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Juan Barreto / AFP - Getty Images
The President of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello puts the presidential sash on Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro after he was sworn in as President in Charge, in Caracas, on March 8, 2013.
Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as acting president Friday, against objections from the country's political opposition that the move violates the country's constitution. Maduro named as his vice president the son-in-law of the late President Hugo Chavez.
Chavez had hand-picked Maduro, his vice president, as his successor before he died of cancer Tuesday.
Opposition leaders said the swearing-in violates the constitution because Chavez was never sworn in after he won re-election last fall. The socialist leader was too ill at the time.
"I want the world to know that this is a fraudulent swearing-in," said Henrique Capriles, the opposition leader who ran against Chavez in the October elections. He added that Venezuela's presidency should not be achieved by decree.
According to the country's constitution, the National Assembly speaker should become interim president if a president-elect dies without having been sworn in.
Maduro is a former bus driver and union leader who now leads the Chavista movement. This week, Maduro blamed "enemy countries" for Chavez's cancer.
The constitution stipulates new elections should be called within 30 days. Maduro called for a snap election in a few weeks. Officials are expected to announce a date on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Maduro's new vice president is Jorge Arreaza, who is married to Chavez's daughter María Gabriela. Arreaza has been the Venezuelan government's science and technology minister.
NBC News' Erika Angulo contributed to this report.
Leaders from just about every country in Latin America, as well as Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a small delegation from the U.S., turned out for the funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
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Fraudulent swearing in? Let the carnage begin ... you'll see. ©2013
WHY, is MSN giving this man all this time on their home page? There is NO ONE i know who is sad he is gone. You would think that this was some great dignitary from our OWN country. Obama and MSN and ALL the leftist media are making a BIG deal about this. I do not think he deserves this reverance. He was a hater of America and he stole the oil companies from their rightful owners. This honor he doesn't deserve.
Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserve, beating out Saudi Arabia.
SO......they have a lot of oil. They stole the oil companies from their rightful owners that had invested all their money, just came in one day and kicked them out and stole everything without paying them a penny for their company. Chavez.....thief.
Violating the Constitution? Maybe Penn and Stone are correct: Venezuelans are more like us than we thought.
Chavez......had Local Oil companies awarded to the Government and then charged Foreign Oil Companies 75% income Tax - So they left. .........He gave Cheap Gas to the Locals so that they would support him. ......and sold to Communist Countries for their Support........True DICtator........Now then as for holding the Worlds largest Oil Reserve......... (Pigotry is Wrong).........#1 is Saudi Arabia - 262,600,000,000 ( bbl )....#2 is Venezuela - 211,200,000,000 (bbl )....#3 Canada - 175,200,000,000 ( bbl )....#4 Iran - 137,000,000,000 ( bbl )....#5 Iraq - 115,000,000,000 ( bbl ) ....6 Kuwait - 104,000,000,000 ( bbl ).....Scientist have done Research and have concluded that the Earth has enough Oil in Reserves and untapped to last for at least another 200 Years. ......Now as for Cancer there has been a Cure for over 50 years, but to the Powerful Medical Society it is more Profitable to Treat than to Cure.........Also Cancer is just another Palatable name for what Cancers really are - All Cancers are Parasites That attack the most Damaged Cells in the Body.....Cells are mostly Damaged due to lack of an Oxygen Rich Environment. ....Many factors of most Peoples diet Dehydrate (H20) the Body which in turn starves it of Oxygen. ......And what ever Organ they Abused will Usually be the one to get Cancer. ......As for Venezuela's Constitution....Corrupted and Deceitful People do not care if they Trample on their Constitution......They are just Power Hungry and want Control.....(Sound Familiar?).......Our Founding Fathers Knew this and Wrote our Bill of Rights and the Amendments.....The even had a Flag that had the words " Don't Tread On Me". .......So Here is To Our REPUBLIC ( if we can keep it ) for which " WE the PEOPLE " Must stand UNITED.....Do not let the U.S. be Divided and Conquered......We are all Humankind...Wake Up America......Before it is to Late. ....Bless you all.
yeah.. Ideological Freedom and Liberty
.
that's old data, did you count recent discoveries that put Venezuela over the top? It's in the news not long ago. Venezuela is no. 1 in oil reserve now, or what George W Bush calls, 'weapons of mass destruction.'
The world is a much better place without Chavez.Just allowing all the Islamic terrorists into his country where they spread out all over the Americas is enough to put him on the devil´s list.But his crimes were much greater..,.the systematic repression of civil rights was appalling.Like his hero Castro he filled his prisons with political dissenters.All his blah.blah about democracy. is simliar to Iran.the ex Soviet Union and it´s puppets in Eastern Europe.A Classic dicatator of the worst kind!And his hand picked successor only promises more of the same.Viva una Venezuela Libre!
