According to reports by the the London Telegraph and Fox News Latino, el Presidente Chávez was rushed to a military hospital in Caracas with kidney failure yesterday. The Fox report cites el Neuvo Herald in Miami as a source, noting
Sources, “who spoke on the condition of anonymity,” said the President was in “bad shape” as he was escorted by his own security team from the presidential palace to the Hospital, according to the Miami newspaper.
Another person from the Military Hospital said Chávez was showing signs of kidney failure after an intense cycle of chemotherapy. The source said the president had shown signs of aplastic anemia – the disappearance for blood production in the bone marrow.
Doctors are now considering the possibility of transferring him to the private Hospital Clinicas Caracas, where he could be better treated for renal problems, according to those close to the situation.
The Venezuelan President’s health is considered a state secret which is only fueling speculation about his recovery since he first underwent surgery in Cuba in June to remove a tumor from his pelvic region.
The Chávez administration, as usual, denied the reports.
Meanwhile Andrés Izarra, Venezuela’s Communication Minister, responded to the El Nuevo Herald report via his own Twitter account IzarraDeVerdad.
“We should admit the journalists from El Nuevo Herald in a madhouse,” Izarra said in a commentary.
On Monday, Chávez attempted to squash rumors by speaking over the phone with a Venezuelan television station, claiming that the opposition is trying to use his illness to gain political advantage. The President said the opposition is under the advisory of “gringos and other Venezuelans” who are spreading the false rumor that he is in grave condition and that he left to Cuba.
Despite these statements, former U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Roger Noriega, is unconvinced citing his own sources within Venezuela that the President is in serious condition and “not improving like his doctors had hoped,” according to El Nuevo Herald.
“This means we should start to think, and we should prepare for a world without Hugo Chávez,” he said.
Rumors about Chávez’ health have been rampant. Many have turned out to be accurate, many less so. Still, these reports deserve, at least for the moment, some credibility.
““This means we should start to think, and we should prepare for a world without Hugo Chávez,” he said.”
Does he actually think that the death of Chávez would represent any loss to the world?
*facepalm*
Probably not. He has generally stated that Chavez is very bad. However, if Chavez is at death’s door, there is much to be done to return Venezuela to some semblance of political sanity and to ensure that Chavez is not replaced by another of his kind. Fortunately, although there are plenty of Chavistas, they generally lack Chavez’ charisma and Chavez has been diligent in preventing any of them from posing a threat to his power.
The opposition now seems to have a viable and very popular candidate, in danger of being silenced by the el Thugo regime as he had been until an IACHR ruling on September 16th. The death of Chavez should diminish that possibility, but political doings in Venezuela are a difficult to predict.
I would rather he hang on for say 15-16 months, when a Republican administration can issue some gunboat diplomacy to his handpicked successor. I feel that his islamic and Chinese backers also view him as a disposable boob, so I doubt they’d stick out there necks in a meaningful way.
If he follows the standard sick dictator timeline, he’ll live on and on and on. The worse they are the longer they live it often seems.
According to this article from AP via Yahoo, Chavez has denied the reports of his medical condition. He apparently called state television and said, “I’m fine. . . . I’m here in my place of work and working.”
“I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary notices I have read with pleasure.”
- Clarence Darrow
Funny, if he had come here instead of going to Cuba, I think he’d be in better shape right now. Unfortunately (for him) his anti-Americanism was unshakable — and it may prove to be the vehicle for an early exit.
This post in Venezuela News and Views — one of the very few best English language blogs about Venezuela — suggests that Chavez is playing his health like a violin and urges us to stop listening to his music. It urges,
Sounds like good advice to me, and I shall try to follow it despite the temptations to do otherwise.