Current Events

Hugo Chavez will continue to be the President of Venezuela for another six years, beating rival Henrique Capriles by a narrow margin. Although this election turned out to be his closest yet, Chavez still received 10 percent more of the vote than his opponent, with 90 percent of the vote counted. This outcome likely means another six years of building on Chavez's populist state, increasing government involvement in the lives of citizens, cracking down on dissent and strengthening ties with countries such as Cuba.