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| Hugo Chávez: Venezuelans urged to ignore 'enemy' health rumours | Hugo Chávez: Venezuelans urged to ignore 'enemy' health rumours |
| (21 days later) | |
| Venezuela's vice-president, Nicolás Maduro, has told the country to ignore "enemy" rumours of president Hugo Chávez's imminent demise. | Venezuela's vice-president, Nicolás Maduro, has told the country to ignore "enemy" rumours of president Hugo Chávez's imminent demise. |
| Maduro has been at Chávez's bedside in a Cuban hospital but was due to fly home to Caracas on Wednesday. | Maduro has been at Chávez's bedside in a Cuban hospital but was due to fly home to Caracas on Wednesday. |
| He returns to a country gripped by uncertainty about the wellbeing of a leader who has dominated the political landscape since 1999 but has not been seen in public since he was rushed to Havana for emergency cancer surgery three weeks ago. | He returns to a country gripped by uncertainty about the wellbeing of a leader who has dominated the political landscape since 1999 but has not been seen in public since he was rushed to Havana for emergency cancer surgery three weeks ago. |
| Several New Year festivities were cancelled, masses have been arranged for supporters to pray for Chávez's recovery and the government has urged Venezuela to focus on serenity and unity. What many want, however, is definitive news on whether the president will be healthy enough to be sworn in to his fourth term in office on 10 January. | Several New Year festivities were cancelled, masses have been arranged for supporters to pray for Chávez's recovery and the government has urged Venezuela to focus on serenity and unity. What many want, however, is definitive news on whether the president will be healthy enough to be sworn in to his fourth term in office on 10 January. |
| On Tuesday night, Maduro, in a pre-recorded interview with regional broadcaster Telesur, said Chávez was "conscious of how delicate his recovery was" and that the president had urged him to keep the Venezuelan people informed "regardless of how hard the truth might be at times". | On Tuesday night, Maduro, in a pre-recorded interview with regional broadcaster Telesur, said Chávez was "conscious of how delicate his recovery was" and that the president had urged him to keep the Venezuelan people informed "regardless of how hard the truth might be at times". |
| Maduro said: "He's totally conscious of the complexity of his post-operative state and he expressly asked us … to keep the nation informed always, always with the truth, as hard as it may be in certain circumstances." | Maduro said: "He's totally conscious of the complexity of his post-operative state and he expressly asked us … to keep the nation informed always, always with the truth, as hard as it may be in certain circumstances." |
| Maduro said in a televised address on Monday that Chávez had suffered new complications from a respiratory infection and described the leader's health as delicate. He said Chávez had held his hand with great vigour and that his face was filled with "gigantic strength". | Maduro said in a televised address on Monday that Chávez had suffered new complications from a respiratory infection and described the leader's health as delicate. He said Chávez had held his hand with great vigour and that his face was filled with "gigantic strength". |
| "At times, there have been slight improvements, at times there have been stationary situations," Maduro said, adding that he had faith that Chávez would emerge sooner rather than later from "the situation he is confronting". | "At times, there have been slight improvements, at times there have been stationary situations," Maduro said, adding that he had faith that Chávez would emerge sooner rather than later from "the situation he is confronting". |
| Rámon Guillermo Aveledo, secretary of the MUD, a coalition of opposition parties, demanded the government give specific details about Chávez's health. Aveledo blamed the secrecy surrounding the president's health for the rumours that flooded social network sites for the past two days. | Rámon Guillermo Aveledo, secretary of the MUD, a coalition of opposition parties, demanded the government give specific details about Chávez's health. Aveledo blamed the secrecy surrounding the president's health for the rumours that flooded social network sites for the past two days. |
| "We reiterate our demand that the current government give an objective and comprehensive explanation of the president's current health situation, his actual state and his medical prognosis," Aveledo said yesterday. He also accused the government of manipulating the information surrounding Chávez's health in the run-up to the regional elections, where the president's supporters captured 20 of the 23 governor posts. | "We reiterate our demand that the current government give an objective and comprehensive explanation of the president's current health situation, his actual state and his medical prognosis," Aveledo said yesterday. He also accused the government of manipulating the information surrounding Chávez's health in the run-up to the regional elections, where the president's supporters captured 20 of the 23 governor posts. |
