MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez last words, “please don’t let me die”, according to the presidential guard chief

General Ornella was next to Chavez during his last moments

President Hugo Chávez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard revealed on Thursday.

“He couldn't speak, but he said it with his lips: 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country,” General José Ornella told The Associated Press.

The general said he spent the last two years with Chávez, including his final moments, as Venezuela's president of 14 years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region.

Ornella spoke to the international news agency outside the military academy where Chávez's body lay in state. He said Chavez's cancer was very advanced when death came but gave no details.

“He was looked after by the best doctors in the world”, said Ornella who nevertheless added that Chavez suffered much pain with the cancer. “We who were next to him saw him suffer a lot with the disease. And well…some day we’ll write about it and some day the doctor will write it for history”.

Ornella did not respond when asked if the cancer had spread to Chávez's lungs.

The government said on the eve of Chávez' death that he had suffered a severe new respiratory infection. It was the second respiratory infection reported by officials after Chavez underwent his fourth cancer surgery in Cuba on Dec. 11.

Venezuelan authorities have not said what kind of cancer Chávez had or specified exactly where tumours were removed, besides the ‘pelvic region’ statement.

Ornella revealed that since last 8 December when Chavez addressed the country for the last time to report on his health condition and a new surgery in Cuba, “he knew that after that operation there was very little hope of overcoming” that extreme health situation. “On that very day he announced Vice-president Nicolas Maduro as his successor”.