Courtesy of: Reuters

This week: Three days after Hugo Chávez’s death, Vice President Nicolás Maduro is sworn in as interim president; the National Electoral Council decides on April 14 as the date for the special election to choose a new president to complete Chávez’s term; Maduro hopes the sympathy vote will carry him to victory; opposition leader Henrique Capriles announces his bid for president, accusing Maduro and the rest of Chávez’s government of exploiting the late president’s death; and Capriles challenges Maduro to a debate. With Chávez gone, the possibility of pro-democracy reforms in Venezuela is renewed; the Venezuelan people remains divided over Chávez; the Venezuelan economy, and the Bolívar especially,, continue to struggle; Venezuela’s central bank announces it will auction U.S. dollars to try and counter the black market; Venezuela’s oil production continues to fall steadily. The owner of Globovisión, the last independent television station in Venezuela, is coerced into selling his station, raising concerns about the further erosion of media freedoms; a Venezuelan woman is arrested for tweeting criticism of the government; the U.S. kicks out two Venezuelan diplomats after Maduro removed U.S. diplomats from Venezuela; and Maduro announces Chávez will not be embalmed like other communist leaders, as was originally suggested.

Venezuela’s vice president sworn in as interim president, CNN

Vice President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in Friday as acting president of Venezuela in a ceremony held in the National Assembly in Caracas, three days after the death of President Hugo Chavez.

Venezuelan Election Set for April, The New York Times

Venezuela will hold a special election on April 14 to choose a new president to complete the term of Hugo Chávez, the charismatic socialist who died last week after a battle with cancer.

Venezuela’s presidential campaign: A man after his own heart, The Economist

WHEN Hugo Chávez announced in December that his cancer had returned, he put to rest all doubts about whom he wanted to succeed him as Venezuela’s president.

Henrique Capriles Announces Presidential Bid Saying the Government is Exploiting the Death of Hugo Chavez, Fox News Latino

Following days of speculation opposition leader Henrique Capriles announced Sunday evening he will challenge Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela’s upcoming presidential election.

Opposition leader wants to debate Venezuela’s Maduro, Reuters

Venezuela’s opposition leader challenged acting President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday to “stop lying” and have a debate, adding that he was sorry if he had caused offense during the increasingly bitter run-up to an April 14 election.

On Venezuela, Latin America’s democrats must come out of hiding, Miami Herald

In the days and weeks ahead in a post- Hugo Chávez Venezuela, there may be political turmoil and perhaps even violent unrest.

In Venezuela, divisions over Chávez extend from parliament to the dinner table, Christian Science Monitor

Mourning Hugo Chávez supporters lined streets outside the military academy for a fourth straight day today, but few were grieving just a few miles away.

Venezuela: On the Death of Chávez and the Ailing Bolivar, The Huffington Post

Although Hugo Chávez, the socialist presidente of Venezuela, has finally met his maker, the grim reaper is still lingering in Caracas.

Venezuela to auction dollars to counter black market: reports, Reuters

Venezuela’s central bank may auction U.S. dollars in a second official currency exchange mechanism designed to improve the supply of greenbacks and counter black market trading, newspapers said on Friday.

Dwindling Production Has Led to Lesser Role for Venezuela as Major Oil Power, The New York Times

President Hugo Chávez relished using Venezuela’s oil wealth to project power internationally, nudging OPEC to raise oil prices when he could, showering allies like Cuba and Nicaragua with subsidized oil shipments, and mocking the United States while selling it his crude.

Venezuela Takes Out Another Critic, The Wall Street Journal

The owner of Venezuela’s only independent television station, Globovision, announced on Monday that he has found a buyer and will exit the business.

Venezuelan official says woman arrested for posting ‘destabilizing messages’ on Internet, The Washington Post

Venezuela’s justice minister says a woman has been arrested for posting what he called “destabilizing messages” on a social networking site.

U.S. kicks out two Venezuelan diplomats, The Washington Times

The Obama administration revealed Monday that it had kicked two Venezuelan diplomats out of the United States, offering a clear signal that U.S.-Venezuelan relations are unlikely to warm quickly after the death last week of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Hugo Chavez not embalmed in time; won’t join communists on permanent display, Examiner

On March 13, acting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the body of deceased former President Hugo Chavez will not be on permanent display as previously declared because of a delay in embalming the communist leader’s remains, according to BBC News.