Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his ally Cristina Fernandez met behind closed doors on Wednesday ahead of a big soccer-stadium rally organized by the Argentine president's supporters, AP reported. "I feel very strongly the presence and fresh fingerprints of the 'comandante,'" said Maduro, who was hand-picked by the dying Hugo Chavez to take over his socialist government in Caracas. "Chavez deeply loved the people of San Martin, of Peron, of Evita, of Nestor Kirchner," he said, naming a string of Argentine icons. Maduro met earlier with Uruguayan President Jose Mujica in Montevideo, and his next stop will be Brazil, rounding out a tour meant to shore up support after narrowly winning an election challenged as fraudulent by his challenger Henrique Capriles. The vote has left Venezuela even more polarized, and Maduro in need of fast friends. Mujica gave Maduro, who will inherit Mercosur's rotating presidency in June, a boost when he said Venezuela's presence in the trade group is very important. Fernandez, for her part, mobilized "Organized and United," a coalition of pro-government groups that reliably delivers supporters to political rallies.
