In Venezuela, Chávez's ex-wife an opposition candidate

Hugo Chávez has left a trail of defeated men in his wake during nearly 10 years as Venezuela's socialist president, winning three elections and surviving one recall attempt. Now his ex-wife and former first lady has emerged as what Venezuelans like to call ``the pebble in his shoe.'' Marisabel Rodríguez is one of his most dogged critics. She's also the mother of his 10-year-old daughter. Rodríguez's criticism last year of a referendum that Chávez sought to expand his powers helped sink the proposal, the only electoral defeat the president has ever suffered. ''A power grab,'' she called it. She's garnered more headlines by decrying a list of Chávez critics banned from seeking state and municipal offices this year. Now Rodríguez is running for mayor of Barquisimeto, her hometown. She dismisses those who think that she's engaged in a personal vendetta by downplaying her role as one of the president's chief antagonists. ''I'm not running against Chávez,'' Rodríguez told McClatchy during an interview in her middle-class home. ``I'm not running for president. I'm only making a small effort against him by trying to help my city.'' Analysts said, however, that she'd become a potent foe for Chávez, who's the United States' most vociferous critic in Latin America.