Chavez Greets the People

"Landep News"

Go Forth, Commander!

Hugo Chavez Frias, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, made a spectacular return home after weeks spent in a hospital in Cuba’s capital Havana, where he underwent a surgery operation to remove a pelvic abscess.

Chavez appeared on Cuban television in a broadcasting which was relayed to the people of Venezuela, in which he said he would rule the country from Cuba for as long as it took, until his health condition permitted him to resume his work in the country.

His return could be seen as a means to boost his approval rate, diminished somehow by the devaluation of the national currency, thus confirming Chavez’s claim as showman.

He had announced his intention to run for a third time in office right before he left the country for Havana.

Another serious reason for his rather precipitated return could be the movement within the ranks of his supporters. The vice president of the country was called to assume acting presidency in the president’s absence, as the Constitution demands, while leaders of the military alluded they may not let power slip through their hands not even in case the opposition wins elections.

Anyway, Chavez returned to his country projecting the image of a strong man, who smiles, hugs the vice president, sings and raises the fist in triumph.

The effect was immediate, given that thousands rallied in the afternoon in front of his presidential palace and shouted along with him “Long live the Bolivarian Revolution!” “Long live Chavez!”

He confessed to the people that he was in hospital in Cuba, where he clung to the crucifix of the Redeemer. “Christ is with us!” he concluded.

Chavez Greets the People

However optimistic an image he conveys, Chavez told the national television in Venezuela by phone that he would not attend the 200th anniversary of Venezuela’s independence from Spain, which he never missed in the past. The celebration is scheduled for Tuesday.

It is expected that he will make use even of his physical condition to command people’s attention and rally them around him, but there is no telling how the illness itself will evolve on a person that is resuming the normal functions so quickly and intensely.

People Rallying Behind Chavez

Chavez is not at his first comeback, the most famous being the one in 2002, when a coup briefly removed him from office. Each one of his comebacks was a triumph and a means to increase his popularity.

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