Sunday 23 February 2014

Search marked by rumors, close calls





  • Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was captured after more than a decade on the run

  • Authorities say they'd been closing in on the Sinaloa cartel boss for months

  • Several arrests of others with cartel ties proceeded his capture

  • The search for Guzman has been marked by rumors and close calls




Read about the hunt for "El Chapo" Guzman in Spanish at CNNMexico.com


(CNN) -- A no-frills beachside condo tower isn't where you'd expect to find the world's most wanted drug lord.


But that, authorities said, was where they captured Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman over the weekend.


The early morning operation in the Mexican Pacific resort town of Mazatlan over the weekend marked a dramatic twist in a case that has long captivated the country and frustrated investigators on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.


Authorities had been closing in on the notorious Sinaloa cartel leader for months before Mexican marines swooped in Saturday, Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam told reporters.





US seeks to extradite Mexican drug lord




Notorious Mexican drug lord arrested








Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by Mexican marines as he is presented to the press on February 22, in Mexico City. Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by Mexican marines as he is presented to the press on February 22, in Mexico City.



Marines stand guard as Guzman is presented to the press. Marines stand guard as Guzman is presented to the press.



Guzman was arrested early this morning by Mexican marines at a resort in Mazatlan, northern Mexico.Guzman was arrested early this morning by Mexican marines at a resort in Mazatlan, northern Mexico.



The operation was heavily guarded. The operation was heavily guarded.



Guzman was marched toward a waiting helicopter for transport to jail. Guzman was marched toward a waiting helicopter for transport to jail.




Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrested

Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrested

Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrested

Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrested

Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrested






Earlier police operations yielded a trove of intelligence, including cell phone and other data, a U.S. law enforcement official said. That helped Mexican authorities and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents hunting Guzman gain confidence in recent weeks that they could arrest him.


A key discovery earlier this month marked a turning point in the investigation: seven houses in the Mexican city of Culiacan, connected by secret tunnels that also tied in with the city's sewage system.


Investigators almost caught him then, Murillo said, but reinforced steel doors made it too tough for them to enter the compound quickly.


"It made it so that in the minutes we took to open them, he escaped in the tunnels," Murillo said. "But the investigation was so thorough that we continued."


Before Guzman's capture, Mexican federal forces made several significant arrests of Sinaloa cartel associates, including two people authorities said were suspected of providing security for top leaders of the cartel.


Hunt marked by rumors, close calls


Ever since his legendary escape in a laundry cart from Mexico's Puente Grande prison in 2001, the hunt for Guzman has grabbed headlines.


During the drug lord's nearly 13 years on the lam, rumors swirled about his whereabouts.


From time to time, investigators suggested they were hot on his trail. But even as Mexico stepped up its pressure on cartels, he remained an elusive target. Many in the country suggested that his whereabouts were an open secret -- and that the government must have been deliberately steering clear of capturing him.


In 2009, the archbishop of Mexico's Durango state told reporters that Guzman lived near the mountain town of Guanacevi.


"Everyone knows it, except the authorities," he said.


Days later, investigators found the bodies of two slain army lieutenants in Durango's mountains, accompanied by a note: "Neither the government nor priests can handle El Chapo."


A year later, when asked by reporters again about El Guzman's whereabouts, the archbishop said, "He is omnipresent. ... He is everywhere."


In 2012, a Mexican official told the Associated Press that authorities nearly caught Guzman in a raid on a beach mansion in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, barely a day after Hillary Clinton was meeting with other foreign ministers from across the hemisphere in the same resort town.


Last year, Guatemalan authorities said a man who resembled El Chapo died in Peten, Guatemala, during a shootout. Later, they changed their story and said El Chapo wasn't killed and the shootout may never even have happened.


Family still in spotlight


While Guzman managed to avoid authorities' attention, the wrath of his rivals and the media's glare, other members of his family weren't so lucky.


Authorities arrested Guzman's brother, known as "El Pollo" (The Chicken), in Mexico City in September 2001. Three years later, he was shot to death by a fellow inmate in a maximum-security prison.


Legend has it that "El Chapo" Guzman was also once arrested in Mexico's capital, according to an account in Malcolm Beith's book "The Last Narco: Inside the Hunt for El Chapo, the World's Most Wanted Drug Lord."


"At the police station, he lifted up a suitcase and put it on the desk of the capital's chief of police," Beith writes. "Inside was $50,000 in cash; within minutes, Chapo was out the door."


Members of a rival cartel gunned down Edgar Beltran Guzman, one of El Chapo's sons, in a Mexican shopping mall parking lot in 2008. Police found more than 500 bullet casings at the scene.


Last year, authorities arrested Guzman's father-in-law in Sonora, Mexico, charging him with drug-related crimes.


But not all of the focus on Guzman's family has been tied to organized crime.


In September 2011, word eked out that Guzman's beauty-queen wife, Emma Coronel -- a citizen of both the United States and Mexico -- had given birth to twin girls at a hospital in Lancaster, California.


About a year later, authorities arrested Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman Salazar, one of El Chapo's daughters, at a border crossing in San Ysidro, California. She was deported back to Mexico several months later.


Her attorneys said she was pregnant and had been coming to the United States to have a baby.


CNN's Evan Perez, Nick Parker, Ray Sanchez, Mike Martinez and CNNMexico.com contributed to this report.



