October 7 Re-election: President Chávez won another landslide victory in the October 7, 2012 presidential elections and is scheduled to be sworn in for a new six-year term on January 10, 2013. Last night he explained that tests showed him to be cancer free when he announced his candidacy for re-election earlier this year: ""I insisted in having all of the medical checks before inscribing my candidacy and all of the results were positive*. If there had been any negative results, be assured that I would have not inscribed my candidacy." He explained why he pursued the hyperbaric oxygen treatment last week, “However, [there was] some inflammation, some pain, as a result of the efforts involved in campaigning and the radiotherapy treatment... and we started to pay attention... and during this process [of medical examinations] it was decided to perform the hyperbaric oxygen treatment”. Under those conditions during the campaign he appeared to be energetic, strong and healthy, crisscrossing the country many times over, sometimes appearing in 2 or 3 different states on the same day.

Presidential Succession: It's natural for people who are unfamiliar with the Venezuelan government and constitution to wonder what will happen if President Chávez does leave office before the end of his elected term. Their confusion is even easier to understand given the propaganda put out by the western media, particularly in the United States and Europe. Known for their heavy bias against President Chávez and the socialist government of Venezuela, the capitalist media are fond of casting doubts on "what will happen" when Venezuelans no longer have President Chávez to lead them. Frequently we read their "analyses" that even suggest some sort of military junta taking over if President Chávez were forced to leave office. This slander against the Bolivarian Republic and the president is designed to reinforce the same media lies that Chávez is a "dictator" and that Venezuela in general is fraught with disorder, violence and instability. If Chávez is required to resign as president for health reasons during the one month that remains of his current term - or - during his next term in office from 2013 to 2019 - the order of presidential succession is clearly outlined in Section V, Articles 233-235 of the Venezuelan Constitution which was rewritten by the Venezuelan Constituent Assembly during the first Chávez administration in 1999:

Article 233: The President of the Republic shall become permanently unavailable to serve by reason of any of the following events: death; resignation; removal from office by decision of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice; permanent physical or mental disability certified by a medical board designated by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice with the approval of the National Assembly; abandonment of his position, duly declared by the National Assembly; and recall by popular vote. When an elected President becomes permanently unavailable to serve prior to his inauguration, a new election by universal suffrage and direct ballot shall be held within 30 consecutive days. Pending election and inauguration of the new President, the President of the National Assembly shall take charge of the Presidency of the Republic. When the President of the Republic becomes permanently unavailable to serve during the first four years of this constitutional term of office, a new election by universal suffrage and direct ballot shall be held within 30 consecutive days. Pending election and inauguration of the new President, the Executive Vice-President shall take charge of the Presidency of the Republic. In the cases describes above, the new President shall complete the current constitutional term of office. If the President becomes permanently unavailable to serve during the last two years of his constitutional term of office, the Executive Vice-President shall take over the Presidency of the Republic until such term is completed. Article 234: A President of the Republic who becomes temporarily unavailable to serve shall be replaced by the Executive Vice-President for a period of up to 90 days, which may be extended by resolution of the National Assembly for an additional 90 days. If the temporarily unavailability continues for more than 90 consecutive days, the National Assembly shall have the power to decide by a majority vote of its members whether the unavailability to serve should be considered permanent. Article 235: The absence of the President of the Republic from the territory of Venezuela requires authorization from the National Assembly or the Delegated Committee, when such absence continues for a period exceeding five consecutive days.

Please keep in mind that this is the constitution drafted in the 1999 Constitutional Assembly during the first Chávez Administration. The Constitutional Assembly itself was endorsed by a people's referendum in April, 1999 and the new constitution was also overwhelmingly endorsed by the people in the Venezuelan constitutional referendum in December, 1999. Moreover, President Chávez has consistently honored and based his government upon this constitution throughout his first 14 years in office. During his talk with the nation last night he held a miniature copy of the constitution in his hand, referring to it repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in the media war, the corporate press attempts to destabilize Venezuela during some of the revolution's darkest hours. Writing for The Guardian (UK), a very young Jonathan Watts cherrypicks a quote from a young, ambitious professor of politics at Amherst College in Massachusetts, Javier Corrales, who farts from the ivory tower:

"Chávez has never prepared his party, let alone his nation, for a successor. The party leaders are not clear among themselves about whom (sic) deserves to be the successor … If he withdraws, no one knows how this inevitable tension will be solved."

Corrales previously worked for the World Bank and attacked Venezuela before a US House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also warned his paymasters, “Other petro-states with nastier, gutsier and more competent leaders could replicate Venezuela’s social power model and improve on it. The result could be the meaner rogue states masquerading as international humanitarians.”

Regardless of these corporate media attempts to cast shadows on Venezuela's vibrant democracy, constitutional order and rule of law, the country is on firm footing with a strong constitutional government and a well designed process for presidential succession and a democratic election process that former US President Jimmy Carter called "the best in the world." Whether or not President Chávez leaves office before his current term ends or during next six-year term, the Bolivarian Revolution will remain intact and could even be strengthened as leaders in government and the people themselves realize and accept new levels of responsibility for their own future. .

Change of the Guard

Elias Jaua: Following the October presidential election, President Chávez made some strategic decisions with an eye toward the future and particularly on the Regional Elections in December. He and Elias Jaua agreed that Jaua should leave his post as the nation's Vice President and run as candidate for governor of the State of Miranda against Henrique Capriles Radonski in the upcoming elections on December 16 for state governors and state senators. It is this kind of flexibility that marks the political genius of Chávez and those surrounding him. Without resigning his post as governor of Miranda, Radonski ran as the opposition's candidate for president against Chávez on October 7 and was left lying on the mat at the end of the day. He is now trying to gain re-election as governor of Miranda in next week's elections. If Jaua defeats Radonski it will be Radonski's second knockout blow by a left hook in 9 weeks, possibly ending his political career. Currently, 7 days before the election, polls show Jaua leading Radonski by 4 to 6 percentage points.

