Despite Venezuelan officials insisting the Hugo Chávez is doing well following Monday’s surgery to remove a potentially cancerous “lesion,” some sources say the situation has taken a serious turn.
Breaking news from Globovision reports that Chávez may be suffering from internal bleeding and is too fragile to undergo necessary surgery. Sources speculate that excessive steroid use and subpar medical care in Cuba may be responsible for these complications. The report also suggests that Cuban doctors have sent a biopsy abroad to confirm their own tests, meaning the medical team may have to wait up 48 hours for additional information.
Meanwhile, videos have surfaced of alleged “phone calls” between Chávez and Venezuelan Minister Rafael Ramirez. During these calls, Chávez speaks — without interruption — about his recovery, his walks and his healthy diet. Suspiciously, these positive conversations were released immediately following news of Chávez’s worsening condition, perhaps in an attempt to reassure Venezuelans.
In fact, officials from within the Venezuelan government has consistently relayed positive news, stating that Chávez is doing well, eating soup and recovering without complication. While he wouldn’t discuss specifics about Chávez’s condition, Vice President Elias Jaua told the press yesterday that he spoke with an “energized” Chávez to discuss matters of state. In addition to this report from the government, Chávez tweeted that he was recovering after surgery, comparing his physical condition to that of a “soaring condor,” although there is no way of verifying that Chávez actually wrote this message.
Newly released information from whistle blower website Wikileaks suggests that Russian doctors believe the Cuban medical team botched Chávez’s initial surgery, necessitating a second surgery to address “mistakes.” According to the source, Chávez’s cancer started near the prostate and has spread to the colon, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. There was disagreement among the doctors as to how long he would live — Cuban doctors gave him two years, while Russian medical officials gave him one year. Additional information from Wikileaks reveals that Chávez’s illness has deepened the internal fractures within the Venezuelan Armed Forces.
Still, Cuban media remain silent about Chávez’s condition. Without pictures of Chávez or comments from his doctors, Venezuelans are left with conflicting reports about their president’s health.