Asia faces huge pilot shortage


Airbus is doing brisk business in Asia --- but there may not be enough pilots to fly the planes it's selling there.


Airbus is doing brisk business in Asia --- but there may not be enough pilots to fly the planes it's selling there.






  • Expert says, "If we set up 100 flying schools tomorrow, it wouldn't be enough."

  • As many as half a million new pilots needed globally

  • Asia's airplane fleet expected to triple over next 20 years

  • Mechanics and other qualified ground crew also in short supply




(CNN) -- A 35% increase in demand for air travel.


A tripling of the region's airplane fleet.


Up to nearly 13,000 new planes needed.


Predictions for growth in the Asia Pacific aviation industry over the next two decades are impressive.


But one question keeps recurring in the region and, indeed, around the globe.


Will there be enough pilots to fly the new planes and enough technicians to maintain them?


"The airlines say, 'OK, we've just bought a bunch of airplanes and we've put in all our funding into the airplane,'" says Bony Sharma, vice president of Mil-Com Aerospace Group, a Singapore-based aviation training company.


"Now where does the funding come in to train the pilots, to train the engineers, to train even the management people, to keep these airplanes operational and safe and flying? That's the biggest challenge that we're facing."




Boeing modeled its wares at February\'s Singapore Airshow.

Boeing modeled its wares at February's Singapore Airshow.



100 flight schools 'still not enough'


Mil-Com runs training for a number of Asia-based airlines, including the privately owned Vietnamese carrier VietJet Air.


Earlier in February, the low-cost carrier signed a $6.4 billion contract with Airbus for 63 new single-aisle A320 planes, the lease of seven and the option to buy a further 30 aircraft.


Like so many of Asia Pacific's low cost carriers, however, VietJet Air is struggling to recruit enough personnel to fulfill its lofty ambitions, due to what Sharma describes as an "extremely serious" shortage of pilots.


"All the airlines in Vietnam are heavily dependent on international pilots," says Sharma. "They're competing from the same pool of pilots as the Middle East, with the growth of Singapore, the growth of AirAsia. It's that same pool that all these airlines are competing for, so it's a big challenge in Vietnam."


Mil-Com has been working with VietJet Air since it was founded in 2011, training engineers, technicians and cabin crew.


At February's Singapore Airshow, Mil-Com and Eagle Flight Training of New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam's Aerospace Engineering Services JSC (AESC), to open a flight school in Vietnam, focused on training pilots.


"Even if we set up 100 airplane flying schools tomorrow, it still wouldn't be enough," says Sharma. "The shortage is that extreme."


Half a million pilots needed globally


Released in August 2013, the Boeing Pilot and Technical Market Outlook for 2013-2032 forecasts nearly half a million new commercial airline pilots will be needed to fly all the new airplanes entering the world fleet over the next 20 years.


The problem is acute in Asia Pacific.


There the Boeing report says the explosion in demand for air travel will mean 192,300 new pilots will be required by 2032, including 77,400, or 40% of them, in China.


It's an issue the industry is working to address.


"What we can do is partner with governments, partner with training agencies, partner with airlines and focus a training curriculum that allows the training of those pilots," says Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We're trying to get out in front of it."


Together with partner airlines, Boeing runs pilot training schools in Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Japan and China.




According to Star Alliance, All Nippon Airways\' (ANA) is the world\'s ninth largest carrier, operating about a thousand flights per day.

According to Star Alliance, All Nippon Airways' (ANA) is the world's ninth largest carrier, operating about a thousand flights per day.



Ground crew also in short supply


Boeing's chief competitor Airbus has a training school in Beijing and last week announced a new joint venture with Singapore Airlines to set up a $64 million facility, offering full pilot training in Singapore.


Mil-Com works in China, too, with joint venture training centers in Xian in central northwest China and in Tianjin southeast of Beijing.


As in Vietnam, the country is heavily dependent on foreign pilots because of the shortage of trained locals.


Sharma says pilots in China are paid 25% more than anywhere else in the region, and even then airlines have problems holding on to them for any more than a couple of years.


But he warns there's an even more pressing area of concern in the region.


"Everybody talks about the sexy industry of pilots," he says. "Nobody talks about the poor mechanic who's in the hangar working day and night, in sweat, rain and humidity."


"That's challenge number one -- attract the talent pool, because a lot of kids just say, 'Yeah I'd rather be an IT guy, work in an air-conditioned office, rather than be standing in these conditions working on an airplane,'" says Sharma. "So that's a big, big challenge to attract the right talent."


According to Boeing's Pilot and Technical Market Outlook, Asia Pacific will need 215,300 new maintenance technicians to service the new airplanes entering the region between now and 2032.


That's 43% of the projected global demand for technicians.


David Stewart is a UK-based aviation analyst for ICF International, a government and commercial consultancy based in the Washington, D.C. area.


"You can get a new pilot in 18 months," he says. "You can take it from zero, to being in the right hand seat, in 18 months. It might worry some people, but that's the truth."


"And if you're growing at Japan Airlines you can go and recruit out of a low-fare carrier because the pilot at the low-fare carrier wants to fly a bigger plane. So the people who've got the problem finding the pilots are the low-fare carriers, the bottom of the food chain.


