MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine president to undergo surgery for papillary thyroid cancer next week

During CFK absence of leave, 20 days, the Executive will be in the hands of Vice-president Amado Boudou

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez has tested positive for papillary thyroid cancer and will undergo surgery next January 4. The Argentine leader will be taking a leave of absence until January 24th, announced on Tuesday the Executive spokesperson Alfredo Scoccimarro.

The carcinoma was detected last December 22nd and “has not metastasized” since it is concentrated in the thyroid gland, said the spokesperson. Most often the first symptom of thyroid cancer is a nodule in the thyroid region of the neck.

The Government said that her condition was detected after some routine medical checks, and the intervention has been scheduled to take place at the Buenos Aires Austral University hospital next week.

 The doctor in charge of the operation is Pedro Saco, a renowned Argentine oncologist specializing in head and collar cancer. He has been practicing medicine for 27 years and has done internships in Houston and New York. He is currently chief of the Head and Collar Oncology Surgery Department at the Austral University hospital and vice-president of the Argentine Head and collar oncology surgery

Cristina Fernández will have to remain hospitalized for three days and her recovery will take at least twenty days in total, for which she will take a leave of absence until January 24th.
 Following on Article 88 of the Constitution, Vice-President Amado Boudou will be in charge of the Executive until her retur

Article 88 states that in the case of sickness, absence from the capital, death, resignation or destitution of the president, the Executive will be exercised by the vice-president.

In a recent political rally Cristina Fernandez said she was particularly happy and celebrated the fact she now has a vice-president of her “total confidence”, in reference to Julio Cobos (2007/2011) with whom she split in 2008 when the farmers’ conflict.

Cristina Kirchner thus joins a list of South American leaders who have suffered or are undergoing treatment for the treacherous disease beginning with current Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, her predecessor Lula da Silva, Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.