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AFP
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaking during a press conference in Caracas on Oct. 9.
Updated at 5:15 a.m. ET: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in stable condition and spent Monday with his daughters, the cancer-stricken leader's son-in law-said in an appeal for supporters to ignore rumors about his condition.
Chavez has not been seen in public nor heard from in more than three weeks. The vice president said on Sunday that the 58-year-old was suffering a third set of complications after surgery in Cuba on Dec. 11, his fourth operation in 18 months.
"President Chavez spent the day quietly and stable, together with his daughters," his son-in-law, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, wrote on Twitter from Havana, where the family has been at the president's bedside.
Arreaza urged his countrymen not to "believe in ill-intentioned rumors" about the president's health.
On New Year's Eve, a major party in Caracas was quickly turned into a more somber gathering. Jacqueline Faría, head of the Capital District governing Caracas, canceled a free concert, calling instead for Venezuelans to "unite in prayer" for Chavez and to include his "prompt recovery" among their wishes for 2013.
On Monday afternoon, Venezuela state television began airing a live Catholic mass for Chavez that was being held at the Palacio de Miraflores, the building that houses presidential work offices. Meantime, the Ministry of Communications was organizing a massive prayer meeting at San Francisco Church at 5 p.m. (4:30 p.m. ET) and other Chavez supporters were planning a political rally at 6 p.m. at Plaza Bolivar.
On Sunday night, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro delivered a somber address to the nation from Havana, Cuba, where Chavez, 58, remains hospitalized after his fourth operation for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Maduro, flanked by one of Chavez’s daughters, Rosa Virginia, and her husband, Arreaza, read a prepared statement revealing that the Venezuelan president was now suffering "new complications" stemming from a respiratory infection he contracted after an operation on Dec. 11.
Archival video: Venezuela's controversial president Hugo Chavez -- who makes no secret of his dislike for the US -- was re-elected to an unprecedented third term, fending off a serious challenge to win decisively, 54 to 45 percent. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports from Caracas. October, 2012.
These problems developed on top of profuse bleeding Chavez experienced during the six-hour surgery in Havana. Chavez has been battling cancer for the past 18 months — flying to Cuba for surgery as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Maduro indicated that Chavez was conscious and able to speak, dispelling rumors circulating earlier in the day that claimed Chavez was only breathing with the help of a respirator and close to death.
Sept. 20: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took his verbal battle with the United States to the floor of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, calling President Bush "the devil." NBC's David Gregory reports.
"Just a few minutes ago we were with President Chavez," said Maduro. "We greeted each other and he himself talked about these complications."
Again Sunday evening, Maduro described Chavez’s condition as "delicate" and with "risks" while warning the nation to prepare for difficult times. Chavez has not been seen since his surgery three weeks ago and no additional information on his condition has appeared in Cuba’s state-run media.
"We trust that the avalanche of love and solidarity with Comandante Chavez, together with his immense will to live and the care of the best medical specialists, will help our president win this new battle," Maduro said.
For the moment, Maduro remains in Havana and said he was spending time with Chavez's medical team and relatives.
NBC News' Mary Murray and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Good riddance. Can think of a few more "world leaders" that should go too.
To all you player haters,
You should read the life and times of Hugo Chavez, before you pass judgement.
This man has slowly lowered the poverty levels in Venezuela and has been his people's choice as national leader through multiple free, popular elections. Chavez cares about the people and wants to raise their standards of living & education for the better. If this means nationalizing all existing Commerce and redistributing the wealth more evenly for all people to benefit, then this is the right course of action.
Chavez is not the typical latin American dictator, we've seen for years, who allows the exploitation of national resources by foreign super powers like the U.S. for large foreign aid payoffs, that are then pocketed, never to be accounted.
This is why there's been no sign of progress in Third World countries tht are rich with natural resources or have strategic global trade route value. What you see instead are Sweat Shops with no safety standards & little or no pay.
Don't be surprised to learn later that Chavez was slowly being poisoned by elements of the CIA since Venezuela has open, friendly diplomatic ties with socialist governed latin American neighboring nations.
I'm not a Communist, I'm a Moderate, Independent when it comes to politics in the U.S. The levels of corruption, pleasing the rich and little concern for the standard of living for the working men & women are my interests.
If this is not the case, then Obama and Congress would have settled the Fiscal Cliff matter way before Xmas, and not three hours before New Year's, 2013.