"Mechanics take five years before you can sign off a plane certificate for release. So the supply chain is much more difficult there because it takes longer for it to react."




AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes has built the Malaysia-based company into Asia\'s largest budget carrier.

AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes has built the Malaysia-based company into Asia's largest budget carrier.



Same problems, new solution?


Stewart says pilot shortages have been talked about for years, as has the shortage of mechanics in the United States, yet somehow the issue always gets sorted out.


Boeing's Randy Tinseth agrees.


"The market's going to double over the next 15 to 20 years, but remember it doubled over the last 15 to 20 years that we've just come through," he says. "It's something we can manage through, but we have to get out ahead of it."


Relatively hidden among the thousand-plus exhibitors at last week's Singapore Airshow was a small Florida-based company called DiSTI, which says it has the software to help contribute to the industry getting ahead.


DiSTI does virtual maintenance training for military aircraft, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-16.


During a demonstration, in what looks like a video game, a maintenance technician circles an aircraft, in 3D.


DiSTI President Joseph Swinski says his company is engaging the digital generation by giving them a platform they can relate to, with real training value.


"The aircraft's always running just like it would be in the real world," he says. "So if somebody goes and pulls the wire somewhere or breaks a wire, the whole aircraft will then function in the way that it does in the real world. It's a much more realistic training."


DiSTI global sales manager Christopher Giordano says by using software, you can train more cheaply, more quickly and more effectively.


"Stereotypical maintenance training right now is all done with hardware," says Giordano. "Hardware's extremely expensive to build and it breaks a lot. So if you go into a virtual world and you break something, all you need to do is hit reset and you can continue your training."


The company hopes to break into the market for training commercial aircraft maintenance technicians, but concedes this could still be some years away.


"We find the commercial guys are a little bit slower to adopt things than the military," says Swinski. "The military likes to try things out and then validate it."


"The commercial guys seem to want to wait until the military's done all that, make sure it works right and then they take a look at it. So we're kind of at that point right now."


As technology improves, simulation-based pilot certification training is also starting to take on a greater role internationally.


Asia Pacific has all the predictions for growth.


Whether its support systems keep pace with demand remains to be seen.


Charlotte Glennie is an award-winning journalist living in Singapore. She's worked as a foreign correspondent based out of both Beijing and Hong Kong.



The new après ski experience






Come and get it! This group seems ready and willing to ski uphill for booze. Circa 1955Come and get it! This group seems ready and willing to ski uphill for booze. Circa 1955

Skiing is hard work too. Skiers lug their gear while others kick back outdoors at a slopeside hotel in Zermatt, Switzerland in 1961.Skiing is hard work too. Skiers lug their gear while others kick back outdoors at a slopeside hotel in Zermatt, Switzerland in 1961.

Apres-ski entertainment isn't what is used to be. An accordionist plays for skiers in a lounge in 1958 at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.Apres-ski entertainment isn't what is used to be. An accordionist plays for skiers in a lounge in 1958 at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.

Showing a little skin in the '70s: A couple relaxes in a heated pool at the Snowbird Ski Resort in Snowbird, Utah, in 1975.Showing a little skin in the '70s: A couple relaxes in a heated pool at the Snowbird Ski Resort in Snowbird, Utah, in 1975.

And a little skin in the 1940s: Skiers drink and sunbathe at Sun Valley ski resort near Ketchum, Idaho, in April 1947.And a little skin in the 1940s: Skiers drink and sunbathe at Sun Valley ski resort near Ketchum, Idaho, in April 1947.

Spring skiers sunbathe in April 1947. Spring skiers sunbathe in April 1947.









  • You never know where a champagne bar might pop up in Aspen

  • Host a private Wyoming Whiskey tasting in your luxury rental

  • Toast the Italian ski team in the Dolomites of Northern Italy




(CNN) -- When it comes to post-slopes imbibing, not all drinks are created equal.


The long-beloved tradition of après ski is changing, as curated experiences and educational opportunities become more popular from Aspen to Jackson Hole to the Dolomites in Italy. Whether the brew comes to you (a pop-up champagne bar) or you go to the source (a ski-in distillery with tours and spirits geeks to answer all your questions), après ski is becoming more engaging and cerebral.


Take your ski vacation this year with a side of spirits knowledge at the following spots.


Pop-up champagne bar in Aspen


Veuve Clicquot takes the concept of the pop-up bar even further this year in Aspen. Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the end of ski season, the Oasis 3.0 Veuve Clicquot Bar will change locations on Aspen Mountain. Clues leading thirsty skiers to tall flutes of champagne can be found on Twitter. Stationed at approximately 11,000 feet, this ski-in, ski-out pop-up is serving Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Rose and La Grande Dame in addition to small bites. Find the location clues by following @TheLittleNell on Twitter and look for the bright yellow umbrellas on the mountain.


Wyoming whiskey tastings


In Jackson Hole, the Clear Creek Group of luxury rental homes is coordinating specialized tastings and après ski sessions. Staying in any of the portfolio's homes grants access to exclusive at-home tastings featuring local producers. A partnership with Snake River Brewing and Wyoming Whiskey brings the après ski action to your own rental, allowing guests to become familiar with small-batch bourbon or local beers in the comfort of their living rooms. Concierges can tailor these at-home experiences according to individual interests. The tastings are available through April 6, weather permitting.


