Hugo Chavez Successor: Nicolas Maduro

With the fortunate death of anti-American and avowed socialist leader Hugo Chavez today, may he rest in hell, our focus should shift from his death to who will run the South American nation responsible for exports of sweet Venezuelan crude and soul crushing anti-colonial marxism.

Although the nation's constitution is vague on presidential succession, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro is all but guaranteed to assume control of Venezuela's sprawling government of restricted freedoms, political prisoners, antisemitism and never ending class warfare. Oh, and I'm sure Hollywood star Sean Penn will be down to visit him as well, I guess another perk of his promotion.

Maduro, who rose from a simple Caracas bus driver thrity years ago to the man responsible for maintaining unity in Chavez's complicated coalition of socialists and military officers, is known for being a strong internal and external negotiator and diplomat (he also served as President of the legislature and foreign minister) that could be up to the difficult task that awaits him.

Unfortunately for American interests, Maduro sees fulfilling his mentor's ideological legacy as a personal crusade and responsibility, and considering he has already developed strong relations with Cuba, Russia, Iran, and other allies in the anti-west axis of evil, he is likely to continue the disruptive forces of exported socialism across Latin and South America.

So, essentially, same old evil domestic ideology and foreign policy, just with a different face on things...

What say you?