"We finish the book asking pupils to consider whether the empire was a good thing or a bad thing.The word "empire" still does not issue easily from all lips.3 March 2014Last updated at 23:46 UN's Ban Ki-moon urges Venezuela to hear protesters' demands United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Venezuelan authorities to "listen carefully to the aspirations" of protesters and engage in dialogue with the opposition who lost the vote by a narrow margin, Under this public-private partnership.