Nicolas Maduro's Mentions Of Hugo Chavez Tracked By Website 'Madurodice.com'

Acting Venezuelan President Maduro can’t stop saying “Hugo Chávez.”

The death of Venezuela’s socialist firebrand has left a leadership void that is hard to fill. And it appears that Maduro isn’t even going to try to outshine the towering figure who preceded him. Instead, he’s selling himself as Chávez’s most devoted disciple -- by talking about him constantly.

A new website, Madurodice.com -- Spanish for “Maduro says” -- says the Venezuelan president has mentioned Hugo Chávez in radio and television appearances more than 3,100 times in the two weeks since the leader’s death. The site tracks Maduro’s mentions of Chávez in two charts updated daily, one tracking mentions per day and the other documenting cumulative mentions.

“We dedicate our time to following Maduro on radio and TV to bring you the best statistics,” the site says.

We weren’t able to independently verify the claim, but it’s clear that both Venezuelans and journalists who cover the country view the site as credible. The site has built a following of more than 8,300 on Facebook -- fairly high by DIY Venezuelan standards -- and has been cited by prominent Venezuelan journalist Nelson Bocaranda, as well as a few foreign correspondents.

Madurodice.com isn’t the only one to notice how often Maduro blabs about Chávez. Satirical site El Chigüire Bipolar posted an article earlier this month that read:

Following the legacy of President Chávez, candidate Nicolás Maduro announced today that ‘Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez.’ During the event at Plaza Caracas, Maduro explained: ‘Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez Chávez.’…

You get the idea.