Whole lotta love: Maduro 'the hippy' reared on Led Zeppelin and Lennon
It might seem an unlikely claim for Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, to make after weeks of violent unrest in the country but the burly, moustachioed, former bus driver describes himself as a bit of a hippy and a fan of John Lennon's campaigns for peace and love.
Both have been in short supply in Venezuela in recent months as the country's worst civil conflict in a decade has left up to 39 dead, many more injured and several opposition figures jailed for inciting violence. Protesters have continued an often violent campaign to overthrow the government, including arson attacks on universities, bus stations and other public buildings.
But the president at the centre of this storm shrugs off opposition accusations that he has been acting like a dictator and using excessive force. Instead, Maduro insists that he and his ministers would have joined the protests themselves if they had really been about shortages – and are inspired by musical and political icons who championed non-violent protest.
"We are all a little bit hippy, a little bohemian," he told the Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/08/maduro-hippy-love-led-zeppelin-john-lennon
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