A hell of a way to run a cancer epidemic!

I might not be rejoicing, but unlike certain lefties (criticized here) I am not grieving the death of Hugo Chavez. I hope Venezuela can do better in the future. However, there is one aspect of recent news that I find annoying, and that is the suggestion — by Chavez’s Vice President (and successor) — that the U.S. is to blame for Hugo’s death:

CARACAS, Venezuela—Hugo Chávez, a former tank commander turned populist politician who used Venezuela’s oil riches to challenge the U.S. with his fiery brand of socialism, died Tuesday from complications related to cancer. He was 58 years old.

“We have received the hardest and most tragic news,” Vice President Nicolás Maduro said in a national television address, his voice breaking and fighting back tears.

With Mr. Chávez just months into his fourth term, his death plunged Venezuela into political uncertainty. The foreign minister said Mr. Maduro, as expected, would take over for Mr. Chávez until an election is held within 30 days. But some in the ruling party disputed that, saying it should be the head of the country’s congress, known as the National Assembly. The Supreme Court declined to immediately weigh in on the controversy.

Just hours before announcing the death, Mr. Maduro painted a picture of a country beset by conspiracy from foreign powers, suggesting the U.S. may have caused Mr. Chávez’s cancer and kicking out two U.S. military attaches for allegedly trying to destabilize the country. The U.S. rejected the allegations.

Not only do I also reject them, but I think that if the U.S. had the power to inflict cancer on troublesome world leaders, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have been dead a long time ago. Not only has he frolicked with his allegedly Yankee-cancer-infected buddy Hugo —

and hobnobbed with Barack Obama’s friends — but he has visited the U.S. repeatedly — even performing in New York City in drag!

If the U.S. wasn’t able to give him cancer, I think it’s silly to imagine that they’d have been able to infect Hugo.

MORE: Venezuelans abroad are rejoicing. I’m glad for them.