Maldonado victory stirs controversy

CARACAS — Images of Pastor Maldonado celebrating his Formula One victory in the Spanish Grand Prix are being replayed to patriotic music on Venezuelan television, and President Hugo Chavez is heaping praise on the driver.

But while F1 fans on both sides of Venezuela's polarized political landscape are lauding Maldonado's performance, some critics have also been questioning how many millions of dollars Venezuela's state oil company has spent in sponsorship money for the team it's now touting, and whether it makes sense.

Chavez opponent Yon Goicoechea called it ironic that Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, a company that has recently increased its debt, has been financing the Williams team in "a sport of elites," while the government claims to represent the interests of the poor.

In an article published Tuesday in the newspaper El Universal, titled "Maldonado and the idiots," Goicoechea wrote: "No one remembers that Pastor Maldonado costs Pdvsa $66 million a year." He criticized the way some opposition leaders had praised Maldonado's performance, saying "what's most probable is that in a few days we'll see him on TV supporting Chavez."

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