Chávez: back in Cuba

Chávez: back in Cuba
July 18, 2011 10:48 pm by Benedict Mander

Shrieks of joy rang across Venezuela Sunday night. Long belittled as the
whipping boys of South American football, traditionally far more
interested in baseball, its team has made history by proceeding to the
semi-finals of the Copa America tournament.

It helped temporarily to distract a country that was plunged into doubt
once again by Hugo Chávez's return to Cuba on Saturday to start
chemotherapy treatment (although this didn't stop him from joining in on
the footballing excitement via Twitter), without giving any indication
of how long he would be away for.

Even so, he has refused to cede power to the vice-president, Elias Jaua,
despite the opposition's insistence that the constitution requires him
to do so. Might this video provide some clue as to why Chávez is so
reluctant to do so, given that Jaua obviously doesn't share his boss's
flare for public speaking?

Still, Chávez has delegated certain powers, including some budgetary and
taxation responsibilities to the finance minister, while Jaua will have
the freedom to announce expropriations, something that Chávez has
jealously kept to himself, and delighted in doing all too often, in
recent years.

If that is any indication of the direction things will take in the
coming weeks and months in Chávez's absence – increased spending as well
as channeling more money to the government ahead of presidential
elections next year, and more assaults on private property – recent
attacks on the opposition might provide some clues too.

Of particular interest are attempts to strip the most popular opposition
candidate at the moment, Henrique Capriles Radonski, of the immunity
from prosecution that he enjoys as governor of Miranda state, after a
pro-government politician accused him of handing out contracts to
companies owned by his family. It may be an attempt to stop him from
running from the presidency altogether.

Adding to Venezuelans' doubt is the fact that it has not been made
public what type of cancer Chávez is actually suffering from, although
there is some consensus among oncologists that it is most likely to be
cancer of the colon.

Ironically, it is being reported in local media that it has now been
established that a colon infection was the ultimate cause of death of
Chávez's idol, the nineteenth century independence hero Simon Bolivar –
and not tuberculosis as originally thought.

In any case that is what has been deduced following the exhumation of
"the Liberator's" remains that began a year ago.

Fears amongst the more fanciful that by opening his coffin some kind of
malign curse has been unleashed may or may not merit attention, although
Chávez is said to be quite superstitious himself.

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/07/18/chavez-back-in-cuba/#axzz1SXvl87O6