The Founding Fathers//For The People.com
Your so right and its a great loss of humanity in the world. This man was a true man of humanity and the corporate world wasn't allowed to exploit his country. Its a sad day for the world.
You have to be a marxist spewing your bull @!$%#.
Excuse me while I remove my finger from my throat! Wake up! His economy is in the toilet thanks to him, and he rules either buying the votes and affection of the ignorant poor, and fear and intimidation with the rest. All the while lining his and his cronies pockets with his country's oil revenues. Only die hard leftist liberals could even dream that Venezuela has gotten any benefit from that worthless tin horn two bit dictator!
George, I refer you post # 5.7 on page one!
Its ashame. This man has been killed. Three weeks ago. They dont know who to tell the country. He died in Cuba.
The united Stated had him killed. It all about oil, and the model that the US wants to set as a presedent for all other third world countries.
This is sad. Goes to show you that the US doesnt have a the one true model for success and that even a small country rich in unity can make its own way. This guy really pissed off the United States.
Charlie Mankin,
Thank you, and happy New Year- 2013.
It's like that old saying, that goes something like this, "If we don't learn from our mistakes in the past, we'll just continue to repeat them."
It's a doggy, dog world, all of us live in.
People need to read more, quit playing video games, skip watching ESPN or Porn & stop gambling.
Due to lack of interest, our public libraries have become public shelters & restrooms for the growing homeless or free, noisy day care centers.
Beam me up, Scotty
Simon Bolivar// For The People.com
Why did he have to leave his countrymen for medical help?? hmmm could it be his people want him dead more than the American government does??? You big dummy
Oye, Charlie Mankin,
It's not hard, to figure out that those, who have ill feelings towards our support for Hugo Chavez, are spoiled, rotten, self centered, single minded members of our American society, who probably have no compassion for those, less fortunate and would just as well use others for their own personal gain or benefit.
Mahatma Gandhi@ For The People.com
Hope he dies slowly.
Hugo Chavez is all the reason for not letting the military or cops run the government of a country. And more reason for the U.S. to protect the 2nd ammendment rights. But he is not half the thug that Putin is.
Who wrote this headline? Chavez hasn't been "stable" ever.
c'mon, Chavez has never been stable........
Death comes to all. Some sooner than others. Death only means your dead and going to rot and be eaten by insects. Unless you preserve the flesh somehow. So living is the hard part. It's your duty to make as many people unhappy as you can so they can appreciate death when it comes. Yours or theirs. Damn I forgot to fill my meds. :))
Can't believe that NBC is giving this worthless POS this many column inches...if they consider him newsworthy their priorities are all screwed up.
Rex-1306908
You're the POS, if that's how you feel, you should be watching Fox News & Bill "I like talking dirty over the phone" O'Reilly Factor.
NeilsenRatings.com
Lets hope this overgrown shoe shine boy croaks.
Oil. Oil. Oil. If it wasn't for the oil that they had nothing to do with other than be lucky enough to be sitting on it, Chavez would still be selling chicklets to tourists.
And it was the Americans that discovered the oil there.
I doubt he lives a lot longer. We can only hope he changes how he treats his countrymen in the meantime.
I wish the United States had the ability to inject tumors and cancers into commie dictators!!
I wish we had the ability to inject tumors & cancer into Republicans & Tea Party members! Now you see how stupid what you wrote sounds??? When it is flipped on you, it sounds asinine huh?
Nah, I am good here now that diversity and respect for our fellow man has come to the forefront. It is you stupid ass, little dick Republicans that can not have your way and act like a 3 year old that can start packing. Everybody in the world does not want to take orders from the USA and wish to choose their own path forward. According to our creed and the BS we preach, that is their "Right" to decide the direction their Country wishes to go and if it is not in a direction the USA ordains, so be it. "That" is Freedom of Choice" and "Democracy"
You gotta love the Haters that hate anybody that does not agree with the USA on everything or will not take Orders from us. Chavez's Country is Oil rich, so they do not have to sell their souls to the USA Oil Companies & take their marching orders from a former GOP Administration that was full of Oil men. If he dies, it is G-d's Will, if he lives, that too, is G-d's will and the haters will have no say so in which way it goes.
