by beyondbrics

Switch on the television in Venezuela and more often than not, the face of president Hugo Chávez will peer out, speaking of the ills of capitalism and the success of his own government. But for nearly two weeks now, the president has remained uncharacteristically quiet – not even updating Twitter – as he lies in a Cuban hospital bed recovering from a pelvic abscess operation. A golden opportunity for the Venezuelan opposition, you might think. But even as a bloody prison riot and power cuts add to a sense of spreading chaos back home, those unhappy with Chavez’s increasingly dysfunctional regime have yet to unite to find a leader or platform to rally behind.
Chávez’s silence is bordering on the eerie. In just one phone call to Caracas-based television network Telesur ten days ago, he explained that he was keeping a close eye on Venezuela and was perfectly able to govern from Havana – a “good place” to fall ill.

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