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Venezuela’s rightwingers are no ‘beleaguered democrats’
A study of five instances the right-wing opposition have been anti-democratic in Venezuela shows their real nature, writes Susan Grey

VENEZUELA’S right-wing opposition groups are often portrayed in parts of the international media as defenders of democracy, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Since Hugo Chavez was first elected president in 1998, right-wing groups have used every method imaginable to undermine and destabilise the country’s elected presidents, first Chavez and then Nicolas Maduro.

Chavez’s first few years of office saw the introduction of wide-ranging reforms designed to tackle poverty and inequality, meaning Venezuela’s resources were used to benefit the majority instead of the wealthy elite.

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