# Breaking news: Hugo Chavez dead at 58 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130 "2013-03-05T22:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/1 "2013-03-05T22:22:11Z")
> **[Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dies | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/world/americas/venezuela-chavez-main/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)** > > Uncertainty swirled around what happens next in Venezuela as the South American country mourns its late leader and prepares to pick a president to replace him. Fidel Castro can’t be very far behind. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/2 "2013-03-05T22:31:07Z")
So who is in charge? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/3 "2013-03-05T22:46:28Z")
One less whack-a-doodle leader in the world. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/4 "2013-03-05T22:47:15Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > So who is in charge? I would assume the (now former) vice-president [Nicolas Maduro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol%C3%A1s_Maduro). ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/5 "2013-03-05T23:06:50Z")
The end of Chavez is very positive for the Venezuelan people-the country can stop its ruinous financial support of the Castro regime, so the end of Communism in Cuba isn’t far behind! Plus, the new government can bring in foreign investment-and begin tapping the huge tar sand oil deposits (the Orinoco Belt). Venezuela will then have the cash flow to improve its people’s standard of living, and the last of the socialist regime will be flushed out to sea! IN essence-a new day for the long suffering people of Venezuela:) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/6 "2013-03-05T23:10:38Z")
Or business as usual. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/7 "2013-03-05T23:28:38Z")
> [@](#): > > The announcement came hours after Maduro met with the country’s top political and military leaders about Chavez’s worsening health condition and suggested **someone may have deliberately infected Chavez with cancer.** What. The. Fuck? Really? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/8 "2013-03-05T23:29:56Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > a new day for the long suffering people of Venezuela:) Who voted him into office twice… On the other hand, I’m sure the rich landowning families sure are popping the corks today. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/9 "2013-03-06T02:31:08Z")
I bet this is just killing Romney. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/10 "2013-03-06T03:49:35Z")
A question. If Nicolas Maduro was the Vice President, why was Diosdado Cabello named as Acting President during Chavez’s long illness? ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/11 "2013-03-06T03:58:31Z")
I didn’t get that either. What does the vice-president do under the Venezuelan Constitution? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/12 "2013-03-06T04:08:12Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Who voted him into office twice… Four times, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/13 "2013-03-06T04:17:26Z")
> [@Carl\_Corey](#): > > I didn’t get that either. What does the vice-president do under the Venezuelan Constitution? [Here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_Venezuela) Note that the Vice President is not elected but is appointed by the President. From[here:](http://www.policymic.com/articles/20724/hugo-chavez-death-watch-if-the-venezuela-president-dies-who-will-replace-him) > [@](#): > > As the Associated Press reports, the Venezuelan constitution, in its article 233, establishes that, if an acting president dies, or is declared incapacitated, the vice president is sworn as interim president. If a president-elect dies or is declared incapacitated and unable to be sworn in, the National Assembly president would temporarily take charge of the government. In both cases a new presidential vote must be called within 30 days. > > Here is the weird part: Chávez is both the acting president and the president-elect, and the constitution does not specify what to do in this case because it was first drafted assuming that reelection was not an option, until that was changed by a national referendum in 2009. This means that it depends on an arbitrary interpretation of the constitution whether the successor in line is the vice president or the National Assembly president. Venezuela’s supreme court is subordinated to Chávez will, but if he dies before he is sworn in January, the justices are free to decide which interpretation holds, and that will depend on which political actor is more powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/14 "2013-03-06T04:19:34Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Fidel Castro can’t be very far behind. Of course, people have been saying that since I was in knee pants, and he’s still alive. I’ve begun to think he’s actually immortal. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/15 "2013-03-06T04:34:56Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The end of Chavez is very positive for the Venezuelan people-the country can stop its ruinous financial support of the Castro regime, so the end of Communism in Cuba isn’t far behind! Plus, the new government can bring in foreign investment-and begin tapping the huge tar sand oil deposits (the Orinoco Belt). Venezuela will then have the cash flow to improve its people’s standard of living, and the last of the socialist regime will be flushed out to sea! IN essence-a new day for the long suffering people of Venezuela:) > [@Colibri](#): > > > [@jayjay](#): > > > > Who voted him into office twice… > > Four times, actually. Let’s see, there was the [December 1998 election](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_1998) that first brought him to power. During his first term, there was the April 1999 referendum to establish, and July 1999 election for membership in, [the constitutional convention](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Constituent_Assembly_of_Venezuela), followed by the [December 1999 referendum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_constitutional_referendum,_December_1999) to confirm the new [constitution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Venezuela). Then there was the [July 2000 election](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_2000) that returned Chavez for a second term (the new constitution mandated new elections). During his second term, he survived the [April 2002 coup](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Venezuelan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt), and the [December 2002 to February 2003 strike](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_general_strike_of_2002%E2%80%932003), and finally the [August 2004 recall referendum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_recall_referendum,_2004) (all of these had some of the same people involved). He was [elected to his third term in December 2006](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_2006), and [his fourth in December 2012](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_2012). So that’s four presidential elections and one referendum to endorse Chavez personally, plus a couple street fights in his favor, and a further three votes to enable and endorse his constitutional reforms. Clearly, while he had powerful interests opposed, his governance was enormously popular with the Venezuelan people. It’s hard to imagine that most of those people would want to see radical reversals. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/16 "2013-03-06T04:36:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > … the end of Communism in Cuba isn’t far behind! That’s what they said when the Soviets stopped their support for Castro in the 1990s. It’s taking longer than we thought. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/17 "2013-03-06T05:00:44Z")
> [@Carl\_Corey](#): > > I didn’t get that either. What does the vice-president do under the Venezuelan Constitution? Looking into it, it appears that both Maduro and Cabello were part of Chavez’s inner circle. It appears that Cabello had been with him longer but Maduro was the up-and-comer. And Chavez apparently wavered back and forth between them on who he wanted to designate as his successor (while also not wanted to admit he wouldn’t be around someday). The Venezuelan government has been fairly flexible on revising its laws to reflect political reality so I think it’s possible for either man to come out on top and retroactively legitimize his ascension. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/18 "2013-03-06T09:01:50Z")
Oh, good, now perhaps someone less deranged can step in. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/19 "2013-03-06T10:01:56Z")
What’s so great about Cuban medical treatment? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130/20 "2013-03-06T11:26:06Z")
Apparently, the question should be: _What’s so wrong with Venezuelan follow-up care?_ Anyway, the King of Spain should be happy that Chavez has finally shut up. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-hugo-chavez-dead-at-58/652130.md?page=2)