In Venezuela, Maduro-like Christmas toy stirs controversy

By CAMILLE RODRIGUEZ MONTILLA and MANUEL RUEDA
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Every year, Venezuela’s socialist government hands out thousands of Christmas presents to the nation’s poorest children. This holiday season, officials added a new item to their gift bag: An action figure that fights the U.S. and is modeled after President Nicolas Maduro. The character goes by the name of “Super Bigote” due to its thick black mustache. The Christmas giveaway has angered academics and opposition leaders. They described it as a tasteless effort to indoctrinate children in the government’s socialist ideology as Venezuela struggles to recover from years of economic recession, food shortages and hyperinflation. But many government supporters were happy to receive the toy.