Good Ol White America, anything they cannot control or understand, they seek to discredit or destroy! We have the problems we have in the world today because people have grown tired of taking orders from the USA and doing what we want them to do. On one hand, we are preaching freedom and democracy & on the other hand we are trying to make them do what we say do and when they don't, we claim they ain't @!$%# and are a Threat, Go Figure!
I tip my hat to another who can see thru the U.S. bull$hit.
All you savages are a like stupid, and miss informed.
Savages???? Being a bit racist there Braindeadus??? Your name fits you. YOU are probably one of those cowards that wants to wage war against everybody that does not agree with our BS but you ain't signing up and go fight. I love it that you have the nerve to refer to someone as a savage when you can trace your ancestry back to a bunch of Barbarians living in Caves and killing those from the next tribe over! Who is really the savage??
Eddie, I have to agree that the use of the word savages is somewhat harsh.Personally, I just consider you misguided! But that is just my opinion that I am entitled to, just as you are entitled to yours. I don't see the need to get nasty and insulting.
It's telling that he went to Havana for treatment. He has ruined the medical business in
Venezuela running most of the medical profession to retirement outside his fiefdom that he could not find treatment in his own country. His compadre Obama, along with being the greatest gun salesman the world has ever seen, will also be the the one responsible for more medical professionals to take early retirement once Obamacare becomes fully implemented. These freedom hating busybody Marxists are narcissists that are addicted to power.
He has not ruined anything in Venezuela. You are another sucked in by american b.s. and do not realize that Cuba has some of the best doctors in the world.
Long live Hugo Chavez, another great world leader.
Spoken like a true Chavista! Do you live in Venezuela?
Why is everyone associating this him with Argentina? Go and bone up on your world history.......Cancer is a bitch.....but this guy has been a cancer for years......he is a know supporter of Iranian nuclear exploration, a frequent violator or civil rights of his own people.....corrupt as hell.......hates Americans......I could list three pages of reasons why this man is total garbage.....I don't think too many people in this world will really miss him....period.
hey hugo >>" The Partys over " bye !!!!! U, S O B
may g-d bless him.
I doubt there are blessings where he is most likely bound for!
This is a dead man walking he just does not know it, he will not be missed. Sometimes cancer is the hand of redemtion.
I think the correlation between Venezuela and Argentina is, the Argentines are in Hock to Hugo to the Max. When he dies their money bucket goes away, I believe he has helped them bridge the chasm left when they defaulted as a nation. Christina is Hugo's Amiga, she is in his pockets also. I would hope they are in a position, they don't default to Venezuela, that would not be pretty. It is a circumstance kind of like us this election cycle, We shall suffer the consequences for the actions of those we elected. This is our Bed, Learn to Sleep in It.
Hugo must face his Mortality, His Self Interest surpassed that of Venezuela the First Day He took Power. From that point it has been about Hugo and Only Hugo, President for Life is a Great Gig if Karma doesn't step in.
Chavez is just a puppet of the Castro regime, they will come up with another clown.
Venezuelans deserve a government that respects the global community. The U.S. is not the enemy of Venezuela, somos vecinos en este parte del mundo. North and South America have so much in common other than our geographic proximity. Having worked for years in Latin America, I pray that the people of the western hemisphere work together, not apart. Hugo will be judged - most definitely - by someone or something much greater than us. I hope the Venezuelan V.P. offers an olive branch to the U.S. and turns his back on rogue states, and we know who they are.
I worked on the Guri Dam project for two years. Venezuela has a major, insurmountable problem. Most of the population is mulatto. The average IQ in that country is 80 or less. No matter how much government money is thrown at the problem, most of the Venezuelans will remain uneducable. The illegitimacy rate is close to 80 percent. That is a formula for a national catastrophe of epic proportions. In 1956, an out-of-control crowd nearly killed Vice-president Nixon. Things have changed very little since that time. A large portion of the population is still violent. Oil money has simply allowed for greater welfare dependency. When the oil runs out, the country will be toast.
So I guess working on a dam has allowed you to run diagnostic tests of intelligence on the populace? What exactly did you do on that dam?
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 93.3%
female: 92.7% (2001 census)
It is doubtful that a nation with an IQ below 80 could have so many reading and writing.
You have a real hang up on the number 80. Are those your children? All 80 of them (wink wink).
My thought here is YOU are the one lacking.
Death is about as stable as you can get.
"Venezuela's Chavez 'stable' in hospital, son-in-law says"
When has Chavez ever been stable? The only time he will be stable is when he reaches room tempature.