Chavismo Set to Outlive Chavez as Venezuela Braces for Elections

President Hugo Chavez’s absence from Venezuela in a Cuban hospital, now about to reach two months, is prompting his countrymen and investors to contemplate what a post-Chavez era would look like. It may not be much different.

Using the slogan “I am Chavez,” Vice President Nicolas Maduro has consolidated control of the government, giving the annual state of the union speech, announcing the appointment of a new foreign minister, calling on the military to remain loyal and filling in for the president with daily television appearances. At the same time, the opposition has seen its influence wane after losing both the presidential election and most of its governorships in regional voting in December.