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Hugo Chavez to undergo more surgery Hugo Chávez to undergo more surgery
(about 17 hours later)
President Hugo Chavez is to undergo more surgery after doctors found a new lesion in the same spot where he had cancer surgery last year, renewing doubts over his bid for a third term in October's election. Hugo Chávez is to undergo surgery after doctors found a new lesion in the same spot where he had cancer surgery last year, renewing doubts over his bid for another term as Venezuelan president.
"It is a small lesion of about 2cm (less than one inch) in diameter, very clearly visible," Chavez told state television on Tuesday after days of intense speculation, and official denial, that he was ill again. "No one can say if it is malignant, but there is a high probability because it is in the same place," he told state television in one of two phone calls on night Tuesday.
He denied rumours the cancer had spread aggressively. "I completely deny what's going around that I have metastasis in the liver or I don't know where, that the cancer has spread all over my body and that I'm already dying." The socialist leader said he would leave Caracas and travel to Cuba for the operation later this week.
The 57-year-old said he would be operated on "in the coming days" and that it would be less complicated than the surgery in June when doctors in Cuba removed a baseball-sized cancerous tumour from his pelvic region. "I'll go to Havana. Everything is ready there, with the same doctors who operated on me before. To do it here we would have had to implement things … it is safer there for this type of operation."
After four rounds of chemotherapy, both in Cuba and in Venezuela, he said in September he was free of cancer. The exact nature and location of the cancer remains secret. Chávez, 57, told supporters to remain calm. "All in due time. Tomorrow I'll be working all day, preparing myself for the weekend."
Chavez remains favourite to win a third consecutive third term in October on the back of a growing economy but a youthful state governor, Henrique Capriles, has united the opposition to mount what is expected to be a tough challenge. He added that he would scale down his workaholic schedule to focus on his health, saying: "Unfortunately, I will not be able to continue at the same rate in the coming weeks."
"No one should be alarmed," Chavez said, wearing a red hard hat on a visit to a factory in his home state of Barinas. "I'm in good physical condition to face this new battle," he said. "It has to be verified whether there is any link with the previous tumour, or not." At one point in the phone call he became emotional and broached his mortality. "I ask for life," he said. "I want to live with you and fight with you until the last moment of this life that God gave me."
He said he had travelled to Havana for tests on Saturday. After disappearing from public view on Friday local media reported he had spent the weekend in Cuba for tests and treatment, prompting a denial on Monday from the information minister, Andres Izarra. "Regarding the rumours, dirty war from the gutter," he tweeted on Monday. Earlier in the day his daughter, standing beside him, looked visibly upset.
The announcement cast fresh turmoil into the former tank commander's campaign for a third six-year term in October's election when he is expected to face a tough challenge from a youthful state governor, Henrique Capriles.
Doctors removed what was described as a baseball-sized cancerous tumour from the president's pelvic region last June. The exact nature and location of the cancer remained secret. After four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba and Venezuela Chavez declared himself cancer-free in September. Cancer specialists who were not part of his team expressed doubt, saying nobody could be definitively cured so fast.
Rumours of a new medical emergency swept Venezuela last Saturday after Chávez disappeared from public view. Ministers mocked reports he had returned to Havana for tests only for the president to confirm them on Tuesday, first in a live television broadcast from a factory in his home state, Barinas, then in the phone calls to state television.
"It is a small lesion of about two centimetres in diameter, very clearly visible," Chávez said. "I completely deny what's going around that I have metastasis in the liver or I don't know where, that the cancer has spread all over my body and that I'm already dying."
He apologised to supporters who felt upset. "Always these rumours … there are people who want me dead, who hate me so much. I am very sorry, because I know that while some people are happy, the majority are suffering."
After 13 years in power there is no obvious successor to Chávez as leader of the Bolivarian revolution, named after liberation hero Simón Bolivar. The movement is divided into military, civilian and Cuba-aligned factions. The vice-president, Elías Jaua, is considered a lightweight and is due to step down to run for a state governorship.
Analysts said a sympathy bounce for Chávez could be small compensation for losing his aura of invincibility.