Kidnapping worries Venezuela - Fears it could be start of trend *** CARACAS - The recent abduction of a former state governor opposed to President Hugo Chávez has sparked a controversy amid fears that it could be the first political kidnapping in Venezuelan history.
Sergio Calderón, the former secretary general of the COPEI party, has not been heard from since he was abducted July 25 by five gunmen who wore hoods covering their heads but not their faces. The snatching of the popular opposition leader known as ''El Cura'' -- the priest -- has sparked fears that it signals a critical turn in Venezuela's 16-month political crisis.