# Hugo Chavez might be too sick to attend his own inaugural **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 13, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903 "2012-12-13T05:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/1 "2012-12-13T05:12:08Z")
[Or even to leave Cuba for it.](http://news.yahoo.com/government-chavez-may-not-well-inauguration-023703524.html) It doesn’t look good for him. Chavez has at least had the foresight to name a successor: > [@](#): > > Analysts say [Vice President Nicolas] Maduro could eventually face challenges in trying to hold together the president’s diverse “Chavismo” movement, which includes groups from radical leftists to moderates, as well as military factions. > > Tapped by the 58-year-old president over the weekend as his chosen political heir, Maduro is considered to be a member of radical left wing of Chavez’s movement that is closely aligned with Cuba’s communist government. 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? [Wiki on Nicolas Maduro.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Maduro) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/2 "2012-12-13T13:37:04Z")
Meet the new boss…same as the old boss. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/3 "2012-12-13T22:22:15Z")
> [@](#): > > What do you think? 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. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/4 "2012-12-13T22:50:38Z")
I first read the title as: Hugo Chavez might be too sick to attend his own funeral. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/5 "2012-12-13T23:03:50Z")
Whatever happens, he deserves credit for achieving the impossible… namely, making George W Bush look good in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/6 "2012-12-14T03:49:21Z")
> [@XT](#): > > It’s ironic that they need to choose an heir, don’t you think? 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. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/7 "2012-12-14T04:07:59Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > 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. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/8 "2012-12-14T04:19:14Z")
> [@XT](#): > > 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. Two and a half 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/9 "2012-12-14T14:20:42Z")
> [@XT](#): > > 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. 😛 :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. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/10 "2012-12-14T14:23:44Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/11 "2012-12-14T14:29:55Z")
Hmmm… Maduro. I wonder if his wife/girlfriend is an “aficionado”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/12 "2012-12-14T14:58:10Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/13 "2012-12-14T15:46:35Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Whatever happens, he deserves credit for achieving the impossible… namely, making George W Bush look good in comparison. Nah . . . He would need at least two more full terms to have a shot at that; he won’t live long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/14 "2012-12-14T16:03:16Z")
Welp, looks like Chavez is going to be “President for Life” after all… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/15 "2012-12-14T16:50:53Z")
I vote we let Sean Penn run Venezuela for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/16 "2012-12-14T17:49:41Z")
Why do you hate the Venezuelan people? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/17 "2012-12-14T21:02:49Z")
> [@XT](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/18 "2012-12-15T00:08:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I first read the title as: Hugo Chavez might be too sick to attend his own funeral. 🙂 Glad I wasn’t the only one! ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/19 "2012-12-15T00:39:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Don’t forget: Venezuela, as it is now, **is** a real democracy, whether you like the people’s choices or not. 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. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903/20 "2013-01-05T02:15:00Z")
[Chavez is still sick and probably won’t attend his own inaugural on January 10.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/world/americas/venezuela-chavez-scenarios/index.html) 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hugo-chavez-might-be-too-sick-to-attend-his-own-inaugural/643903.md?page=2)