Hugo Chavez's painting auctioned for $255,000

MOSCOW, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - A painting by current Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been sold at an auction in Venezuela for $255,000, congresswoman Hiroshima Bravo said on Tuesday.
El.salvador.com quoted Bravo as saying that money raised from the sale would cover Chavez's socialist party election campaign expenses.
Chavez painted La Luna de Yare (The Yare Moon) while serving a two-year prison sentence for his unsuccessful attempt to topple Venezuela's government in 1992.
Bravo said the auction had attracted almost 40 bidders with a starting price of some $14,000.
The painting was bought by three Venezuelan businessmen.

(Pagaron US$ 256.000 por un cuadro de Hugo Chávez: "El cuadro, titulado La luna de Yare, fue adquirido por el empresario venezolano de la construcción Bakhos Antoun, informó la legisladora del oficialista Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), Iroshima Bravo, quien indicó que el dinero será destinado a la campaña de los comicios regionales de noviembre próximo, según reportó la agencia de noticias ANSA.)