As a young man, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro played electric guitar, not sports. But like the men who mentored him — Cuba’s Fidel Castro and the late Hugo Chávez — he views the country’s Olympic achievements as a validation of his economic and social policies. It’s perhaps understandable, then, that Maduro was in a generous mood Monday when he welcomed home the 87 members of his country’s Olympic team with the announcement that they would all receive free houses and cash. She won silver in Rio, “thanks to the Bolivarian revolution, our commander Chávez and the athletic revolution,” Maduro said. The Venezuelan team also won a bronze medal in boxing, and another bronze in BMX cycling.

Source: National Post August 24, 2016 18:11 UTC