As Chavez and Maduro images disappear, is Venezuela entering a new chapter?

Caracas, Venezuela – In a small square in central Caracas, Victor Rodriguez pauses at a giant mural of a figure draped in teal green. It’s the man he credits with giving him the opportunity to become an artist: former President Hugo Chavez. Rodriguez, who paints under the name Forastero, helped create the image for the late Venezuelan leader's birthday on July 28. He says Chavez opened up new spaces for art and culture, giving artists from poorer neighbourhoods opportunities they never had before. But today, Forastero is dismayed. He worries about the future of such art. “Chavez represents revolution. He is anti-imperialist,” Forastero told Al Jazeera. “But now Chavez murals are disappearing.” In recent months, Caracas has seen a transformation.