VENEZUELA: Citizens, political leaders and military rally behind cancer-stricken Chavez

Record ID: 213824

  • Title: VENEZUELA: Citizens, political leaders and military rally behind cancer-stricken Chavez
  • Date: 10th December 2012
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) CHAVEZ GIVING SPEECH
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEQEWEUG4HCC5ASNBHZ7I8079R
  • Story Text: As Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez prepares to undergo cancer surgery in Havana, Cuba, supporters rallied for him, the national assembly approved his trip and the armed forces expressed their loyalty on Sunday (December 9).
    Singing, praying and waving Chavez posters, throngs of red-clad supporters gathered in squares across the South American country to show solidarity with the 58-year-old socialist leader.
    As they crowded into Caracas's Plaza Bolivar next to a statue of Chavez's idol and Venezuela's independence hero Simon Bolivar, they prayed and listened to former vice-president Elias Jaua, who urged unity.
    "The first great task of all authentic revolutionaries, at this moment, is unity, loyalty and discipline."
    Jaua was tapped by Chavez to run against his presidential opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles, as he seeks to regain his seat as Miranda state governor.
    On Saturday (December 8), in Chavez's first public acknowledgement that he might have to step down, he said his vice president and foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, would take over if he were incapacitated and urged supporters to back Maduro if there was a new vote.
    The move sidelines Jaua and Diosdado Cabello, who heads Congress and is a former army comrade of the ailing president-- but Jaua urged Chavez supporters not to be divided.
    "Loyalty to the man, to the brother, to the friend, to the father, to the leader who is Hugo Chavez to each of the men and women who, throughout this country, make up the largest revolutionary force that has ever existed in Venezuela, Chavism, because we feel deeply proud to be Chavez supporters, revolutionaries, socialists and Bolivarians," he said.
    The National Assembly voted to approve Chavez's trip - a formality each time he travels abroad for more than five days.
    "The president's request is approve in accordance with Article 235 of the constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in which he requests authorization to leave the country for more than five days. I want to submit it to this plenary session for consideration. The deputies who are in agreement, please signal in the typical way. Approved unanimously," Diosdado Cabello said.
    In the National Assembly, opposition lawmakers wished Chavez well - but then criticized Chavez for holding onto power during his overseas trip.
    "No act of national power dictated from outside the country can be valid. The capital of Venezuela is Caracas, not Havana, and this is where the seat is of our public powers. We wish the president a speedy recovery; we vote for his health and his prompt return," said opposition deputy Hiram Gaviria.
    As Chavez's political allies called for people to be alert, to unite and to be on guard against conspiracies, leaders of the country's military forces went on national television to ratify their support for Chavez.
    "You were born for greatness. May God accompany, illuminate and protect you always. Count on the full loyalty of your Bolivarian national armed forces. We kneel on land before you my commander in chief. Independence and socialist fatherland!" said Defence Minister admiral Diego Alfredo Molero, before leaders of the armed forces said in unison, "We will live long and conquer!" To victory always," Molero added.
    Chavez has never said what type of cancer he has, only that it was in his pelvic area. He has undergone three cancer operations and had two tumors removed there since June 2011.
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