Free Republic

Chávez Successor an Ex-Bus Driver, Peripatetic, Hindu-Mystic Devotee By KEJAL VYAS And JOSÉ DE CÓRDOBA CARACAS—Nicolas Maduro has gone from driving a bus to becoming ailing President Hugo Chávez's handpicked choice to continue his vision of socialism and possibly lead Venezuela, an oil-rich republic of 29 million. Mr. Chávez, who said this past weekend he has suffered another relapse in his long battle with cancer, named Mr. Maduro as his successor. It was the first time Mr. Chávez talked publicly about who might replace him, prompting many analysts to speculate that the former army tank commander believes himself to be...

In the clearest indicator yet that Chavez's health problems could spell an end to his tumultuous years at the helm of the OPEC nation, he said supporters should vote for Vice-President Nicolas Maduro if a new election had to be held. His departure would trigger an election and mark the end of an era for the Latin American left, depriving them of one of their most acerbic voices. A clutch of nations in the region, from Cuba and Nicaragua to Bolivia and Ecuador, depend on Chavez's oil-fuelled generosity to bolster their fragile economies. An unruly transition from Chavez's highly centralized...