David Lynch Reporting from Venezuela

Oil – Venezuela’s Lifeblood – Is Also A Political Flashpoint
CARACAS, Venezuela — Hugo Chavez vs. Big Oil. Now there’s a showdown without an obvious crowd favorite.

Venezuela’s Consumers Gobble Up U.S. Goods Despite Political Tension
VALENCIA, Venezuela — You might think a country headed by the ferociously anti-American President Hugo Chávez would be a lousy place for American companies to do business.

Is Hugo Chavez Mr. Misunderstood?
CARACAS, Venezuela — He roams Latin America, hurling insults at President Bush, sneering at the United States as the enemy “empire” and spending billions in oil money to undermine Washington wherever he can.