Posted on 06/26/2011 11:17:38 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- One of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's brothers said Sunday that backers of the hospitalized leftist leader should not rule out armed struggle in the future, though they prefer to maintain power at the ballot box.
Adan Chavez's statement came as speculation mounted about the health of the president, who has been convalescing at an undisclosed location in Cuba after reportedly undergoing emergency surgery 16 days ago.
Chavez's older brother said Venezuela's ruling party wants to retain power by defeating foes in elections. But he told government supporters that they should be ready to take up arms if necessary.
"As authentic revolutionaries, we cannot forget other forms of fighting," he said during a prayer meeting for the health of his 56-year-old brother in the leader's home state of Barinas.
Quoting Latin American revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the president's brother added: "It would be inexcusable to limit ourselves to only the electoral and not see other forms of struggle, including the armed struggle."
[snip]
"No one else is really ready to step in and take charge," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank. "The current situation shows how precarious one-man rule is: Everything hinges on the whims of a single individual."
"A search for a successor to Chavez would significantly scramble the country's politics," Shifter said. "A fierce power struggle within Chavismo would almost certainly ensue."
Infighting also would likely break out within Venezuela's loosely knit opposition, which plans to hold a primary to pick a presidential candidate for next year's election.
"The opposition would also be thrown off balance," Shifter said. "Their single-minded focus on Chavez has kept them more united in recent years."
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
For the time being Obama is doing everything on his end to keep our own domestic production down and Hugo’s fortune’s up.
Free markets are being denied at both ends and we see the results.
Their example would make for a lively and instructive free market capitalism class.
“On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
There is something fishy about the whole thing.
Mike
what is a pelvic abscess? i wish him nothing but a speedy dirtnap, he has brought venezuela to ruin.
-——what is a pelvic abscess?-——
Terminal clap
I don’t know what that is supposed to mean.
It sounds like a dodge.
Some say he has prostate cancer.
LMAO!
i liked bert’s answer better ; )
i have a very good friend from Venezuela. her parents still live there, haven’t spoken to her since these rumors started surfacing, i will have to see what she says about the situation there.
Ping me if you hear something.
bert’s was best!
LOL
...and Imam Ozero is even more leftist & radical than Chavez.
=^(
Will the world cry for us?
pfl
This sounds a lot like Libya. Now if Venezuelan citizens are being attacked by the dictator’s military what is a socialist American President to do?
I have read every single published article I can find on chavez in the last week, and it certainly seems that he is either very seriously ill or dead.
He is the single person in latin america I think is likely to start a regional war (with colombia), has been arming the military, allegedly has let iran start a missile base in vz, etc. If he dies, I don’t think I will ever be able to fully believe it was natural causes, or at least naturally causes not externally induced.
Well, I’m ready to go all in to do whatever it takes to save America...and that definitely includes supporting Sarah Maximus, the heir to Ronaldus Magnus.
Newfreep - aka “jim...from up the road in Dayton”
I’m ready to roll!
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