Venezuelan Legislators Extend Chavez Mandate

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is still in Cuba recovering from his latest cancer surgery.

Recovery has not gone good, and at times he has been reported near death.

Because of this, he has been unable to return to Venezuela to see his VP Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration. In the wake of this, legislators have made it known that they will give “Chavez as much time as [he needs] to recover.”

To this, the opposition in Venezuela has cried foul. They claim that Chavez’s mandate expires Jan. 10, and that decisions he made regarding his successor — current VP Maduro — are not binding beyond the 10th. 

Moreover, the opposition points out that Maduro will cease to hold the office of Vice President on the 10th as well.

Maduro’s only claim to the office is that Chavez said he wanted Maduro to be his successor. But there was no election. 

The opposition is calling on the Venezuelan Supreme Court to decide the matter.