VENEZUELA: The Admiral & the Reds

One morning last week Venezuela's Communist Party boss. Gustavo Machado, walked into the Caracas house of Rear Admiral Wolfgang Larrazabal, leading presidential candidate and (until he started campaigning) head of the ruling junta. Half an hour later, smiling from ear to ear. Machado came out with a document. On it was Larrazábal's signature, officially accepting the support of the Communist Party in the Dec. 7 election.

The Reds could have voted for Larrazábal on the yellow ballot of the leftist U.R.D. (Democratic Republican Union) Party, which also nominated him. But the Communists,...

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