Chavez to have Cancer operation
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is traveling to Cuba for more
cancer surgery, Radio Liberty reported.
Chavez, who was reelected to another six-year term in October, has
undergone several cancer surgeries and courses of treatment in Cuba
since last year.
In his first public acknowledgement the illness could cut short his
term in power, Chavez, 58, said Vice President Nicolas Maduro would
take over if he is incapacitated, and urged supporters to vote for
Maduro if a new election must be held.
Chavez, who made the announcement in Caracas after returning from
Cuba, was due to travel back to Havana on December 9.
In public squares in the capital Caracas and elsewhere, Chavez
supporters gathered to chant slogans in support of the president
and wish him a quick recovery.
In his televised address late December 8, Chavez said Cuban doctors
had detected "the presence of new malignant cells" in a region
where he previously had suffered from the disease.
"It's absolutely essential for me to submit myself to a new
surgery," he said.
Chavez has not described in detail the type of cancer he is
battling. In July of this year, he declared he was completely
cured.
Opposition figures have criticized the secrecy, saying Venezuelans
deserve to know the seriousness of their president's condition.
The socialist politician has been in power since 1999, longer than
any other elected president in Latin America. He is due to be sworn
in for his new term on January 10.
Chavez is considered close to the Cuban former communist leader
Fidel Castro, and has sought to forge alliances with governments
viewed with suspicion by Western powers, including Iran, Belarus,
and Russia.