Hugo Chavez addresses potential successor

UNDATED (WSVN) -- A relapse revelation for Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. The country's president announced his cancer has returned.

The announcement came from the president himself. Hugo Chavez appeared on Venezuelan state television Saturday night. "Unfortunately, this is how I am telling the country," said Chavez, "that in that overall check up, malignant cells show up in the same affected area."

Chavez said he needs a third surgery to treat cancer despite previous chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Once again Venezuela's leader heads to Cuba for the procedure.

But for the first time, Chavez addressed a potential successor, should his health deteriorate. He announced Vice President Nicolas Maduro, who sat next to Chavez at the announcement, should take his place as the country's leader. "If this scenario mandates that we have to go to elections, as the constitution says, that you choose Nicolas Maduro as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I ask this from the bottom of my heart."

Should that scenario play out, it would keep in place Chavez's socialist movement. The 58-year-old won re-election in October and is slated for another six-year term.

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