A different kind of safari in Italy


Some après ski experiences are available throughout the season, while others are specific events worth traveling for. Wine Ski Safari, locally called "Dé dl vin in Ladin," is scheduled for March 30 at the Alta Badia ski resort in the Dolomites of Northern Italy. Four mountain huts, each dedicated to a specific wine region, will offer tastes of Italian wines beside the ski runs at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Wine lovers can raise a glass with members of the Italian national ski team, who will join the festivities celebrating Italian wines, served with local bread, cheese and charcuterie.


The Aprés Ski Cocktail Classic


Cocktail lovers will have another excuse to travel to Aspen this year with the Aprés Ski Cocktail Classic scheduled for March 13 to 16. This winter spirit festival will feature a range of tasting events, such as an Irish coffee pop-up bar sponsored by Tullamore Dew. This ski-in, ski-out bar will serve up classic Irish coffees in the style of San Francisco's Buena Vista Café. Other events on the calendar include an advanced session to learn about agave and mezcal, a tasting village full of premium spirits and upscale dinners with cocktail pairings. Some events are complimentary and open to the public, while others have limited seating and require tickets purchased in advance.


Bloody Mary drinking in the valley


Skiers can savor a taste of Utah at the St. Regis Deer Valley with the 7452 Bloody Mary. The in-house Bloody Mary at the St. Regis Bar (each St. Regis creates its own signature Bloody Mary) features oat-distilled vodka from the local High West Distillery. Named after the resort's altitude of 7,452 feet , this après ski cocktail has a local flair and is finished with a touch of salt on the rim and a celery/wasabi foam. Light fare from Jean-Georges is also on the menu here.


Ski into this Park City distillery


After tasting that Bloody Mary at the St. Regis, you might want to track down that vodka. High West Distillery in Park City is a ski-in, ski-out distillery and saloon with distillery tours, handcrafted cocktails and James Beard award-winning pub fare. Here you will learn about a variety of craft spirits, all made in small batches, such as Rendezvous Rye, Vodka 7000', aged and un-aged whiskeys, and even bottled cocktails, such as a barrel-aged Manhattan. Three distillery tours are offered each day; reservations in advance are suggested.


Snowmelt spirits in Breckenridge


If skiing brings you to Colorado this year, focus your après ski action on the Breckenridge Distillery, a facility set at an elevation of 9,600 feet. Here, small batch bourbon, whiskey, rum, bitters and more are created from the snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains. How does this impact the final product? Take a tour and sip in the tasting room to find out, with the opportunity to speak directly to the experts. Distillery tours are available on the hour and half hour during distillery business hours, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tasting room on Main Street in the heart of Breckenridge is open later (8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday).



Dune bashing in the UAE





  • Dune bashing is an action-packed motor sport popular in the Gulf

  • A hundred sand dune competitors raced to the top of Tel Moreeb, the tallest sand hill in the UAE

  • The 30-meter-high "Scary Hill" earns its name thanks to the dizzyingly 50-degree steep slope




(CNN) -- If you think drag racing is extreme, you should try doing it uphill and on sand.


Dune bashing is an action-packed motorsport popular in the Gulf, enjoyed by both local Emiratis and foreign tourists alike.


It is not for the fainthearted and accidents are not uncommon. It is a sport that enthusiasts say requires not only speed and power, but also nerves of steel.


Perhaps nothing tests all of these better than the Liwa International Festival, which ended last month, where 100 dune-bashing competitors battled it out to be the fastest up the tallest sand hill in the UAE.





For me, it's normal because I'm Bedouin. This is not scaring me

Ahmed Al-Mashgouni







From desert to millionaires' paradise

The 30-meter-high "Scary Hill" (Tel Moreeb in Arabic) earns its name thanks to the dizzyingly 50-degree steep slope.





Risking your life for precious pearls




Meet Dubai's singing migrant workers

The government-funded festival is claimed to be a celebration of the desert landscape and the Bedouin culture. One competitor who shrugged off the fear factor at the recent event was Ahmed Al-Mashgouni of Team Sandtoyz. "For me, it's normal because I'm Bedouin," he said. "This is not scaring me."


The annual event also features a classic car show, as well as traditional sports such as falcon, camel and horse racing. But this year it was the dune-racing challenges that attracted most attention, with spectators and participants coming from across the region.


Read more: Bollywood dreams of Dubai's migrant workers


Al-Mashgouni had an American mechanic to tune his buggies. His roaring, six-cylinder vehicles, with modified, turbo-charged engines, were the fruit of his travels around the region -- Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait -- that brought back homemade, sometimes crudely built, bikes and buggies.


"We are using a two-speed transmission," said Al-Mashgouni, winner of his class in the latest tournament. "The normal one is one speed. It's especially built for us."


In contrast, Jasem Al-Ali of Team Victory learned how to build his vehicle from online videos. "It was a 200-horsepower engine. Now it's 1,100 horsepower," he said.


Sand dune racing is not a cheap hobby. The cars are built mostly with foreign parts. And even in this oil-rich region, the fuel needs to be imported from America.


Salem Al-Dahmani's modified truck cost him $100,000 -- about ten times the modest prize the race awarded. But passion not money is motivation for the competitors.


"If you go to Japan, people are crazy for drifting," said Al-Dahmani of Team Champions. "If you go to the U.S., people are crazy about drag racing. Here, we're crazy about this sport."


Read more: Dinosaurs in the desert



Arrest may cripple Sinaloa cartel





  • Official: The United States will seek to extradite Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman

  • The Sinaloa cartel boss faces charges in several U.S. jurisdictions

  • Analyst: Mexico will want to prosecute him, keep him in prison

  • He had served seven years of a 20-year sentence when he escaped




Read this article in Spanish at CNNMexico.com


(CNN) -- Could the captured Sinaloa cartel boss who was one of Mexico's most wanted fugitives be heading to the United States for trial?


He will, if U.S. federal prosecutors have anything to say about it.





Drug lord 'El Chapo' no longer on the run

Bob Nardoza, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, said Sunday that American authorities plan to seek the extradition of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.





Notorious Mexican drug lord arrested

Cases are pending against Guzman in that district and several United States jurisdictions, and it's not clear which requests would take priority.


But just because the United States wants to extradite him doesn't mean Guzman will be heading north of the border any time soon.


"Mexico is going to want to prosecute him. They're going to want the first shot at him," CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes said Sunday. "The extradition to the U.S. could happen at a later date, but I doubt it. I think that the Mexicans are going to want him, and they're going to want to keep him in prison down there."


Guzman escaped from a high-security Mexican prison in 2001, reportedly hiding in a laundry basket. Throughout the years, he avoided being caught because of his enormous power to bribe corrupt local, state and federal Mexican officials.


His nickname, which means "Shorty," matches his 5-foot-6-inch frame.


From New York to Chicago, Texas to San Diego, Guzman and his lieutenants are named in indictments for marijuana, cocaine and heroin trafficking, as well as racketeering, money laundering, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder.


In Chicago, the city's crime commission named Guzman its Public Enemy No. 1 last year.


But more than anywhere else, Fuentes said, the "Public Enemy No. 1" designation is true for Guzman in Mexico.


"He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. He's considered one of the richest men in the world, and the Sinaloa cartel...is considered the most prolific drug-trafficking organization in the world," said Fuentes, former assistant director of the FBI's Office of International Operations.


When Guzman escaped from prison, he had served seven years of a 20-year, nine-month sentence.


Mexico's attorney general's office said there were eight warrants for Guzman's arrest there -- two tied to his 2001 escape, and six more for alleged crimes committed since then.


Authorities said they were taking him to the Altiplano prison outside Mexico City on Saturday, where he was set to be interrogated.


No attorney had yet come forward representing the cartel boss, officials said, and no extradition request had been made.


Phil Jordan, who spent three decades with the DEA and headed the agency's El Paso Intelligence Center, said extraditing Guzman is the only way to truly cripple his organization.


"It is a significant arrest, provided he gets extradited immediately to the United States," Jordan told CNN Saturday. "If he does not get extradited, then he will be allowed to escape within a period of time. ... If he is, in fact, incarcerated, until he gets extradited to the United States, it will be business as usual."


CNNMexico.com and CNN's Ray Sanchez and Evan Perez contributed to this report.



President sees conspiracies





  • President Maduro shares the conspiracy theories of Hugo Chavez

  • Maduro says there is an attempted coup in progress against him

  • His news conference lasted for more than two hours




(CNN) -- There's an attempted coup in progress in Venezuela, an attempt orchestrated and directed by political and financial elites in the United States.


Outlandish? Not if you ask Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who spoke at length during a news conference Friday night about his allegations of conspiracy, which others call conspiracy theories. His staff made sure foreign media, including CNN journalists, got an invitation.


The news conference, carried live on state-run TV, lasted two hours and 28 minutes. It may have seemed like an eternity to foreign correspondents, but it was brief by Venezuelan standards, especially compared to Maduro's predecessor. The late President Hugo Chavez would talk politics, economics, and baseball for hours on end. He would occasionally serenade Venezuelans while addressing the entire nation on live TV.


"There's a world campaign against Venezuela," Maduro told correspondents. "It's a campaign to justify an intervention in the domestic affairs of Venezuela."





Why Maduro wants media out of Venezuela




What's next for Venezuela's opposition?




Protest leader releases vid to supporters




CNN cams taken at gunpoint in Venezuela

It's a talking point Chavez, who died of cancer last year, also made frequently. Talk about foreign invasion or intervention resonates with loyalists and galvanizes members of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela.


Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, spoke not only about alleged conspiracies involving an international plan to destabilize his government, but also about Venezuelan and Latin American history, United States politics, democracy, the right to a free higher education, free trade agreements, the Venezuelan opposition and Spider Man, just to name a few.


He spent a good portion of the news conference blaming foreign media for what he called "a brutal manipulation campaign."


The campaign "has created the perception in the world that Venezuela is on the verge of civil war, that here in Venezuela we have a group of docile students opposing an illegitimate government," Maduro said.


The president had denied or revoked press credentials for seven CNN journalists the day before. At the news conference, he announced CNN could continue reporting inside Venezuela. The president also apologized on behalf of Venezuela for an armed robbery against a CNN team and said the incident is being investigated.


At least eight people have died in the last two weeks in clashes at anti-government protests throughout Venezuela. Among the victims was Genesis Carmona, 22, a beauty queen who was shot in the head while participating in a protest in the city of Valencia.


Protesters complain the socialist government has mismanaged the country creating all kinds of problems including insecurity, shortages of food and basic products (like toilet paper), blackouts and rampant inflation that last year reached 56 percent, according to the Central Bank of Venezuela. Maduro blames most of the problems on a foreign conspiracy.


An opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, turned himself in on Tuesday after being charged with arson and conspiracy during the protests. Maduro says his government had to take the former mayor and presidential candidate to a jail in military complex "to protect him" from a conspiracy to kill him.


Asked about the polarization of Venezuela, Maduro said "there's no democracy without a politicized people."


Asked about why tensions between loyalists and the opposition have increased, he said, "you the media have fanned the flames of hatred."


The criticism against his government happens because "he who leads gets hit the most," Maduro said.


In spite of recent tensions, the socialists have had important electoral victories in Venezuela -- 18 victories at the ballot box since 1999, according to Maduro.


The ruling party obtained 55 percent of the vote in local elections in December, even though Maduro himself won the presidency with a margin of only 1.4%.


"A win is a win," he said.


In spite of blasting the United States multiple times, Maduro extended an olive branch, saying he would like to open a dialogue with the country that buys 40 percent of Venezuelan oil. A start, he said, would be to once again exchange ambassadors.


He also said that as a child he would wear Spider-Man or Superman costumes and that he gets excited when he listens to blues music.


"I think I might've been from Mississippi in another life, right?," he said with a smile.


Maduro is nearing the end of his first year of a 6-year presidential term and hinted he wouldn't mind staying longer in power.


But he carefully clarified that he believes in democracy and has invited the opposition multiple times to talk.


"Dictator? What dictator?," he said.



Expert: 'A real crisis on all fronts'






A Venezuelan protester waves a flag in front of a burning barricade in Caracas on Friday, February 21. For weeks, Venezuelans unhappy with the economy and rising crime have been clashing with security forces.A Venezuelan protester waves a flag in front of a burning barricade in Caracas on Friday, February 21. For weeks, Venezuelans unhappy with the economy and rising crime have been clashing with security forces.

A woman waves a Venezuelan flag out of her window on February 21 in Caracas.A woman waves a Venezuelan flag out of her window on February 21 in Caracas.

A masked protester sprays a flammable substance on a barricade during protests in Caracas on February 21.A masked protester sprays a flammable substance on a barricade during protests in Caracas on February 21.

Barricades set up by opposition protesters block a road in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, February 20.Barricades set up by opposition protesters block a road in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, February 20.

A protester adds fuel to a fire during clashes with police in Caracas on February 20.A protester adds fuel to a fire during clashes with police in Caracas on February 20.

Protesters light fires during an anti-government demonstration in Caracas on Wednesday, February 19.Protesters light fires during an anti-government demonstration in Caracas on Wednesday, February 19.

Protesters throw stones at riot police in Caracas on February 19. Protesters are demanding better security, an end to scarcities, and protected freedom of speech.Protesters throw stones at riot police in Caracas on February 19. Protesters are demanding better security, an end to scarcities, and protected freedom of speech.

Members of the National Police protect themselves during a protest in Caracas on February 19.Members of the National Police protect themselves during a protest in Caracas on February 19.

Two women sit in front of a line of National Guard officers outside the Palace of Justice in Caracas on February 19.Two women sit in front of a line of National Guard officers outside the Palace of Justice in Caracas on February 19.

Protesters throw objects amid tear gas launched by riot police in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas on February 19.Protesters throw objects amid tear gas launched by riot police in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas on February 19.

A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez protests outside of the Palace of Justice in Caracas on February 19.A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez protests outside of the Palace of Justice in Caracas on February 19.

Lopez is escorted by members of the Venezuelan National Guard on Tuesday, February 18, after turning himself in to authorities.Lopez is escorted by members of the Venezuelan National Guard on Tuesday, February 18, after turning himself in to authorities.

Lopez supporters light fires in the streets of Caracas on February 18.Lopez supporters light fires in the streets of Caracas on February 18.

Thousands of demonstrators gather in support of Lopez in Caracas on February 18.Thousands of demonstrators gather in support of Lopez in Caracas on February 18.

A protester faces riot police February 18 during a march in Caracas.A protester faces riot police February 18 during a march in Caracas.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises his fist during a rally in Caracas on February 18, in this photo released by the Venezuelan government. Maduro and his supporters have blamed the opposition for causing the very problems it protests.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises his fist during a rally in Caracas on February 18, in this photo released by the Venezuelan government. Maduro and his supporters have blamed the opposition for causing the very problems it protests.

A protester confronts the National Guard as they block the path leading to downtown Caracas on February 18.A protester confronts the National Guard as they block the path leading to downtown Caracas on February 18.

Protesters clash with the National Guard during demonstrations in Caracas on February 18.Protesters clash with the National Guard during demonstrations in Caracas on February 18.

Demonstrators stand on a highway during a protest outside La Carlota airport in Caracas on February 18.Demonstrators stand on a highway during a protest outside La Carlota airport in Caracas on February 18.

