Venezuelan pastor fills presidential void left by opposition

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — With two months to go before Venezuela's presidential election, the only challenger to jump in the ring against President Nicolas Maduro is a little-known television evangelist who was once arrested for fuel smuggling and has a range of business ventures.

Despite his questioned past and the steep odds against him, the Rev. Javier Bertucci claims that he uniquely speaks to the vast majority of struggling Venezuelans disillusioned with both the opposition and Maduro's unpopular government. He calls himself the "candidate of hope" and says that Jesus Christ would surely support his candidacy.

"I'm the only one who can guarantee the governability of the country," Bertucci said in an interview. "I've traveled the country for eight years, seen the tears of mothers. ... No other leader can awaken the aching hearts of the Venezuelans."

But some anti-government activists see his longshot candidacy, which so far doesn't have the backing of any party, as dividing the opposition and lending undeserved legitimacy to Maduro's re-election attempt. It also underscores the rising political influence of fast-growing protestant churches in Latin America, where a born-again singer is the front-runner to be Costa Rica's next president and an evangelical bishop is now mayor of Rio de Janeiro.

Source: Yahoo News