- APVenezuela's President Hugo Chavez
CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez revealed Sunday that a new tumor recently removed from his pelvic region was of the same type of cancer as a baseball-sized growth extracted from that part of his body about eight months ago.
In his first TV appearance in nine days,
Chavez said the surgery and follow-up tests showed the tumor was "a
recurrence of the initially diagnosed cancer."
He said the tumor
was totally extracted and noted "the absence of lesions suggestive of
cancer neither locally, neither in nearby organs, neither far away ...
neither metastasis, none of this thanks to God, to the diagnosis and
rapid intervention."
The 57-year-old president said he would
spend several weeks recovering and then "we are going to do radiation
treatment in the area ... without discarding other treatment options."
"There isn't fever nor any other sign,
neither infection, hemorrhage," he said. He called the post-surgery
healing "perfect in relation to the time that's passed, and we are
already doing physical therapy."
Chavez spoke firmly in footage recorded
Saturday in Havana while accompanied by various government ministers and
older brother Adan Chavez. The president said his recuperation has been
"open, progressive and rapid" in the footage aired Sunday in Venezuela.
Chavez said "still it hasn't been six days because the operation ended on the night of last Sunday."
He verified the date of the recording by
displaying a Saturday copy of the Cuban government newspaper Granma and a
similar copy of the Venezuelan government paper Correo del Orinoco.
"We are very optimistic," he said while
seated at an oval conference table. "There is a very favorable medical
evolution, the vital signs very favorable."
Chavez underwent several weeks of radiation treatment in 2011.
Chavez flew to Cuba for his most recent
surgery on Feb. 24, and his absence from the public spotlight since then
has sparked speculation about his health. Chavez did phone into a show
Friday on Venezuelan state television when he said he was recovering
well.
Chavez hasn't specified what kind of cancer
he has or exactly where it's located. But cancer specialists say that
based on available information, Chavez appears to suffer from a
relatively rare cancer known as sarcoma, which tends to reappear in the
same location where related tumors are removed.
The president has taken pains to demonstrate
unflagging energy in his public appearances as he faces a tough
re-election battle this November.
"Everyone who has been operated on knows ...
the impact of an operation of various hours," Chavez said in the most
recent footage. "And how, above all the first day when the body begins
to awaken, the pains begin, the obstacles, after one goes step by step
recovering the functions of the body, like I'm recovering."
He added, "Since almost the second day, I began to walk. For this, I say thanks to God, to everybody."
He spoke in a stark, white-walled room, in
front of paintings of Cuban independence leader Jose Marti and South
American hero Simon Bolivar. With no one taking over his duties in
Venezuela, Chavez issued instructions to government ministers and
approved the budgets of various state-owned companies.
As he has done in recent weeks, Chavez
defended Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who has tried to violently
crush a popular revolt in much of the Middle Eastern country. Venezuela
has at least twice sent shipments of diesel oil to Syria over the past
months.
"We continue lamenting the aggressions
against Syria," Chavez said, "and the pressure of the United States
government and many European countries, failing to recognize the
sovereignty of a people such as the Syrian people."
"From here," Chavez said, "we send our solidarity to the Syrian people and to President Bashar Al-Assad."
Later Sunday, at Havana's cathedral, a service was held for Chavez's health.
Chavez is "in good spirts and boosted by the
support and love of the Venezuelan people," said Venezuelan Foreign
Minister Nicolas Maduro, who was at the service.
In Venezuela, Chavez supporter Johsny Flores said his faith in the leader remains high despite the reports of ill health.
"Cancer is a serious illness, but I know
that Chavez has so much love for the country, so much desire to continue
with us, that he has going to come out of this," said Flores, a
35-year-old street vendor.
On the other side of the political fence,
merchant Tomas Gutierrez followed the example of sole opposition
presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and wished Chavez a swift
recovery even as he longed for an end to the leader's 13-year rule.
"Another person in his place would be on the
floor," the 63-year-old said. "We have to recognize his will power. But
also, we hope that he gets better and that Capriles wins and puts an
end to this disastrous government."
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