Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez received a hero’s welcome as he rallied thousands of supporters upon his return to the country, vowing to beat cancer after undergoing surgery in Cuba.
Wearing the combat fatigues and red beret of his army days, Chavez projected strength as he spoke from the balcony of the presidential palace on Monday, waving to the crowd below and raising a fist.
Chavez, whose three-week absence spurred a flurry of rumors, delivered a signature performance: the booming voice, the socialist-inspired rhetoric as well as the visceral connection with his audience that inspired rock concert-like frenzy.
PHOTO: AFP
“We will also win this battle for life,” Chavez said. “We will live! We will be victorious!”
Nonetheless, signs of Chavez’s fragile health peeked through the stagecraft.
At one point, the 56-year-old leader grimaced with apparent discomfort as he struggled to wave his country’s yellow, blue and red flag above his head. The flag ended up awkwardly draping over his scalp, until Chavez emerged with an embarrassed smile from the fabric.
About 30 minutes into the speech, one of his daughters stepped up to remind him of doctors’ orders not to strain himself by speaking at his normal, marathon length.
“I shouldn’t be here for too long,” Chavez said. “This recovery process has to be carefully watched to the extreme.”
That mixture of bluster and vulnerability made for an attention-grabbing show, even for a president who knows how to command attention.
His surprise return in the wee hours of Monday morning was signature Chavez and sent a powerful message that he remains in control. While he was away for nearly a month in Cuba, -uncertainty swirled in Venezuela, both about how sick he is and what would happen if cancer were to force him from power.
Chavez addressed those doubts head-on, providing more details about his illness as he addressed the crowd that radiated for blocks from the Miraflores Palace. He embraced two of his daughters on the balcony, where he was also joined by two of his grandchildren and his elder brother, Adan.
“Beloved Venezuelan people, I’m sure you understand perfectly the difficulties of this battle,” Chavez told the mass of supporters. “No one should believe that my presence here ... means that we’ve won the battle.”
“No, we’ve begun to climb the hill,” he said. “We’ve begun to beat the illness that was incubated inside my body ... My return has begun!”
Chavez said he had been in intensive care for several days after his surgery in Cuba, and he held up a crucifix — the same one, he said, that he had with him after surviving a 2002 coup.
“Christ is with us,” he said.
The crowd below chanted: “Onward, commander!”
The long-term political impacts of cancer for a leader who thrives on the spotlight remain unclear. But Chavez will likely play up his plight to rally his movement as he looks ahead to next year’s elections, in which he will seek to extend his nearly 13-year-old administration. His allies say they are convinced he will still be their candidate.
Unanswered questions about Chavez’s health continue to abound, despite the details he offered in Monday’s speech. He told the multitude he underwent surgery in Cuba on June 20 to remove a cancerous tumor, which his foreign minister said was extracted from the same part of the “pelvic region” where Chavez had an abscess removed nine days earlier.
Chavez hasn’t said what type of cancer is involved nor whether he is receiving chemotherapy, -radiation or other treatments. Based on Chavez’s account, medical experts said it is most likely he has colorectal cancer, but Chavez has not confirmed that.
He told the crowd he’s been rising at 5am, exercising and eating healthy foods such as yogurt. He also repeatedly noted that his doctors have told him to limit the length of his speeches.
“I’m going to go rest. Two more minutes,” said Chavez, whose speech lasted for more than 30 minutes.
Yet, shortly after the event, he reappeared in suit-and-tie on TV greeting foreign dignitaries.
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