# Hugo Chavez is dead; what next for Venezuela? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125 "2013-03-05T22:01:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/21 "2013-03-06T00:38:33Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Considering that he fixed elections, suppressed opposition, and created what amounts to a personality cult, whatever is next for Venezuela can only be good. Sorry, but I’m on the record of not agreeing with him, any support was only for the reason that the opposition was even worse and willing even to call a coup a “democratic effort”, And international observers could not find much of any evidence of elections being fixed. I’m actually ambivalent of him dying, not really sad, nor happy, I only do agree that good will come as the cult of personality is gone. ---
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/22 "2013-03-06T02:55:22Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > Yes, we infected him with cancer. Of course. We were all out of exploding cigars. He didn’t die of cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/23 "2013-03-06T03:06:14Z")
He banned Hallowe’en and then died? The Gypsy woman was right! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/24 "2013-03-06T03:51:35Z")
> [@EasyPhil](#): > > He didn’t die of cancer. What did he die of? I can’t find any sources that say the cause at all, although most sources imply it was cancer. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/25 "2013-03-06T04:03:15Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > What did he die of? I can’t find any sources that say the cause at all, although most sources imply it was cancer. AFAIK, there were indeed many cancer operations, but it was reported that a lung infection did him in the end. Not so strange as the American Cancer Society reports: [http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/infectionsinpeoplewithcancer/infections-in-people-with-cancer](http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/infectionsinpeoplewithcancer/infections-in-people-with-cancer) > [@](#): > > The mucous membranes, which form the moist, pink lining layer of the mouth, throat, nose, eyelids, urethra, vagina, and digestive (gastrointestinal) system, also act as a barrier against infection. These membranes normally help protect us from germs in the air we breathe, our environment, and in our food and drink. > > Cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery) and invasive procedures (like putting in catheters or IVs, or getting shots) can damage the skin or mucous membranes so that germs can get inside the body. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/26 "2013-03-06T04:22:10Z")
Wither Venezuela? Does anyone really care? I’m not losing any sleep over this. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/27 "2013-03-06T04:51:22Z")
Well I’m guessing 29 million odd Venezuelans might have a bit of an interest in their fate. My guess is absent its leader, Chavez’s political movement slowly withers and the opposition wins the next election. ---
**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, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/28 "2013-03-06T04:55:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wither Venezuela? Does anyone really care?. Only if you are interested in the politics of the Western Hemisphere, I suppose. Venezuela has had very important influence on a number of other countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Not to mention providing at least moral support to states such as Iran. ---
**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, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/29 "2013-03-06T05:05:02Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I only do agree that good will come as the cult of personality is gone. Chavez aspired to be President for Life. Ultimately he got his wish. ---
**Author:** ![RhapsodyInBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/30 "2013-03-06T06:47:40Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I doubt his cult of personality will stay around for more than a few years. See also [Peronism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peronism)… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/31 "2013-03-06T06:49:18Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > Yes, we infected him with cancer. Of course. We were all out of exploding cigars. Come to think of it, if the CIA can give you cancer, why is Fidel still alive? ---
**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, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/32 "2013-03-06T06:58:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > > [@John\_Mace](#): > > > > Wither Venezuela? Does anyone really care? > > Only if you are interested in the politics of the Western Hemisphere, I suppose. Venezuela has had very important influence on a number of other countries… And, some of the biggest oil reserves in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/33 "2013-03-06T17:01:58Z")
Don’t cry for him, Venezuela. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/34 "2013-03-06T17:08:38Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Chavez aspired to be President for Life. Ultimately he got his wish. Is that one of those “be careful what you wish for” things? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/35 "2013-03-06T17:42:54Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > My guess is absent its leader, Chavez’s political movement slowly withers and the opposition wins the next election. What makes you think that? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/36 "2013-03-06T18:34:05Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > I’m guessing this means the only brought him back from Cuba was so he could die in Venezuela. Assuming that’s what actually happened, and there wasn’t some _Weekend at Hugo’s_ tomfoolery going on. I somehow missed this the first time around, but Slate re-ran an [article](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/08/hugo_boss.html) by Christopher Hitchens about meeting Chavez while in the company of Sean Penn. It almost reads like parody, but I presume Hitch was reporting accurately. If so, Hugo was already deeply into crackpot territory years ago. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/37 "2013-03-06T19:58:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What makes you think that? Nothing concrete, just the impression that the Chavenistas are all about the man rather than a coherent ideological movement. If he’d hung for another few years (ala Castro) and had time to organise the transition my impression would be different. All this is wild speculation on my part based on cursory following of events in the media rather than any in depth analysis of course. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/38 "2013-03-07T03:20:55Z")
Someone on NPR this morning said Maduro will probably cut Cuba’s line of cheap oil to shore up the Venezuelan economy, which mostly sucks. This would not be good for Cuba and I’d say that the People’s Soviet Socialistical Republic and Fried Plantain Stand of Cuba is toast. And since they sold much of that cheap oil to get foreign currency about all they have left is doctors, who can go to other countries and send hard currency back to their mamacitas. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/39 "2013-03-07T05:32:40Z")
> [@RhapsodyInBlue](#): > > See also [Peronism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peronism)… I think Peron being still alive (yet far away) was an important element in Peronism surviving. ---
**Author:** ![RhapsodyInBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125/40 "2013-03-07T06:20:19Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > I think Peron being still alive (yet far away) was an important element in Peronism surviving. He’s been dead for almost 40 years, and Peronism is still going strong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-is-dead-what-next-for-venezuela/652125.md?page=3)