Chavez’s political heir tries to fill void

President Hugo Chavez’s cancer relapse and his sudden announcement that he will undergo another cancer-related surgery in Cuba have thrown the country’s future into question, and his designated political heir has begun trying to fill the void. Underlining the gravity of the situation, Vice President Nicolas Maduro broke into tears on Monday at a political rally hours after Chavez flew to Havana. Chavez plans to undergo his third operation in about a year and a half to remove cancerous tissue. An initial surgery for a pelvic abscess in June 2011 helped reveal he had cancer. He has also undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments.