Apr 13, 2013

CARACAS, Venezuela — A fierce battle is being fought in Venezuela. It's not only a battle for the presidency in Sunday’s election, but also a war between supporters of the late Hugo Chávez and those who opposed him.

It is a war over how much the March 5 death of the longtime Venezuelan president has changed the rich-but-poor South American republic. Chavistas backing interim president Nicolás Maduro chant the slogan, “Chávez is still alive, Chávez is Maduro.” Yet the opposition is campaigning with the goal of showing that the post-Chávez era will never be the same.

On both sides there are rich and poor voters, intellectuals and illiterates, indigenous Venezuelans and immigrants. As for the immigrants, Arab Venezuelans are known to be very active in the country’s politics. They are divided, and are known to be radical in their choices. Maybe that is why they have succeeded in reaching high office and gaining a respected popularity.

More than a million people of Arab descent, mainly from the Levant, live in Venezuela. Some are descendants of immigrants who arrived in the 19th century or in the early years of the 20th century. Others came in the past two decades to do business and decided Venezuela was the place they wanted to settle. One of those was Isabelle Franjieh, in her mid-40s, originally from Lebanon. An active member of Chávez’s ruling party, she, like many others, has been very busy preparing for elections, organizing rallies and meeting voters. “I'm Venezuelan, I feel toward this country the same as I felt toward Lebanon, and that's why I am campaigning for Maduro, because I want my country to be the best,” she said. Her husband, Tony, a businessman, agrees: “I help my wife in her political activities because I believe the best for us as Arab Venezuelans is Maduro.”

Many Arab Venezuelans became Chavistas because of his pro-Arab stances. Chávez clearly backed the Palestinians and had strong ties with Iran and Syria. “Maduro won't change anything, he will continue to back Arabs and help them whenever possible,” said Isabelle Franjieh, adding, “Arabs have to be relaxed, Maduro won't be another Anwar Sadat.”