Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) President Tibisay Lucena announced Sunday, April 14. Acting President Nicolas Maduro carries Chavez's torch.

He'll do it responsibly. Millions of Venezuelans depend on him. He won't them down. It won't be easy. He faces enormous obstacles. So did Chavez.

He'll be PSUV's (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) candidate. He'll face opposition Rountable of Democratic Unity (MUD) leader Henrique Capriles Radonski.

Last October, Chavez defeated him overwhelmingly. He represents what most Venezuelans deplore. It includes returning to oligarch dark days, money power, neoliberal harshness, and subservience to imperial Washington. Expect Maduro to win decisively.

On March 10, Capriles was less than candid. He said he's "analyzing (Tibisay's declaration) and will tell the country about my decision in the coming hours." Who if not him?

He'll run. He'll challenge Maduro. He'll lose. He has little chance of winning. In October, he lost decisively. Chavismo triumphed.

In mid-December, it did again. It did so impressively. It won 20 of 23 states. It kept every one previously held. It won four from opposition candidates.

Millions of Venezuelans spoke. They left no doubt where they stand. Their mindset hasn't changed. They've come too far to turn back. Chavismo's institutionalized. It's part of Venezuela's culture. It's not going away.

Tachira Governor Jose Vielma Mora spoke for others, saying:

Chavez "liberated us from transnational companies and stood up to imperialist countries. We will be with Chavez forever."

Candidate registrations take place shortly. A brief window exists between now and April 14. Little organizing time exists. Maduro's hugely advantaged. People power supports him.

International observers will monitor proceedings. They've done so before. Venezuelan elections are scrupulously open, free and fair. They're a model for other countries. They're the world's best.

They shame America's sham process. Duopoly power controls things. People have no say. Venezuelans have real democracy. Americans have none now and never did.

Greg Wilpert knows Venezuelan well. He lived there for eight years. He's an activist/sociologist/journalist/Venezuela Analysis co-founder. He taught briefly at the Central University of Venezuela.

His book titled "Changing Venezuela by Taking Power: The History and Policies of the Chavez Government" discusses the Chavez era.

He instituted social democracy. He challenged generations of oligarch rule. He faced enormous obstacles. Dark forces don't yield easily. They haven't gone away. They menace equity and justice. They await their moment to regain power.

Wilpert understands. Revolutionary change can be "undone by the specters of the past," he says. Internal opposition and imperial Washington challenged Chavez from inception. They haven't quit trying. They won't.

It's the oil, stupid. Venezuela has the world's largest reserves. America wants total control. Big Oil want 'exploitation' rights. Like Wall Street, they make money the old fashioned way. They steal it.

Wilpert chronicled Venezuela under Chavez. He began saying "one would hardly have expected a small, relatively wealthy, and inconspicuous country in Latin America to boldly announce it will create 21st century socialism."

"Why and how was this possible in Venezuela? What does it mean? What are its prospects for success?"