At the same time that Jaua left his position as vice president to challenge Radonski in the contest for governor of Miranda, President Chávez appointed former Foreign Minister, Nicolás Maduro to be Vice President of Venezuela. The change of guard for these two positions was welcomed by most Venezuelans because Jaua is intelligent, strong, soft spoken and a superb manager, making him a perfect choice for defeating Radonski and serving as governor of the sprawling Miranda State, a center of political power and the second most populous in the country. Nicolás Maduro on the other hand has broad political experience, uncanny wisdom and the striking presence of a powerful head of state.

Nicolás Maduro: Flanked by National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello on his right and Vice President Nicolás Maduro on his left last night, President Chávez stated. "There are risks. Who can deny it?" as he asked the nation to elect Nicolás Maduro as the next president, "If anything happens to me that hinders me." Referring to his illness he was direct about his desire that Maduro succeed him, “If such a scenario were to occur, I ask you from my heart that you elect Nicolás Maduro as constitutional president of the republic,” He again repeated,

"If something were to happen that would make it impossible for me to be president, Nicolás Maduro should assume power for the short time left in this term. But also, it is my firm opinion, my complete and irrevocable opinion, that under this scenario, you should all vote for Nicolás."

He described Maduro as,

"... a complete revolutionary ... a man of great experience despite his youth, with dedication and capacity for work ... one of the young leaders with the greatest ability to continue with his firm hand, with his gaze, with his heart of a man of the people."

He finished these comments by saying that Maduro's leadership and "the international recognition he has earned" make him fit to become president.

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro

Maduro comes from the working class and is well known and highly respected among the majority of Venezuelans. He graduated from public high school in the 1980s and began his political career while working as a bus driver in Caracas and as an organizer and leader of workers in the Caracas Metro System. That was a pre-Chávez era when trade unions were virtually outlawed under the 4th Republic. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR), having worked for Chávez' release from prison in 1994 and later serving as regional coordinator for Chávez' first presidential victory in 1998. Maduro was elected on the MVR ticket to the Venezuelan Chamber of Deputies in 1998, to the Constitutional Assembly in 1999 and to the National Assembly (legislature/congress) in 2000 and 2005, representing the Capital District (Caracas). The legislature elected him as Speaker of the Assembly (comparable to Speaker of the House in the US), a position he held in 2005 and 2006. On August 9, 2006, Maduro was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Throughout his political career he has gained the respect and confidence of the Venezuelan people and during his 7 year tenure as Foreign Minister, he has developed a high profile internationally and is widely respected by foreign governments, friend and foe alike.

Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Assembly

Third in line of presidential succession is the President of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello. Referring to his loyalty to Vice President Nicolás Maduro in the absence of President Chávez, Cabello stated, "I am at the service of the vice-president, at the service of the fatherland." But readers should know that in addition to these men there are other men and women in government who are not constitutionally in place to succeed the president but nonetheless would form the backbone of a post-Chávez revolutionary government led by Nicolás Maduro. A few members of Team Chávez that come to mind are former Vice President, Elias Jaua, mentioned earlier - currently running for governor of the State of Miranda (said by some to be feared by the opposition as being "more radical than Chávez!"); Former Interior Minister, Tareck El Aissami, a seasoned revolutionary with a polished international presence, currently running for governor of the State of Aragua; Cilia Flores, a powerful ally with a love for the people and rare insight and skills in the political arena. Flores was also refined by the fires of the infamous 2002 coup d'etat inside Miraflores Palace and she is former President of the National Assembly. These and many other leaders in the Venezuelan government are the heart and soul of the revolution, joined in unity and capable of serving the people diverse roles in central government.

Returns for 2 days: Following his 10 days of evaluation and treatment in Havana, President Chávez returned on Friday to speak with the nation last night. He said that his medical team wanted him to remain in Cuba and have the surgery completed this weekend but that he was compelled to come home first to gain permission from the legislature for more time abroad and to talk with the people saying, "I decided to come, making an additional effort, in truth, because the pain is not insignificant." Last night he recalled telling his doctors, "I want to go there. I need to go to Venezuela" and added, "And what I came for was this."

Conclusion

President Chávez ended his comments last night by calling for unity among the leadership of his government and the people of Venezuela. He stated “this revolution doesn’t depend on one man." He recalled a conversation with his mentor Fidel Castro in Havana before his brief trip home to Caracas, in which the Cuban leader referred to the Bolivarian Revolution as a "flame" in Latin America and Chávez added

"A revolution rose up here in Venezuela. It's been up to us, some of us… to assume responsibilities, assume vanguard roles.... Fortunately, this revolution doesn't depend on one man. We've passed through periods and today we have a collective leadership. Chávez in truth is no longer only this human being. Chávez is a great collective."

Indeed, Venezuelans often refer to themselves and President Chávez as one. As an elderly woman once told me in an interview in Barrio Petare in Caracas 6 years ago when I asked her what would happen to the revolution if President Chávez died. She answered me with a broad smile, "Oh señor, you don't understand this at all, do you. We love our president and we would be very very sad if he died. But this revolution is not his. It's ours."

- Les Blough in Venezuela

BIO AND MORE ESSAYS AND POETRY BY LES BLOUGH

*Obviously the president used the terms "negative" and "positive" in the popular sense and not as medical terms in which they would have the opposite meaning..

The following video is an unusually neutral BBC report on President Chávez' illness and the importance of his having time to organize support for his successors if he were not able to carry on for the coming 6 year presidential term. - lmb