A young woman argues with members of the Venezuelan National Guard during an anti-government protest in Caracas on Monday, February 17.A young woman argues with members of the Venezuelan National Guard during an anti-government protest in Caracas on Monday, February 17.

A group of protesters raise their hands during a demonstration in Caracas on Sunday, February 16. The country has an inflation rate of 56.2%, the highest in the world, and many basic goods are missing from store shelves.A group of protesters raise their hands during a demonstration in Caracas on Sunday, February 16. The country has an inflation rate of 56.2%, the highest in the world, and many basic goods are missing from store shelves.

A demonstrator shouts for riot police not to fire tear gas in Caracas on Saturday, February 15.A demonstrator shouts for riot police not to fire tear gas in Caracas on Saturday, February 15.

A student protester returns a tear gas canister to riot police on February 15 in Caracas.A student protester returns a tear gas canister to riot police on February 15 in Caracas.

Riot police stand during clashes in Caracas on February 15.Riot police stand during clashes in Caracas on February 15.

Thousands of students lie on the ground during a protest in front of the Venezuelan Judiciary building in Caracas on February 15.Thousands of students lie on the ground during a protest in front of the Venezuelan Judiciary building in Caracas on February 15.

Students stand in front of police February 14 outside the Caracas headquarters for the Organization of American States.Students stand in front of police February 14 outside the Caracas headquarters for the Organization of American States.

On Thursday, February 13, relatives, friends and pro-government supporters carry the coffin of a man who was killed during a protest in Caracas.On Thursday, February 13, relatives, friends and pro-government supporters carry the coffin of a man who was killed during a protest in Caracas.

Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez greets supporters during a demonstration in Caracas on Wednesday, February 12. Lopez's charges include murder, terrorism and arson in connection with the protests, according to his party, Popular Will. Lopez denies the accusations, the party said in a statement.Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez greets supporters during a demonstration in Caracas on Wednesday, February 12. Lopez's charges include murder, terrorism and arson in connection with the protests, according to his party, Popular Will. Lopez denies the accusations, the party said in a statement.


The body of a protester is carried away after gunshots were fired during an anti-government rally in Caracas on February 12.The body of a protester is carried away after gunshots were fired during an anti-government rally in Caracas on February 12.

Police detain a student in Caracas on February 12.Police detain a student in Caracas on February 12.

A protester walks past a line of riot police in Caracas on February 12.A protester walks past a line of riot police in Caracas on February 12.

A demonstrator is detained after jumping over a riot police line in Caracas on February 12.A demonstrator is detained after jumping over a riot police line in Caracas on February 12.

Riot police protect themselves during an opposition rally in Caracas on February 12.Riot police protect themselves during an opposition rally in Caracas on February 12.

Police detain a student during clashes in Caracas on February 12.Police detain a student during clashes in Caracas on February 12.

Protesters confront riot police in Caracas on February 12.Protesters confront riot police in Caracas on February 12.

A protester throws a stone in Caracas on February 12.A protester throws a stone in Caracas on February 12.

A student falls to the ground in front of riot police in Caracas on February 12.A student falls to the ground in front of riot police in Caracas on February 12.








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  • Experts say it's too soon to ring the death knell for Hugo Chavez's revolution

  • With so many factors in flux, it's difficult to guess what's next in Venezuela

  • But there are some possible game-changers to keep an eye on

  • Tensions are running high amid anti-government protests




(CNN) -- Student protesters pack the streets. Violence surges. Tear gas billows.


Opposition leaders and government officials blame each other for the unrest, and both sides show no sign of backing down.


No matter who you believe, it's clear that tensions are running high in Venezuela.


The anti-government demonstrations are the biggest threat President Nicolas Maduro has faced since his election last year. And inside and outside the South American country's borders, there's a major question many are asking: Could this be the beginning of the end for Venezuela's socialist government?


Searching for truth in Venezuela


The situation doesn't look pretty. Inflation topped 56% last year. Crime rates are high. Goods shortages have left store shelves bare.





McCain: Venezuela fed up with socialism

But the next election is years away, and experts say it's likely too soon to start ringing the death knell for Hugo Chavez's revolution just yet.


A variety of scenarios could play out in the coming days, depending on the steps authorities and protesters take. And, with so many factors in flux, it's difficult to guess what's next.


"Anything can happen now," said Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College. "This is a real crisis on all fronts. The government has ways to survive...but at the same time, it can lose this battle."


Here are some possible game-changers to keep an eye on:





Why Maduro wants media out of Venezuela




What's next for Venezuela's opposition?

Government crackdowns on protesters


Leopoldo Lopez, the opposition politician accused by the government of inciting violence and leading the recent protests, is behind bars, facing charges of arson and conspiracy.


Maduro has vowed to crack down on other opposition leaders like him, calling them fascists and comparing them to a disease that must be cured.


He's defended that approach in national television broadcasts, accusing protesters of violence, vandalism and plotting a slow-motion coup.


"Is capturing these people repression? Or is it justice?" Maduro said after airing videos during a national broadcast that he said showed opposition attacks on government buildings.


Any ratcheting up of repression could have a major cost for the government, possibly turning supporters at home and abroad against it, said David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America.


