Mercosur leading members Brazil and Argentina are closely following the Venezuelan situation confident there are no reasons for surprises or fears about the democratic system, while the most respected political reporter of the country Nelson Bocaranda assures that President Cristina Fernandez, CFK, paid a secret visit to Havana in December where she talked with Hugo Chavez about his true health condition.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez delegated certain responsibilities in economic affairs to Vice-President Nicolas Maduro including the right to authorize debt sales and seize assets. The announcement comes at a moment when significant economic decisions must be taken following the profligate spending leading to last October’s election.
The Venezuelan government and opposition coincide that it is possible to postpone the oath taking ceremony of President Hugo Chavez, which according to the constitution should take place on 10 January, if the re-elected leader is still in Cuba recovering from his fourth cancer operation.
For the first time a government official in Venezuela has raised the possibility that Hugo Chavez's January 10 inauguration could be delayed as the president struggles to recover from his latest cancer surgery in Cuba.
Brazil’s Foreign minister says Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seems to be improving after cancer surgery.
Brazil’s state-run news agency Agencia Brasil cites Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota as saying that Brazilian officials are monitoring daily the health of Chavez.
President Hugo Chavez candidates swept nearly all of Venezuela's 23 states in Sunday's regional vote, but Henrique Capriles consolidated his position as top opposition leader by winning re-election as governor.
Venezuelan doctor Jose Rafael Marquina, who is based in the US and is known for his accurate prognoses on President Hugo Chavez’s health, told a local Florida radio that the Venezuelan leader Chavez has “between two and three months to live”.
Despite earlier reports, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is in delicate condition after his latest surgery for cancer, the government said on Wednesday.
With Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in Cuba for his fourth cancer surgery in two years and after naming Vice President and Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro as his successor if anything were to go wrong, the Constitution of the country contemplates several options, including new elections.
The heir-designate of President Hugo Chavez is a former bus driver and trade unionist with the Caracas public transport. Nicolás Maduro, 50, has been foreign minister since 2006 and also was named vice president in October. As foreign minister Maduro has been a faithful ambassador of Chávez’ views, including often radical critiques of global affairs from a hard left-wing stance.