FIU Professor Says Venezuela to Likely Hold Elections

Cuba could be deeply affected in the case the opposition wins Venezuela’s presidential election: Eduardo Gamarra, FIU

A South Florida professor said Tuesday that  it is unlikely for Venezuela to go against the constitution and not hold elections within the next 30 days following Hugo Chavez's death.

“I don’t think it makes political sense right now to blow off the constitution, simply because they’ve been so methodical about setting a stage for this particular moment,” said Eduardo Gamarra. “They have been exercising this, even president Chavez was part of the plan for this particular moment.”

Read more about Chavez's life

Gamarra also stated the links and the dangers for Cuba if the opposition was to win a future election.

Cuba, said Gamarra, could be deeply affected in the case the opposition wins Venezuela’s presidential election.

“Venezuela has given and rescued Cuba,” said Gamarra. “If they (the opposition) decide to cut foreign assistance to Cuba, Cuba’s economy is going to be deeply affected.”

University of Miami professor Jamie Suchlicki said that "if there is an election which is supposed to take place in a short time, I don't know if the opposition can get together with one candidate and defeat Maduro."

Vice President Nicolas Maduro is not a military man, but he controls the national police forces. Gamarra said Chavez may be gone but he cast a long shadow.

"A very disciplined part of the population that believes Chavez has done for them what nobody else has ever done," he said.

The man who lost to Chavez a few months ago Henrique Capriles Rodonski could be be most significant challenger to Maduro.

 

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