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Article: Chavez's sweeping new powers resonate in S. Florida.
- Article from:
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
- Article date:
- February 1, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 South Florida Sun-Sentinal. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Vanessa Bauza
Feb. 1--CARACAS, Venezuela -- Ciro Enrique Martinez was just a boy in 1960 when his family fled Havana. They moved to Caracas and watched from afar as Fidel Castro redefined Cuba's politics and economy, concentrating power in his hands. Four decades later, President Hugo Chavez's close ties to Cuba conjured fears that his Bolivarian revolution would propel Venezuela toward socialism, and Martinez moved his family to South Florida. "Having seen what happened in Cuba and hearing the stories of friends and uncles and cousins who had lost everything, I thought the same thing could happen in Venezuela," said Martinez, 52, who owns a real ...