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Posted on 12/11/2012 7:47:31 AM PST by IBD editorial writer
Americas: Dictator Hugo Chavez's near-certain exit in Venezuela looks like a second wind for the country's democrats. But not so fast: The petrotyranny is no longer a republic, it's a cult of personality. Latin Spring is more like it. The shocking news over the weekend from Chavez, that he was heading back to Cuba for a third operation less than a week after treatment there, pretty well signals that the still-undisclosed type of cancer that afflicts him is terminal. A somber Chavez announced Saturday for the first time that he was turning over the reins of power to former bus driver Nicolas Maduro, who's served as his foreign minister since 2006. Chavez urged Venezuelans "from the bottom of my heart" to vote for Maduro if "anything happens to me." He meant death, and was referring to the proviso in Venezuela's constitution that elections be called within 30 days if a president dies before he can assume another term, which in his case was scheduled in 2013. On the surface, that ought to be good news for Venezuela's battered opposition, which last October came as close as they've ever come to unseating Chavez. Henrique Capriles Radonski drew more than 40% of the vote in what was an impossibly stacked election, a powerful show of unity in the face of long odds.
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Chaos is a big step up from Chavez.
How do you say, “Apres moi, le deluge” in Spanish?
Es que huele a azufre?
The opposition needs to get behind ONE candidate, and oust the commies.
BUT....human nature being what it is... people are STILL GA GA about free stuff and loudmouth demagogues who promise them free stuff!
Look for a coming disaster after Chavez has left the scene. Venezuela is already track for a crash.
Hopefully, chaos would result in getting rid of the commie gov’t.
Like the USA and Obama, once Chavez is gone and Venezuela faces reality, there will be a crash.
BUT, if they ride it out, have a rule of law, and give people back a recent degree of economic freedom, their economy will begin to boom within 3 years.
I have friends in Venezuela for the oil industry, and it is one screwed-up place. Their oil industry has been run into the ground to serve Chavez’s ambitions. It will take time to fix it, but it can be fixed once he is gone
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