"In contrast to Venezuela's serious problem with street crime, for which the government does not traditionally pay a political price, for this kind of repression it will," Smilde wrote in an analysis of the situation this week. "At best, it reveals a government that cannot control its guns. At worst, it reveals a government that is as violent as its opponents have long claimed."


On the other hand, the government could defuse the situation.


"If the government responds in some way and deals with the situation by relieving some of the distress and trying not to clamp down further, and showing some flexibility and some willingness to engage in some dialogue and moderation, then I think it could weather this period," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank.


Support from Chavistas


There's one major reason analysts point to when they say that Venezuela's socialist government isn't approaching any sort of imminent collapse: Many people in the country are still behind the President.


"Maduro has a lot of support," said George Ciccariello-Maher, an assistant professor of political science at Drexel University. "He's not Chavez, but he's seen as a relatively faithful representative of what Chavez stood for."


The cornerstone of Chavez's presidency was the Bolivarian Revolution, his ambitious plan to turn Venezuela into a socialist state. Social "missions" aimed at eradicating illiteracy, distributing staple foods and providing health care popped up across the country.


Chavez was elected and re-elected in large part thanks to support from the country's poor, who felt marginalized by previous governments. He tapped into their needs and frustrations -- often through confrontations with the Venezuelan elite.


Maduro -- who Chavez tapped as his successor before he died -- has taken a similar tack. His narrow election victory last year was closer than supporters had hoped, but he still won.


Throngs of Maduro's dedicated followers still call themselves Chavistas in devotion to the former president.


Even though Maduro is nowhere near as charismatic as Chavez, for many, he's still better than the alternative, Shifter said.


"They perceive that there are parts of the opposition that want to go back to pre-Chavez Venezuela, which basically ignored the concerns of the poor," Shifter said. "They don't want to lose what they think they've gained."


A key challenge for the opposition is chipping away at Chavistas' support for the government. If they can win over Chavez loyalists, that could tip the scales.


Ciccariello-Maher, who authored "We Created Chavez: A People's History of the Venezuelan Revolution," argues that's not likely. The revolution, he says, is much bigger than Chavez or Maduro.


"The Chavista government has been in power for more than 14 years and has won a larger number of elections than any other government essentially on earth because they mobilized the poor and have a strong support base among the poor, and also a chunk of the middle class," Ciccariello-Maher said. "This support base is not going anywhere, and it's not going to disintegrate because a relatively small number of students are protesting in relatively middle class areas of the country."


Follow the money


For months, major goods shortages have left shelves bare in Venezuelan stores.


The government accuses distributors of orchestrating the shortages as part of an "economic war" to fuel unrest.


The opposition says that's one of many painful examples that show the government's mishandling of the country's finances.


While the populist platform of sharing Venezuela's vast oil wealth with the poor and disenfranchised has helped reduce poverty, critics have warned that flawed economic policies -- such as currency controls and expropriation of private companies -- set the country on a crash course toward financial ruin.


Despite government efforts to stem inflation with price controls, analysts have said the economic picture looks bleak.


It's no coincidence that tensions are running high while Venezuela faces significant economic problems, experts say.


"This has been sort of a cyclical phenomenon of protests in Venezuela," Shifter said. "But I think we're at a different point in the evolution of a situation, a point where the economic situation is what's driving what's happening...more than anything else, just the shear economic desperation for many people and the shortages and the rising inflation."


And if those problems worsen, it's not good for the government.


"If Venezuela experiences a serious economic meltdown, the opposition movement could grow, despite not making any efforts to reach beyond its traditional base," Smilde said.


Military might


Right now, analysts say the military seems to be squarely behind Maduro.


That wasn't the case in 2002, when Chavez was briefly ousted from power by a military coup.


"The military is much more Chavista than it was in 2002," Ciccariello-Maher said.


But there could come a moment, Corrales said, when the military's loyalties are challenged.


"If they are asked to be repressive," he said, "they will face a difficult choice of whether to comply or not."


Who's protesting?


The recent protests have highlighted growing discontent with Venezuela's government, but also rifts within the opposition -- a disparate group of parties that banded together in an attempt to defeat Chavez at the polls and now hope Maduro's government will fall.


Henrique Capriles Radonski, a leading opposition politician who lost his bid for the presidency last year, has been trying to take a more moderate approach and build a broader support base.


But Lopez and other opposition leaders have pushed for protests in the streets.


A looming question is whether the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable -- which includes parties with a wide range of ideologies within its ranks -- can stick together for a common political goal.


"Behind the scenes, the opposition is very much cracking," Ciccariello-Maher said.


If more militant members of the opposition attempt a coup, he said, that will only backfire the next time Venezuelans head to the polls.


Smilde said he's seen how much Lopez's impassioned speeches have fired up crowds.


"This movement is energizing the opposition base in a way they haven't been in eight years," Smilde said. "But there seems to be little effort to reach out to disgruntled Chavistas, or broaden the message towards issues of equality and poverty reduction that might mobilize a broader coalition."


The toughest challenge the opposition faces might be keeping up the momentum they've started.


"It's very hard to sustain protests. There have been other moments when there have been protests in Venezuela, and they come and they go," Shifter said. "If this one goes and sort of dies down, then I think Lopez, his star may fade, and this whole episode may pass."


CNN's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.