Or even to leave Cuba for it. It doesn’t look good for him. Chavez has at least had the foresight to name a successor:
So, there could be a smooth succession and a continuation of the “Bolivarian Revolution” under essentially the same regime . . . Or, that diverse coalition could come apart without Chavez to lead it, and then things get really interesting. I think a smooth succession is more likely, though. What do you think?
Meet the new boss…same as the old boss.
My first thought is ‘bummer’, while rolling my eyes.
It’s ironic that they need to choose an heir, don’t you think? And that they need to cover up how bad off he is from his own people. 
Oh well, it will be worth the price of admission to see how that works out if Chavez will get on with shuffling off this mortal coil already. Personally, I’d say that after he’s gone it will be anything but smooth for his chosen successor, but I guess we’ll see.
I first read the title as: Hugo Chavez might be too sick to attend his own funeral. 
Whatever happens, he deserves credit for achieving the impossible… namely, making George W Bush look good in comparison.
Eh, so far as I can tell, its not any different then calling Al Gore Clinton’s “heir”.
But the Chavez recepie for retaining political power seems to be just handing out oil money to enough people to keep them happy. Unless the new guy is unusually incompetent, or oil prices drop considerably, I doubt he’ll have any trouble keeping that going. Especially as he doesn’t even have to worry about an election till 2018.
Um no…it’s nothing like calling Al Gore the ‘Heir’. If Clinton had kicked the bucket, the most Al could hope for would be his two terms. This guy can expect his, um, term to last for anywhere from whenever he shuffles off himself to whenever there is a revolution to toss him out. On the good side he can probably expect to win all his elections by the same margins as Hugo does until that revolution happens.
Two and a half terms.
He can expect it to last six years. He can keep running every six years till whatever, but I don’t see how lack of term-limits makes one an “heir” while being limited to ten years doesn’t. If you like the analogy better though, you can use FDR Truman instead of Clinton Gore.
He’s being called Chavez’s heir because he’s Chavez’s VP and its pretty clear the person Chavez would like to see become President after him. That isn’t any different then the Gore-Clinton dynamic.
:dubious: Doubtful. Venezuelan elections since Chavez took office have been free, fair and honest to the satisfaction of all international observers, and this Maduro, he has not Chavez’ charisma.
Well, the difference, it seems to me, is that Chavez is not simply acknowledging Maduro would be the constitutional heir to his office; apparently, he is naming Maduro as the next leader of his movement, with that mandate to continue the “Bolivarian Revolution,” or continue to fight for it, whether he is in office or not.
Hmmm… Maduro. I wonder if his wife/girlfriend is an “aficionado”? 
I saw a news clip where Sean Penn was practically comparing Chavez with god.
And I remember reading that Chavez gifted heating oil to poor Americans. Chavez can’t be all bad, eh?
Nah . . . He would need at least two more full terms to have a shot at that; he won’t live long enough.
Welp, looks like Chavez is going to be “President for Life” after all…
I vote we let Sean Penn run Venezuela for a while.
Why do you hate the Venezuelan people?
Don’t forget: Venezuela, as it is now, is a real democracy, whether you like the people’s choices or not. Any such “revolution” would no more be pro-democratic than was the 2002 coup attempt.
Glad I wasn’t the only one!
NGOs such as Freedom House disagree with you. The vote counts may be fair, but there is tremendous systemic bias in favor of Chavez and his candidates.
Chavez is still sick and probably won’t attend his own inaugural on January 10. The opposition is now saying that event would require a new presidential election. (The last one was only three months ago.) Supporters say the inauguration date can simply be postponed, or that Chavez can take the oath while in Cuba. This appears to be an unsettled point of Venezuelan constitutional law, with scholars arguing both sides.