The newly-elected President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, said yesterday that he will visit the Dominican Republic as part of a mini-tour before he takes office on February 2, 1999. Chávez, at 44 the youngest President ever elected in Venezuela, won handily over the weekend by riding the wave of public discontent with Venezuela’s traditional political parties. Chávez said he will make his first trip to the DR, Brazil and Colombia to emphasize his plans to make Venezuela a bridge between the Caribbean, the Andean nations and the nations of the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR). He said that he plans to make closer ties with the DR the pillar of his Caribbean policy.
