader's death,
[03:05.88]President Obama said the United States
[03:09.43]was re-confirming its support for the Venezuelan people.
[03:14.76]President Chavez repeatedly accused the United States of
[03:20.12]working against his socialist revolution.
[03:24.59]In 2002, the Bush administration supported an effort
[03:30.82]to oust the Venezuelan leader.
[03:33.56]The overthrow attempt failed.
[03:36.91]Over the years, Venezuela has remained a major supplier of
[03:42.79]oil to the United States.
[03:45.48]It also provides free heating oil
[03:49.31]to poor Americans through a non-profit group.
[03:54.14]Philip Brenner is with American University in Washington.
[03:59.17]He says relations between the nations would be better
[04:04.31]if the United States recognized Venezuela's actions
[04:09.39]and not symbolic speech.
[04:12.83]"I think the important thing to remember about Venezuela
[04:15.42]is that they have never even threatened to cut off our oil.
[04:19.36]Venezuela has done nothing to actually harm U.S. interests
[04:23.49]except to challenge U.S. dominance."
[04:27.28]Shortly after the death of President Chavez,
[04:30.56]Vice President Maduro announced the expulsion of two American diplomats.
[04:37.13]He said they were planning to weaken the Venezuelan government.
[04:42.27]The United States has rejected his claim.
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