The world would be a much better place without socialism period right Piggy! now the tug of war will go on in Venezuela over power, they have a constitution but that means nothing to a socialist, note how Chavez appointed his successor just like Kim Un, once these hard core socialist get in you cant get rid of them Venezuela is now a family run business, unless the people say otherwise and they wont they want the payoff, Venezuela will go on raping the worlds economy while the ruling family gets rich. and their nation falls apart. socialism is hard to eradicate, it destroys everything it gets into and left unchecked it will get into everything. bad stuff.
these coxucking dbags have a constitution?
If you do not know the people there.
You need to STFU.
I DO know them.
They were misguided by a military scumbag who wanted to overthrow the constitution AND turn the country
into a socialist nation.
Wake up.
You are next if we keep voting in liberals in America.
Another delusional psycho at the helm. He blames enemy countries for Chavez's cancer? Wow okay you need to go. Wake up Venezuelans!!! This is your chance to reclaim your proud nation.
@Michael The nation was finally claimed with Chavez. Its you that should wake up and help reclaim our nation! Its been over ran by terrorists for over 100 years now. Look up what Iceland just did. Know your facts and dont believe one word our nazi gov. tell us. Seriously!
Wondered how long it would take the trolls to attack Obama. I don't like what Obama is doing, but when we get these kind of ludicrous attacks, it makes everyone with a legitimate gripe look like an ignorant fool. The only way to counter Obama's over-reach is by engaging in rational negotiation, not silly talk of secession or a civil war.
Nazi? that stands for Nationalist Socialist I believe you miss used the term we are not their yet but the left wing liberal socialist will have us there very soon it we don't stop voting for the liberal socialist hiding in the Democratic party. that Chicago contingent of Obama's is the worst to date, worse then the Marxist bunch surrounding the Clinton's, and those with the Kennedy's, face it its just a matter of time and they will get in they are persistent. they dream of acquiring the nations wealth and controlling the world, that's all that matters to them they have their heads up their azzes so far nothing else matters. the one thing all socialist / Marxist have in common is their dreams they all have a dream. or share the dream of their mentor. but there will be a dream.
Wow, I feel for the people of Venezuela, they are about to get another dictator crammed down their throats. Wonder if Micheal Moore, Danny Glover & Sean Penn are all gonna kick a few bucks to make sure that the elections are bought in favor of this moron.
It is sad to see that people see what they want to see....whether on the left or right. Both sides play dirty. It would be refreshing to see one day, the rich working side by side with the poor to bring us all up in dignity and respect. Hopefully we wll bitch - slap ourselves into the willingness to do this. The truth will set us all free -- if only mankind would stop being self-serving pigs....and my apologies to the pigs for the unfortunate comparison.
They call that Socialism or Communisms in other countries......the rich go out and tell the worker that they are doing a great job for them too. You have the leader and then you have the rest! That's why we have those here that praise Chavez for what he's done for Venezuela and his promotion of His way of Socialism.
It's coming to a country near you!!
Figures that one dictator would go on to "chose" another to sucede him, even though he hasn't the right to decide anything beyond his death. Sounds like the country needs a good old fashioned revolution, and to overthrow the whole stinken mess that's running that country there. The gov't that existed under Chavez is not worth preserving in the least...
The level of most Americans political sophistication is deplorable. Critical thinking is nonexisting. Over 2 million Venezuelans have paid tribute to their president, and this was only the first day. Over 50 foreign dignataries also paid their respects. The right wing media in the USA largely ignored this historic and unprecedented event in Latin America because they want to minimize what he accomplished. I watched telesurtv.net from 6:00am until 6:00pm. yesterday, and if I had my doubts about whether Venezuela will be able to pull off what Chavez started I have none now. Only Americans are capable of describing him in such offensive, spiteful, defamatory terms.
Palenque55, they say that about every dictator in South America, about how great they are. Back in the 70s and 80s, people of Chile thought Augusto Pinochet was so great but then history caught up to him. Same thing will happen Chavez. His raping his country for personal gain will come out. The threats he made to the Colombians. How bad the food shortages are in Venezuela, and instead of buying food he bought old useless russian tanks that were so outdated. The crime rates that exploded under his rule and so forth.
The 50 foreign dignataries is nothing, just like liberal media making a low/insignifacte number seem like the whole world was there. The Karachi expo in Pakistan had over 600 foreign dignitaries, and that is just an Expo.
This is not a historic and unprecedent event in Latin America, but just a foot note. They have seen a lot of crack pots as leaders down there, and what is just one more thief?
