you, I repeat, to every day be a better president than I've been," he said, while also promising greater effectiveness and efficiency from a government whose payroll is bloated by patronage.
The 58-year-old leader has said tests show he is cancer-free, but his illness has forced him to slow his pace and cut back on his frenetic days of late-night speeches and Cabinet meetings. He's endured two rounds of surgery since June 2011 to remove tumors from his pelvic region as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Venezuela would have to hold a new election if Chavez were forced to step down during the first four years of his term. More health problems would make it even more difficult for Chavez to push ahead with his promised drive to expand the state's role in the economy and provide even more entitlements.
"As long as Chavez remains as the key driver here, there might be far more inertia than change," said Javier Corrales, a U.S. political science professor at Amherst College.
Venezuelans will choose state governors in December, and Chavez is likely to save any devaluation until after that election. Such moves are always hugely unpopular because they erode the value of salaries, which have already been hit hard by inflation in Venezuela
