Chavez Ally Named New Vice President

President Hugo Chavez named lawyer Isaias Rodriguez, who was second in command of the pro-government Constitutional Assembly, as Venezuela’s vice president. The announcement in Caracas filled what Chavez described as a key post. Rodriguez, 57, will be in charge of the day-to-day running of the government and also coordinate the executive branch’s ties with Parliament. The post was created by a constitution approved in a referendum last month. The new charter is the cornerstone of the regime of the left-leaning Chavez, a former army coup leader who took office a year ago.