Post-Chavez era off to confrontational start

摘要

Foreign oil firms with multi-billion dollar upstream projects in Venezuela are lying low as the country heads to elec- tions within a month, after the 5 March death of long-serving president Hugo Chavez. Vice-president Nicolas Maduro, as Chavez’s anointed heir, is the apparent frontrunner (WPA, 14 December, p7). Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles, whom Chavez defeated in last year’s presidential elections, is the likely challenger (WPA, 12 October, p10). But a wave of grief favours the vice-president.