President Hugo Chavez announced on public television on the night of December 8 that he would return to Cuba to receive surgery for new malignant cells, and that vice-president Nicolas Maduro will be in charge during his absence.
Chavez said Cuban doctors informed him that the area where he has previously been affected will need to be operated on again, as new malignant cells have appeared.
He also said that 鈥渢here are always risks in processes like this鈥 and that 鈥渋f anything happens to me that hinders me [from performing as president]鈥, Maduro was his preference to replace him.
According to the Venezuelan constitution, article 234, temporary absences of the president are substituted by the vice-president for up to 90 days, a period which is renewable by the national assembly. If something serious happens to the president, obliging him to abandon his position within the first half of his term, new elections must be held.
Stressing that 鈥渢his revolution doesn鈥檛 depend on one man鈥, Chavez requested the people vote for Maduro if it came to new elections.
鈥淚f such a scenario were to occur, I ask you from my heart that you elect Nicolas Maduro as constitutional president of the republic,鈥 he said, explaining that after the 7 October presidential elections, he repeated the medical tests, and 鈥渆verything came out fine鈥.
鈥淗owever, [there was] some inflation, some pain, as a result of the efforts involved in campaigning and the radioactive treatment ... and we started to pay attention... and during this process [of medical examinations] it was decided to perform the hyperbaric oxygen treatment.鈥
Chavez returned from Cuba to Venezuela on December 7 after receiving that treatment, which is regularly used to help heal tissues damaged by radiation therapy.
However, while in Cuba, 鈥渂ecause of certain symptoms, we decided to conduct more exams, another revision, an exhaustive one,鈥 Chavez explained.
However, Chavez also expressed 鈥渃omplete faith鈥 in his recovery, 鈥淕od willing, like the last two times [he was operated on], we will be victorious in this new battle鈥.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 anything I would insist upon in this new situation, this new battle... is on strengthening national unity, unity of all the popular [grassroots] forces, the unity of all revolutionary forces ... my loved militancy, allied parties, revolutionary currents, unity, unity, unity,鈥 he said, perhaps in light of the state elections to be held in one week.
鈥淚 say that because the adversaries, the enemies of the country don鈥檛 rest, and won鈥檛 rest, [they鈥檒l continue] creating intrigue, trying to divide, and above all, taking advantage of circumstances like this.鈥
One activist commented to Venezuelanalsysis.com, 鈥淪ome people [ the opposition] celebrate, because they think that Chavez is a person ... Chavez is a movement, an idea, we are millions who are ... prepared to struggle鈥.
[Reprinted from Venezuela Analysis.]