Venezuelan President Chavez admits cancer tumor op

CARACAS — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez admitted to having undergone two operations that removed a cancerous tumor, in his first televised address since his weeks-old hospitalization in Cuba."Studies confirmed the existence of a tumor with cancerous cells," Chavez admitted in an emotional late night address broadcast in Venezuela, in which he expressed hope for a full recovery.Chavez noted a "fundamental error" of neglecting his health for years, and in contrast to the firebrand leader's famously long, improvised speeches, his pre-recorded address was read from a script in a tight 15-minute video.Flanked by an image of Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar on one side and the national flag on the other, Chavez was visibly thinner but remained animated.His medical condition had been shrouded in mystery for three weeks and deepened on Wednesday when it emerged that a major upcoming regional summit he was due to host had been delayed.He had been rushed into emergency surgery on June 10 with what was described at the time by official sources as a painful pelvic abscess.The president "is in the midst of a strict process of recovery and medical treatment," the Venezuelan foreign ministry said this week, without providing further details.Chavez's unusual withdrawal from public life has left Venezuelans speculating that he might have had plastic surgery, could be hiding a more serious ailment or is drumming up sympathy ahead of his 2012 re-election bid.The Venezuelan government's refusal to provide any specifics on his condition for 20 days left opposition lawmakers emboldened, alleging that it was unconstitutional for the president to be governing from aboard. Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

Add comment

Nick
Content

Submit