CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez stunned the nation on Thursday night in an unusually concise 15-minute address on state television in which he acknowledged that he has been battling cancer. Mr. Chavez made the revelation from Cuba, where he has been in seclusion at a medical facility for the last three weeks.
Mr. Chavez, who appeared to have lost weight, delivered his remarks after rumors had swirled here about his health. Senior officials in his political movement had denied media reports that he had been diagnosed with some type of cancer. Officially, the government had said that Mr. Chavez underwent emergency surgery in Havana on June 10 for a pelvic abscess, a collection of pus deep inside the abdomen.
Mr. Chavez, 56, said on Thursday night that the procedure for the abscess had in fact occurred, but that doctors had also carried out testing that detected cancerous cells. He said he had undergone a second operation to remove a cancerous tumor. He said he was receiving further treatment in Cuba, and that he would “continue battling.”
Mr. Chavez provided few other details, including what type of cancer was detected or where the tumor was located.
The acknowledgement by the president raised new doubts in Venezuela. His political opponents have already contended that it was unconstitutional for him to continue governing from abroad.
Mr. Chavez did not say when he might return home, although he lauded his hosts in Cuba, Venezuela’s top ally, saying he felt fortunate to be in the “greater fatherland.”?
He had already endured several other ailments this year, which have led him to reduce his appearances and foreign travel. His health problems were reported to include two severe colds and a knee injury that required him to use crutches.
The first prolonged absence of Mr. Chavez from daily political life in Venezuela in his 12 years in power has focused attention on how much the government here revolves around his strong personality and whims.
Following the broadcast of Mr. Chavez’s address, Vice President Elias Jaua also addressed the nation somberly, flanked by the chief of the armed forces, the oil minister and other officials. Mr. Jaua and other civilian cabinet ministers were dressed in suits and ties, in contrast to their usual casual style.
“It is not time for sadness,” Mr. Jaua said. “Chavez’s orientation is to continue advancing in the transformations of a socialist society.”
Problems have mounted here while Mr. Chavez undergoes treatment in Cuba. More than 20 people were killed in a prison uprising. Blackouts in this energy-rich nation have plagued cities in the interior. While Mr. Chavez receives care in Havana, doctors at state hospitals in Venezuela went on strike on Thursday to demand better salaries.
Still, much of the nation has been focused on Mr. Chavez’s absence and his health problems. The reinvigorated political opposition has said it would continue focusing on a presidential election next year, when it hopes to unseat him.
“The democratic alternative needs to be shown as the tranquilizing force of change,” Jesus Torrealba, an independent journalist who covers issues in Venezuela’s slums, said in a Twitter message sent after Mr. Chavez’s address.
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