Photos: Outside Venezuelan capital, unkept promises
April 11, 2013
In this April 8, 2013 photo, Yadaira Nunez, 43, sits in her wooden shack next to a poster of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez that reads in Spanish; "The battle continues...," at a squatter settlement near Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of Venezuela's country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, children look out from their playhouse in a squatter settlement near Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of the country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, a mural of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez adorns a supermarket wall as customers shop in Maracay, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, is favored to win, largely on the strength of Chavez's generous anti-poverty programs. But recent polls show that support for Maduro may be eroding. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( APTOPIX Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
A supporter holds up a sign that reads in Spanish "The fight continues" and shows late President Hugo Chavez, left, and current presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro, before the closing campaign rally for Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, April 11, 2013. Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, is running for president against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles on April 14. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election )
In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters as he campaigns in Cabimas, Zulia state, Venezuela, Thursday, April 11, 2013. Maduro, late President Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, will run for president against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles on April 14. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press Office) ( Venezuela Election )
Supporters of ruling party presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro dressed as Cuba's revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara, right, late President Hugo Chavez, center left, and independence hero Simon Bolivar, far left, dance next to a cheerleader on a bus before Maduro's closing campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, April 11, 2013. Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, is running for president against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles on April 14. (AP Photo/Enric Marti) ( Venezuela Election )
Venezuelan opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski, speaks during a campaign rally in San Fernando de Apure, Apure state, Venezuela on April 11, 2013. LEO RAMIREZ/AFP/Getty Images ( 518824679 )
Opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles throws out baseball caps to supporters at a campaign rally in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela, Thursday, April 11, 2013. Capriles is running against the ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro in the upcoming April 14 presidential election. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) ( Venezuela Election )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, Pedro Martinez, 73, right, and his wife Aura, 60, hold lit candles during a power outage at their home in Valencia, Venezuela. "This happens nearly every day," Martinez says of the blackout. It's was the day's second outage. The first struck just after noon. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Polls show that support for acting President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, may be eroding and constant power outages are a testament to the neglect many Venezuelans consider inexcusable in this major oil-producing state. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, construction worker Anselmo Mendoza, 46, walks through rows of rebar at a bridge construction site in San Diego, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, has generally avoided references to public works on the campaign trail, although on a stop this week in Apure state, he did apologize for a delayed highway extension, maternity hospital and bridge. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Elections Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, street vendor Jose Gonzalez, 62, tries to persuade gas stations workers to buy some posters featuring Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez and acting President Nicolas Maduro, in Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Polls show that support for Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, may be eroding and constant power outages are a testament to the neglect many Venezuelans consider inexcusable in this major oil-producing state. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, supporters of the ruling party presidential candidate and acting President Nicolas Maduro are reflected in a car window in Valencia, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Maduro, is favored to win, largely on the strength of Chavez's generous anti-poverty programs. But recent polls show that support for Maduro, Chavez's hand-picked successor, may be eroding. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, an image of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez is posted on an iron fence next to a government construction project of would be homes in Valencia, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace socialist Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of Venezuela's country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, Eduardo Gonzalez, 30, holds his babies outside his aluminum shack in a squatter's settlement near Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of Venezuela's country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, two boys push their toy construction vehicles along a dirt path at a squatter settlement near Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of the country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
In this April 8, 2013 photo, a campaign poster featuring the ruling party presidential candidate, acting President Nicolas Maduro, hangs from a security door of a home in Tacarigua, Venezuela. Outside Venezuela's capital, power outages, food shortages and unfinished projects abound; important factors heading into Sunday's election to replace Chavez, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. An estimated 2 million of Venezuela's country's nearly 30 million people lack permanent homes, and one of Chavez's anti-poverty "missions" builds them. But it's been slow going. The government says it has built 370,500 homes and apartments over the past two years, and more than 3 million people applied for them. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ( Venezuela Election Hinterlands )
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