Venezuela cuts diplomatic ties with Panama

Followers of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez flooded the streets of Venezuela on Wednesday for the anniversary of his death, an emotional but welcome distraction for Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro from violent protests that have been raging for the last month. [caption id=“attachment_1421775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A demonstrator returns teargas to Bolivarian National Police during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela. AP.[/caption] However, Maduro took the opportunity on Wednesday and declared that he was breaking diplomatic and commercial relations with the Panamanian government due to a “conspiracy” against him. Wednesday’s military parade and other events to honor “El Comandante” gave Maduro, 51, an opportunity to reclaim the streets and show that he too can mobilize his supporters.   “We’re not going to let anyone get away with interfering with our fatherland, you despicable lackey, president of Panama,” Maduro said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez’s death. Maduro accused Panama’s conservative government of “open conspiracy” with the United States against him. The government of Panama responded later saying it rejected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s “unacceptable offenses” against it after the South American oil giant broke off diplomatic and commercial ties with the Central American nation. A year after Chavez succumbed to cancer, his self-proclaimed “son,” Maduro, faces the biggest challenge to his rule from an explosion of anti-government demonstrations that have led to 18 deaths since February. Maduro, a former bus driver and union activist, lacks Chavez’s charisma and grip on the ruling Socialist Party, and he has been unable to fix Venezuela’s many problems, ranging from soaring prices to deteriorating services and runaway crime. This has led to an outbreak of anti-government protest throughout the nation in the last month. Reuters