Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s Leader, Opts Not to Deliver U.N. Speech

Flush with oil money and political bravado, Hugo Chávez of Venezuela used his United Nations platform a decade ago to call George W. Bush the devil. Thursday’s speech will most likely adhere to the old anti-imperialist themes honed by Mr. Chávez, but it will not be delivered by his successor, President Nicolás Maduro, who dropped out at the last minute. In a speech late Tuesday night, Mr. Maduro announced that Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez would speak for him before the General Assembly. In the same speech, he condemned what he claimed were acts by the United States against his country — including violations of Venezuelan airspace by American planes from a base in Curaçao. American officials on Wednesday denied that any such flights had taken place. More…