How Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro defied all predictions

Nicolás Maduro believes that his predecessor and political father, the late Hugo Chávez, appeared before him in the form of a small bird and a butterfly. He also thinks that celebrating Christmas two months early – by presidential decree – helps “lift the spirits of Venezuelans.” He confuses “gremlin” with “grinch,” invents words in Spanish, and often makes one linguistic slip after another. The decisions and statements of Venezuela&r