| "The contrast is obvious between maintaining the public's interest in this theme in the days prior to the governors' elections and the marked silence of these past days," Aveledo added. "If the president-elect is unable to be sworn into office because of reasons related to his health we must abide by what the constitution says with regard to temporary absences." | "The contrast is obvious between maintaining the public's interest in this theme in the days prior to the governors' elections and the marked silence of these past days," Aveledo added. "If the president-elect is unable to be sworn into office because of reasons related to his health we must abide by what the constitution says with regard to temporary absences." |
| The news of Chávez's deteriorating health and cancelled events prompted a flurry of tweets and messages on social networks that claimed Chávez was on life support and his days were numbered. The wave of rumours reached such intensity that Chávez's son-in-law and the minister of science and technology, Jorge Arreaza, tweeted from Havana asking Venezuelans to ignore the ill-intentioned rumours. | The news of Chávez's deteriorating health and cancelled events prompted a flurry of tweets and messages on social networks that claimed Chávez was on life support and his days were numbered. The wave of rumours reached such intensity that Chávez's son-in-law and the minister of science and technology, Jorge Arreaza, tweeted from Havana asking Venezuelans to ignore the ill-intentioned rumours. |
| In Tuesday's interview, Maduro, who was named by Chávez as his preferred political heir should he become too ill to govern, described the rumours as the result of "the hatred of the enemies of Venezuela"." | In Tuesday's interview, Maduro, who was named by Chávez as his preferred political heir should he become too ill to govern, described the rumours as the result of "the hatred of the enemies of Venezuela"." |
| He said: "What is behind these lies? Evil and hatred. Rightwing journalists sickened with hatred. They have no limits. They don't know how to respect the feelings of [the president's] daughters. They are capable of mockery and, in doing so, they reveal their sickened souls." | He said: "What is behind these lies? Evil and hatred. Rightwing journalists sickened with hatred. They have no limits. They don't know how to respect the feelings of [the president's] daughters. They are capable of mockery and, in doing so, they reveal their sickened souls." |
| As the oil-rich nation contemplated the possibility that Chávez might be unable to assume power next week, some rumours claimed Chávez's closest allies were divided and succession might not be smooth. According to the constitution, a snap election must be called within 30 days if the president should be unable to govern at the time of inauguration. Chávez previously asked the Venezuelan people to vote for Maduro in that eventuality, referring to him as the man capable of moving his self-styled socialist revolution forward. | As the oil-rich nation contemplated the possibility that Chávez might be unable to assume power next week, some rumours claimed Chávez's closest allies were divided and succession might not be smooth. According to the constitution, a snap election must be called within 30 days if the president should be unable to govern at the time of inauguration. Chávez previously asked the Venezuelan people to vote for Maduro in that eventuality, referring to him as the man capable of moving his self-styled socialist revolution forward. |
| Following Maduro's interview, Diosdado Cabello, the president of the National Assembly, who some regard as second in line to power, tweeted that no one "in the Venezuelan opposition, nor their bosses abroad could attempt against the unwavering will of the revolutionary unity". | Following Maduro's interview, Diosdado Cabello, the president of the National Assembly, who some regard as second in line to power, tweeted that no one "in the Venezuelan opposition, nor their bosses abroad could attempt against the unwavering will of the revolutionary unity". |
| However, Cabello, a former paratrooper who accompanied Chávez in his 1992 coup, has stated that Chávez is the country's only leader and the constitution allows for him to be sworn in at a later date. He said the will of more than 8 million people who voted Chávez into office in last October's election could not be ignored. | However, Cabello, a former paratrooper who accompanied Chávez in his 1992 coup, has stated that Chávez is the country's only leader and the constitution allows for him to be sworn in at a later date. He said the will of more than 8 million people who voted Chávez into office in last October's election could not be ignored. |
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