The New President of Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro Moros (Spanish pronunciation: [nikoˈlaz maˈðuɾo ˈmoɾos]; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician who is the current President of Venezuela. He was previously the Vice President of Venezuela and the Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Hugo Chávez.

A former bus driver, Maduro rose to become a trade union leader, before being elected to the National Assembly in 2000. He was appointed to a number of positions within the Venezuelan Government under Chávez, ultimately being made Foreign Minister in 2006. He was described during this time as the "most capable administrator and politician of Chávez's inner circle".

After Chávez's death on 5 March 2013, Maduro assumed the powers and responsibilities of the President. A special election was held on 14 April of the same year to elect a new President, which Maduro won by a tight margin as the candidate of the United Socialist Party; he was formally inaugurated on 19 April. His main opponent in that election was Henrique Capriles, the Governor of Miranda. The constitutionality of his assumption of power and his election to the office has been questioned by the opposition.

Nicolás Maduro was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1962, the son of a union leader. He attended a public high school at the Liceo José Ávalos in El Valle, a working–class neighborhood on the western outskirts of Caracas. His first introduction to politics was when he became a member of his high school's student union.

Maduro was raised as a Roman Catholic, and his paternal family ancestry is of Sephardic Jewish origin. He has also been associated with the Sathya Sai Baba movement and is a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba. After leaving school, Maduro found employment as a bus driver for many years. He began his political career in the 1980s, by becoming an unofficial trade unionist representing the bus drivers of the Caracas Metro system. He was also employed as a bodyguard for José Vicente Rangel during Rangel's unsuccessful 1983 presidential campaign. During the 1990s, Maduro was instrumental in founding the Movement of the Fifth Republic, which supported Hugo Chávez in his run for president in 1998.

On 14 April 2013, Maduro was elected President of Venezuela, narrowly defeating opposition candidate Henrique Capriles with just 1.5% of the vote separating the two candidates. Capriles immediately demanded a recount, refusing to recognize the outcome as valid. Maduro was later formally inaugurated as President on 19 April, after the election commission had promised a full audit of the election results.

Maduro is married to Cilia Flores, a lawyer and politician who replaced Maduro as President of the National Assembly in August 2006, when he was resigned to become Minister of Foreign Affairs; she became the first woman to serve as President of the National Assembly.

A. Cawthorne, M. Naranjo. Who is Nickolas Maduro?

B. Reading Comprehension Questions.

1. When was N. Maduro born?

2. What is Maduro nowadays?

3. What was Maduro’s position in the government in the period of H. Chavez presidency?

4. What was Maduro's first job?

5. How did he start his political career?

6. When did H. Chavez die?

7. Who was N. Maduro's main opponent in the presidential election?

8. What biographical facts can you remember?

9. Is N. Maduro a Christian?

10. What was his predominance in the presidential election on 14 April 2013?

Task 3

A. Make up a plan to the text.

B. Complete the following sentences with the words and word combinations in the box.

Opposition, metro system, assembly, run for president, previously, inaugurated, election

1) He was … the Vice President of Venezuela and the Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Hugo Chávez.

2) His main opponent in that … was Henrique Capriles, the Governor of Miranda.

3) His first introduction to politics was when he became a member of his high school's student union.

4) He began his political career in the 1980s, by becoming an unofficial trade unionist representing the bus drivers of the Caracas ….

5) During the 1990s, Maduro was instrumental in founding the Movement of the Fifth Republic, which supported Hugo Chávez in his … in 1998.

6). Maduro was later formally … as President on 19 April, after the election commission had promised a full audit of the election results.

7) She became the first woman to serve as President of the National ….

8) The constitutionality of his assumption of power and his election to the office has been questioned by the ….

C. Write 10 sentences describing your possible future career.