And yes I have been to South America a few times over 25 year period.
I don't think Madura will last as long a Chavez did. He doesn't seem to have the will and charisma of Chavez. I don't think people will follow him for long...which is a good thing.
More BS.
The people of Venezuela (who I love) should overthrow this by any means.
All that will happen here is same old same old.
They need a REAL election, and this time vote for real change, not the freebies that socialist and liberals hand out.
Already the pot in the US is running dry.
You can only "give" for so long.
The pot does have a bottom.
In the US it's about to "bottom out".
They need a REAL election, and this time vote for real change, not the freebies that socialist and liberals hand out.
Sure, and I'm from Mars visiting Justin Bieber and Hitler was a nice guy who was misunderstood.
the people of venezuela have become cowards and fearful. The people of Venezuela forgotten what the "Gloria al bravo pueblo" mean, the "pueblo was bravo once, not any more. Now they are domesticated and in state of slavery as the Cubans are. Sadness because Maduro have barely a high school. Now venezuela will become the Bolivia of the upper sur america; and they will be crossing the border to Colombia pretty soon. Sad that colombians will deport them back as it used to be done to them 20 years ago.
What happened in Venezuela may happen in any country where "democratic" corrupt politicians steal for years without any consequences. After many years of "righties", poor people decided they also wanted some wealth out of their country's resources (oil), by electing a "leftist". Do you have any idea on how much did Carlos Andres Perez, The Cisneros and other people stealed from their country? They all left Venezuela to avoid prosecution, and are living (except Perez, who died in Miami) from their "savings". In the meantime, "in the name of liberty, democracy and capitalism", United States is spending a lot of money from their citizens to accomodate Cuban exiles, filling this country with people whose way of living is getting as much as they could from frauds to Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and any governmental agency, as they learned for more than 50 years in their "comunist" country.
Yeah like our fake elections. wow Do you really believe that!? We pick from the two private interest puppets and thats your free election? amazing. Look up the revolution and you will see what Chavez did for his country. Not like our complete scam gov. does to us.
td1022 i would like to buy you a beer! that was funny
It was not funny.
relax you uptight liberal
why is everyone so upset. he was a bus driver early in his years. whats the big deal.
One dictator replacing a dead one. Nothing has changed for the people of Venezuala!
saying good bye to the nasty rotten one are all the nastiest rotten ones of the world. My wish is for some 10.9 erthquake attack the city of caracas with epicenter in the place where the nasty one is being watch in state of stiffness. People, that is the reason these south american countries will always be slaves and under the boot of a tyran. women crying, people showing sorry and all for free because they are not getting anything... it is disgusting, I am puking my guts out watching those pictures. Now a so called "Maduro" is brought as president; that man barely have a high school diploma that Chavez bought for him in Cuba. Venezuela was crap when I was there and now will become the scum of the universe. Now venezuelans, ask again to a Cuban exiled person "Why Cubans have taken for so long that slavery?"; well the same way you Venezuelans have taken yours, by being cowards and allowing someone to stick it up your rear end without even a reach around.
Dictators with constitutions, is like illegals with borders, or Congress with ethics.
If Maduro doesn't listen to the military, he will be ousted or have a serious "Accident". The opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, will also mysteriously disappear. Too many socialist leaders in the military to allow any kind of democracy in government.
Wow, keep it in the family....a second rate country with a lot of money gets its' next dicator quickly...........
Wow!
I didn't know that having such a strong hate for "enemy" countries can cause cancer?
I wonder if Dennis Rodman could meet with Maduro, become buddies, and have Obama call Maduro. Maybe Maduro can give Obama another book? He probably has already finished reading the one that Chavez gave him.
Another nutcase dictator. Seems like more and more of the world's leaders are total nutcases.
Maduro blamed "enemy countries" for Chavez's cancer.
here you have the size of his brain and intelligence. In any case was God the one who got tire of listening to that idiot talking and besides it is said that who ever fidel castro hugs dies without salvation in few years. there you go! now Chavez death will provide few more years of life to the mummy of castro. You know the cubans have santeria and chicken killers for Vudu, do you know that???
Obama just came to mind....USA
Oh, dearest me, what a big fat surprise. LOL No, I'm not surprised at all. My mindset was only waiting to see just exactly how the Marxist socialist succession would be pulled off. There ya go!
at viewer ready; yes it was funny! no beer for you!
You mean they have a government that does whatever it chooses whether it's constitutional or not? Sounds a litle like America.
