When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Venezuela

Chavez Campaign Takes On Anti-Semitic Undertones

EL MUNDO, EL UNIVERSAL (Venezuala) LA NACION (Argentina)

Worldcrunch

CARACAS - Hugo Chavez is not known for mincing words.

But recently, the Venezuelan President has unleashed highly personal attacks against Henrique Capriles Radonski, his opponent in Chavez's reelection campaign, including some with anti-Semitic undertones.

Last week, he called Capriles Radonski ‘jalabola’ and ‘majunche,’ rude terms for someone who is a mediocre flatterer without personality, El Mundo reported. But in recent weeks, he has also called Capriles Radonski “stateless,” “an imperialist” and “bourgeois”, while referring to himself as the candidate of the Fatherland.

That would all be just more of the same Chavez bluster, but his latest vitriol is drawing particular attention because it seems to be at least partly motivated by anti-Semitism - Capriles Radonski is a practicing and devout Catholic, but has Jewish ancestry.

His charge that Capriles is “stateless,” and “imperialist,” both accusations that have been used against Jews in the past. Right after Capriles Radonski’s nomination, a column was published on the website of the state-controlled radio station, titled “The Enemy is Zionism,” which argued that Capriles Radonski should be disqualified from running for president because of his Jewish ancestry, El Universal reported.

The column immediately provoked requests from Latin America Jewish organizations to avoid anti-Semitic tones in the campaign.

Chavez has a long history of anti-Semitism. He has made speeches saying that some minority groups had amassed more than their share of the world’s wealth, and that one such group was “Christ’s killers,” La Nacion reported. The state-controlled media has also been frequently used to make anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist arguments.

Capriles Radonski’s grandparents on his mother’s side were Jews who fled Europe during World War II. His father is Catholic, but descended from Sephardic Jews who arrived in Venezuela in the 1850s. “My grandmother was in the Warsaw Ghetto for 20 months, in a basement to avoid being killed by the Nazis. And there are government officials who call me a Nazi,” Capriles Radonski told El Universal shortly after his nomination, in response to attacks from the state media.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Tales From A Blushing Nation: Exploring India's 'Issues' With Love And Sex

Why is it that this nation of a billion-plus has such problems with intimacy and romance?

Photo of Indian romance statues

Indian romance statues

Sreemanti Sengupta

KOLKATA — To a foreigner, India may seem to be a country obsessed with romance. What with the booming Bollywood film industry which tirelessly churns out tales of love and glory clothed in brilliant dance and action sequences, a history etched with ideal romantics like Laila-Majnu or the fact that the Taj Mahal has immortalised the love between king Shahjahan and queen Mumtaz.

It is difficult to fathom how this country with a billion-plus population routinely gets red in the face at the slightest hint or mention of sex.

It therefore may have come as a shock to many when the ‘couple-friendly’ hospitality brand OYO announced that they are “extremely humbled to share that we observed a record 90.57% increase in Valentine’s Day bookings across India.”

What does that say about India’s romantic culture?

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest