Chavez Dodges Televised Debate

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is not one to shy away from the spotlight, which is why he raised eyebrows by abruptly canceling an episode of his television show, Alo Presidente, yesterday. The last time his show aired, Chavez challenged his most formidable critic, Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, to debate a group of academics live on his show, with Chavez as moderator. Vargas Llosa fired back, saying he wanted to debate directly with Chavez and that his request wasn’t serious. Chavez has broadcast about 18 hours of special editions of the show in the past week to celebrate its tenth anniversary, calling the TV extravaganza a “soap opera.” An episode is scheduled to air tonight.