Looking ahead in Venezuela

When Venezuela President Hugo Chavez announced last weekend that his cancer was back and he was returning to Cuba for surgery, he was flanked by two men: On his left was his vice president, Nicolas Maduro, and on his right was Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly. The presence of these two men is significant.

Chavez was sending an unambiguous message to his supporters. If his health were to prevent him from finishing out his term — or being sworn in Jan. 10 for his fourth term, as the information minister has said might be a possibility — these were men he trusted to continue his "Bolivarian Revolution."

The Venezuelan Constitution calls for a new presidential election within 30 days if the winner is unable to take office or if the president leaves office during the first four years of the six-year term. Chavez instructed his loyalists to vote for Maduro to succeed him. He then met with his Cabinet and the military high command in an effort to encourage unity and ensure the military's loyalty to him — and to Maduro.

The United States will carefully watch how these developments unfold over the next months.

More at: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-shapiro-post-chavez-venezuela-20121216,0,2753500.story