Venezuela's revolution divided in the cradle of Chavismo

The internal struggles of the movement started by late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez were encapsulated by the apparent defeat _ and its aftermath _ of one of his brothers during the gubernatorial election in November

SABANETA, Venezuela -- Nancy Mora yearns for the affection she says late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez showed his people. She touches her heart when she talks about the man she still calls her president and believes the revolution he started will continue as long as self-proclaimed Chavistas like her are alive.

But in Mora’s northwestern Venezuelan community of Sabaneta, Chávez’s birthplace, not everyone remains as faithful as she does to his ideas. Some of his longtime supporters now feel abandoned by the ruling party and overwhelmed by a crushing economy and lack of basic public services.

The internal struggles of Chavismo were encapsulated by the apparent defeat — and its aftermath — of one of Chávez’s brothers during gubernatorial elections in November. Now, after the apparent winner in the state of Barinas was retroactively disqualified, a re-do of the election is scheduled for Sunday.

The ballot for the special election for Barinas does not include a Chávez for the first time in more than two decades, yet the bid from the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela to draw voters to the polls hinges on what the last name symbolizes for people like Mora.