CHAVEZ HEADED FOR THAT LAST ROUNDUP?

You know, I probably shouldn’t say this, because I’m a firm believer in what goes around comes around. But when the Venezuelan dictator and Hollywood favorite, Hugo Chavez, announced late Saturday that his cancer has returned and that he will go to Cuba to undergo surgery, I gotta tell you, I couldn’t help but think that it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Chavez made his announcement while speaking during a televised address from his palace. He also said that if his health were to worsen, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be the guy to replace him. It was the first time Chavez spoke publicly about the possibility of a successor, a rather shocking admission from a man who looms larger than life in Venezuela and in Latin American politics.

"It's absolutely necessary, absolutely vital that I undergo a new operation," said Chavez. As he spoke, he repeatedly kissed a cross and at one point actually broke out into song. "An operation like this, an illness like this, always carries risk," he said. Adding that, "If something were to happen that would incapacitate me, Nicholas Maduro should not only finish my term as the constitution requires ... You should also elect Nicholas Maduro to be president." Supposedly the plan is now for a special session of parliament to be convened Sunday morning that will consider Chavez's health and his pending trip to Cuba, at least that’s what the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, said on ‘state-run’ TV.

Not being familiar with Venezuela, I guess the parliament there is required under the constitution to approve any trip that takes the dictator out of the country for more than five days. Just this week, Chavez returned from Cuba after receiving medical treatment. He said doctors detected malignant cells and that he expects to undergo surgery in the coming days. Chavez has spoken repeatedly in public about his cancer battle, but has never specified what type he has. Chavez, who had surgery in 2011 to remove a cancerous tumor, has undergone further operations and radiation therapy in Cuba since then. He declared himself cancer-free in July. The government has released few specifics, fueling widespread speculation about his health and political future.

Health rumors dogged Chavez on the ‘campaign’ trail this year, but questions regarding health didn't seem to bother his ‘supporters’ since he was able to win reelection this past October. Details of his health, however, have been a very closely guarded secret, and some people who claim to have insider knowledge say that one of Barry’s favorite dictators is now in much worse condition than he let’s on publicly lets. But let’s be honest here, it’s pretty difficult to work up any level of sympathy for such a despicable character. Although, I’m quite sure that he’s already received a ‘get well soon’ card from our ‘First Family’, after all, Barry was one of the first to congratulate the dictator on winning ‘re-election.’