I hope he's okay.
"Chavez declares himself cancer free" October 21, 2011|Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO - President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela declared yesterday that he had beaten cancer, less than five months after he stunned Venezuelans by revealing that he had undergone emergency surgery to remove a tumor while in seclusion in Cuba.
See: The Comings and Goings of Chavez
“No abnormal cellular activity exists,’’ Chavez said in comments broadcast on state news media while he was in western Venezuela, where he was preparing to visit a Roman Catholic shrine. “I’ve begun to exit the cave.’’
Despite Chavez’s announcement, which he made after a brief trip to Cuba for a checkup, mystery still shrouds his condition. He has never publicly revealed what type of cancer he had.
Chavez, 57, underwent four chemotherapy treatments, including three in Cuba and one in Venezuela, the government said.
Physically, Chavez looked like a changed man yesterday, appearing bloated and wearing a green military cap atop his bald head. Spiritually, Chavez also seems to have acquired a more religious air.
“I’m more Christian every day,’’ he said. “Socialism is the road to Christ.’’
Confusion persists in Venezuela about how healthy or sick Chavez may be.
Salvador Navarrete, a prominent Venezuelan doctor who describes himself as the president’s former personal surgeon, said this week that Chavez had less than two years to live, attributing his illness to a very aggressive tumor in the pelvic area. Navarrete said he drew his conclusions from recent discussions with Chavez’s family.
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Related: Venezuelan President Chavez Hints U.S. Could Be Behind Cancers Affecting South American Leaders
Sure is an odd cluster.
"Exxon awarded $908m for lost assets; Arbitration case settles dispute with Venezuela" Associated Press, January 02, 2012
CARACAS - An international arbitration body has awarded Exxon Mobil Corp. nearly $908 million in a dispute with Venezuela over compensation for the nationalization of its assets, the company said yesterday.
President Hugo Chávez’s government nationalized an oil project in the country in 2007.
The decision, by the International Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA “does have a contractual liability to Exxon Mobil,’’ company spokesman Patrick McGinn said in an e-mail....
Exxon Mobil has another arbitration case pending against Venezuela before the World Bank-affiliated International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. More than a dozen other arbitration cases involving Venezuela are also pending; companies have sought billions of dollars in compensation in response to nationalizations by Chávez’s leftist government....
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Can't someone help him out?
"$4b Chinese loan to aid Venezuelan oil" November 24, 2011|Associated Press
CARACAS - China has agreed to a new $4 billion loan to help Venezuela boost its oil output and will also help upgrade power plants and increase production of iron and aluminum, a Venezuelan official said yesterday.
China has become Venezuela’s biggest foreign lender in recent years, and has previously agreed to more than $32 billion in loans. President Hugo Chavez’s government is repaying the loans with oil shipments....
And the guy suddenly came down with cancer, huh?
The infusion of cash from China has also provided key support as Chavez looks to boost spending ahead of next year’s presidential election. Ramirez said Chinese companies are helping with upgrades to power plants. Chinese companies are also building public housing for the government, and are constructing railways....
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