There are millions of people in Venezuela protesting that regime. Problem is, news outlets such as MSNBC love tinpot dictators. As a result we never get an honest story from them. People like Jesse Jackson, Danny Glover, and Sean Penn mourn him, and championed him in life. All three are the "usual suspects" in this country. THEY HATE IT!!! Always have, too! Sean Penn has held our country in utter contempt all his life because his father, Leo Penn was balck-balled from Hollywood in the 50's for being a communist. The whole Penn family holds America in contempt, but it doesn't stop them from living and making their fortunes here. Danny Glover has been bad-mouthing the U.S.A. since the 1980's. And, well, we all know about that race-baiter Jesse Jackson.
True statement!
Ray ole buddy .... I think ya oughta turn off DumFux News and Watch your news somewhere else partner.
MISCHIEF...if you think MSN and all the other leftist news orgs. aren't biased then you are brain washed. I'll take FOX anyday and apparently so will the majority of America. They have been numero uno for a LONG TIME.
Socialist propaganda the country was falling apart. the poor loved him because he was on a spending spree and giving away the wealth that can only last so long. and what he stole was in the billions, he appointed his son in laws to run the country so his daughter could keep milking the country and they got away with what they took by buying off the poor, pretty sick when you think about it one for Pedro six for me, one for Maria six for me, one for Juan and six for me now that we divided it all up. we can take over some more business's, then we can nationalize the rest. this is working out pretty good huh!, lets get some more, lets buy someone lets by Cuba give them a few billion and then we can tell them what to do. now who Else can we buy! hay lets take over the farms people got to eat if we control the food we will controlthe people right! give them cheep gas for now and they won't watch what we are doing. do we control everything yet get it all man. Robin hood Rulers ruin economies but they themselves get rich. I wonder how many pairs of shoes do his daughters own?
To me it does not matter who the leader is because it is comming to the United States in the near future.
Thanks to Obama...Reid...Pelosi and the other socialist democrats.
The Democrats need to clean the socialist out of the party, send them back to their own so the uneducated masses will know what they are voting for.
Venezuela is a basket case because the national average IQ is 83. Most are mulattoes. The greatly-outnumbered Europeans of German and Spanish descent, who keep the country functioning, raise the national average IQ from below 80 to its current level. Most Venezuelans are really dumb. I know. I lived there for two years. Enlightened Venezuelan youth walk down streets of cities breaking antennas and mirrors off new cars. I witnessed some of the most horrific traffic crashes imaginable. These people pass on curves and on straights when there is clearly not enough time. They simply don't have the native intelligence to drive safely. Nor do most have sufficient reasoning ability to accurately judge time-space relationships. I once saw the results of a head-on crash between a bus and a pickup truck. There was nothing left of the pickup from the front bumper to the two-thirds point of the bed. I estimated the closing speed had to be close to 150 mph. Another idiot at the Guri dam construction project tried to beat a two-story rock carrier truck through an intersection. He lost. These are the kind of morons that are running the Venezuelan political system. Is it any wonder the country is a complete disaster?
Sounds like Utah.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the other celebrity followers of these nutcase dictators that hate America! Too bad that they all don't get cancer for hating the "enemy" country so much.
To them all: "enemy" country = USA
Don't worry. One of these days the USA will be just like the rest of the world. We will also have a nutcase dictator and then the rest of the world will love us.
It appears we may have a wannabe nut case dictator already.
My very thoughts.
smoove 68. i would like to buy you a beer as well. does smoove 68 stand for a car you have? i have a 78 elcamino im fixing up.
Just like the so called "Arab Spring", this is a process, not a 1 or 2 year long "event".
Give me a break you damn ignorant idiots. Why should I care about a murderous dictators? GTH all of you liberal, socialists..........................................................
You must be refering to our gov! You would be correct. We are the biggest terrorists in human history.
Keep drinking the KOOL AID...
USA the same is caming to you...............after Barry............Hilary.............the SOB............later.....the Hijo de puta. Kerry.........and after that maybe..........Michele the ape................................
... or worse Pedro the idiot.
Tyrants from all over the world showed up for the funeral.
And Sean Penn! If Mr.Penn(head) is such a socialist,then why doesn't he renounce his wealth,move out of his 5 million dollar home,give away all of his exotic cars and wardrobe and move to south-central LA,or Compton?Limosuine liberals.It's good for everyone else but me.I wonder how much time and money Sean gives every year to clense himself!Duplicitious ahole!
It appears that even from his deathbed, Chavez once again thwarts the Venezuelan Constitution he was not sworn in to uphold. How positively democratic. Only an ignorant population could believe that "enemy countries" caused Chavez's cancer. I wonder if he indulged in any opulent excesses with his amassed wealth while he was champion of the poor? The political rhetoric coming out of there sounds akin to the banty rooster talk we hear from NK. Both these guys have hugely over inflated egos and that makes them bizarre and possibly dangerous.