President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, who has led his resource-rich country with his own brand of socialism, Chavismo, for 14 years, has been indeteriorating health since his cancer surgery last month. It is not clear whether he will be able to be inaugurated for a fourth term on Jan. 10, and his chosen successor waits in the wings.
If Chávez steps down or dies, what will become of Venezuela? Will Chavismo survive? What sorts of social, economic and political issues must the next president confront? Would the nation’s contentious relationship with the United States improve?
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