Major shake-up in Trujillo

Trujillo State Governor Hugo Cabezas announced that he has declined to run for a second term, even though he was endorsed by the comandante presidente himself weeks ago...

Trujillo State Governor Hugo Cabezas announced that he has declined to run for a second term, even though he was endorsed by the comandante presidente himself weeks ago as his candidate.

In a press conference, he acknowledged the lack of support of Chavista bases, to the point that the Tupamaros decided to support their own candidate.

Now Chavismo must find another candidate quickly and locals have proposed former member of the National Assembly Julio Moreno for the job. However, the buck stops in Miraflores in this case.

This will embolden those political allies of Chavismo that have questioned some of the State governors still supported by Chávez, like in Bolivar or Portuguesa. The PSUV shut the door to any compromise this week, but more last-minute changes are now possible.

UPDATE: Defense Minister Henry Rangel Silva will be the PSUV candidate for Trujillo. He was born there, but currently votes in Caracas. The CNE will probably help him out.