Friday, November 30, 2012
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez arrived to Cuba early Wednesday morning to seek hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, a treatment typically given to help cancer patients repair bone and tissue damage caused by radiation, among other illnesses. His announcement has once again caused public speculation regarding his health, as the president declared himself free of pelvic cancer nearly five months ago.
In an interview with state television that same day, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said that the president will be back no later than January 10th, the inauguration date for his fourth presidential term.
According to Villegas, Chávez is undergoing “complementary treatment.”
“The people voted for Chávez, as is.” Villegas said. “As we all know, coming out [of radiation therapy] is a difficult process for any human being. Yet he did not listen to those who told him not to get involved in the campaign. He campaigned with an effort exemplary of the extraordinary leader that he is.” He added that “Chávez is a human being. He gets sick.”
Under Venezuelan law, the president must request permission from the National Assembly when leaving the country for longer than five days. In a note read by National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello less than 24 hours before the president’s departure, Chávez explained that his doctors in Cuba recommended that he begin the treatment along with physiotherapy to help strengthen his recovery.
Despite having announced that he is “totally free” of cancer, opposition politicians and lawmakers have continued to question the president’s health, citing the administration’s “lack of transparency” during his medical operations as well as a sharp decline in public appearances. Prominent Chávez critic and journalist Teodoro Petkoff recently nicknamed the president “the invisible man.” Meanwhile, opposition assembly member Alfonso Marquina accused Chávez of “attempting to create uncertainty” after Tuesday’s announcement.
Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, told Bloomberg News that Chávez’s sudden departure is an indication that his medical condition is more serious than stated. “You’d anticipate that if he were really doing well he’d want to show that publicly.”
Citing an anonymous sources, Spanish newspaper ABC reported Thursday that Chávez’s pelvic cancer has returned and that he is also suffering from bone metastasis. According to the report, intelligence sources believe Chávez left for Cuba because his cancer returned, as hyperbaric oxygen chambers are available in Venezuela.
However, Vice President Nicolas Maduro told a group of government workers Thursday that the president "is fine, doing very well, and will return even better than before."
Henrique Capriles Radonski, the main opposition candidate in last month’s presidential elections and Chávez’s biggest political opponent, urged the administration to “speak with absolute transparency to avoid rumors that create anxiety and uncertainty. That is the last thing we want to have in Venezuela.”
His treatment in Cuba comes at an inopportune time for his ruling coalition. Nation-wide gubernatorial elections are scheduled for December 16th, and the opposition, led by Capriles, is looking to strengthen its political base after their candidate’s near 11-point defeat in the October 7th elections.
Sources
- "Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez heading to Cuba for more treatment after cancer fight" — The Washington Post, 11/27/2012
- Andrew Cawthorne and Jeff Franks. "Chavez's return to Cuba for treatment rattles Venezuela" — Reuters, 11/28/2012
- "Hugo Chavez Back in Cuba for Medical Treatment" — ABC News, 11/28/12
- "A glance at Hugo Chavez's cancer treatments" — CBS News, 11/28/12
- Charlie Devereux and Jose Orozco. "Venezuela’s Chavez Seeks More Cancer Treatment in Cuba" — SFGate, 11/28/12
- "Villegas: Tenemos Chávez para rato" — El Nacional, 11/28/12
- Emili J. Blasco. "A Chávez se le vuelve a reproducir el tumor en la zona pélvica" — ABC, 11/29/12
- "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Battling Bone Metastasis, Report Says" — Fox News Latino, 11/29/12
- "Vicepresidente de Venezuela dice que Chávez está "muy bien"" — BBC Mundo, 11/29/12
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