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causing the pain, probably fever and certainly the threat of out of control infection--but then, when they biopopsied (probably as a routine procedure in such an operation), they found cancer cells. So they operated again, to remove the tumor (apparently a small one). I don't know how they treat cancer in Cuba's very highly regarded medical system, but he may be undergoing chem or radiation therapy. Chavez describes a scene wherein Fidel Castro brought him the news of the cancer prognosis, and Chavez recounts waiting for a lot of test results. This was the reason for delayed news. Neither he nor other government officials nor the doctors themselves knew, right away, that he had a cancerous tumor. They thought it was just an infection.
I feel for Chavez, who has been so besieged, slandered, lied about and abused by the U.S. State Department and its propaganda organs, by the USAID-funded and "trained" fascist opposition in Venezuela, by U.S.-funded 'journalists' and by the global corporate press with their monotonous repetition of "talking points" faxed from Langley. He is the most hated man in the world, by transglobal corporations and war profiteers--and one of the greatest democratic leaders of our era. This relentless viciousness against him has no doubt taken its toll.
I hope he recovers and can continue giving them Hell--and, if not, I hope he has a restful and peaceful era of his life, however long or short it may be, in the knowledge that no leader has had more impact for the better in Latin America's history, including Simon Bolivar. Chavez led the revolution--he and the Venezuelan people--that changed Latin America from a chattel of the U.S. into an independent, democratic region--and brought all of the other leaders along with him, including Lula da Silva and Dilma Rouseff in Brazil, Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez in Argentina, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Eduador, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, Fernando Lugo in Paraguay (also suffering from cancer), Jose Mujica in Uruguay and more--all elected in the aftermath of the Venezuelan revolution and influenced by its ideas and its success. The Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela was the first, and, as it was and is a genuine revolution, committed to Latin American independence, unity, social justice and democracy, it has inspired other peoples to also elect governments committed to these principles. This revolution is now very deep and very widespread and cannot be stopped.
It is no accident that Lula da Silva said, of Chavez: "They can invent all kinds of things to criticize Chavez but not on democracy." That is a very accurate assessment of the man. He has led Latin America TO democracy--something that our transglobal corporate rulers and war profiteers absolutely abhor, here or in any other country that possesses something they want to loot. They hate Chavez because they hate democracy!
Chavez's courage in the face of attempted coups, attempted assassinations, attempted destabilization, economic pressure of every kind, dirty tricks, black ops, saber rattling, devious attempted treacheries and entrapments,"sanctions," a USAID-funded recall election and on and on and on, has been phenomenal--but may have cost him his life. He's young (late '50s--I don't think he's 60 yet). The extraordinary--and completely gratuitous--stress that he has had to endure may have compromised his immune system and very likely contributed to what he describes as "neglecting his health" (not getting checkups, etc.). Having a CIA's bull's eye target on his back, throughout his presidency, cannot have helped.
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