- Title: BOLIVIA: Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in therapy, eyes return, says Evo Morales
- Date: 22nd January 2013
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JANUARY 22, 2013) (REUTERS) CLOSE-UP OF THE BOLIVIAN AND INDIGENOUS WHIPALA FLAGS PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS PERSONS PERFORMING CEREMONY FOR BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES CLOSE-UP OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS AN INDIGENOUS PERSON PLAYING A COW HORN OUTSIDEN THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES LEAVING THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE RESIDENTS WAIVING TO MORALES MORALES LEAVING PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ROOF OF THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MORALES ON HIS WAY TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "We are hoping for good news. Yesterday and the day before yesterday I communicated with Cuba and, brothers and sisters, we have good news about our brother, President Hugo Chavez. He is already undergoing physical therapy to return to his country. A special hello to our bothers, to the Comandante who fights for the liberation of the people of his country, and also with other presidents, in the social movements for the liberation of the entire continent." THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "Our respect and admiration. We hope to be together at international events again, like always, very soon. You all know the leaders that think of the Patria Grande like Fidel [Castro] and Hugo Chavez are very much needed at international events and I'm certain that soon we will be [together again] at presidential summits." GENERAL VIEW OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CLOSE-UP OF INDIGENOUS LAWMAKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "The nationalization of the fight against drug trafficking has been important not just for Bolivians, but as a model of fighting drug trafficking recognized around the world." MORALES SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "While in other countries where coca is produced, according to the U.N. report, there has been an increase in coca of 2-3 percent despite foreign support, the millions of dollars, military bases, [and] the DEA presence. While in Bolivia, without the DEA, without military bases, with our money, we have had a net reduction of 12 percent, according to the U.N." PEOPLE WITH BOLIVIAN AND INDIGENOUS FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "The war on drugs enforced by the government of the United States has failed and will continue to fail because they have never seen the social side [of the issue]." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AT EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "We have a special possibility join with a different treatment compared to the imbalances that exist within the Mercosur. We have mentioned to the presidents [of the Mercosur] that with Bolivia being the heart of South America without access to the sea, that they need to give us these preferences to enter Mercosur." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO MORALES SPEAK AT A CENTRAL SQUARE
- Embargoed: 6th February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: International Relations,Politics,People
- Reuters ID: LVA6G3B6OE147QAKTYT2ZSH9BUNE
- Story Text: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is undergoing physical therapy to hasten his return home from Cuba after surgery last month for the cancer that has threatened to end his 14-year rule, Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Tuesday (January 22).
The comments by Morales, a fellow leftist and close friend of Chavez, added to positive signals from Venezuelan officials that the president was improving and may be able to return from Cuba, where he had surgery on December 11.
He has not been seen or heard from in public since then.
"Yesterday and the day before yesterday I communicated with Cuba and, brothers and sisters, we have good news about our brother, President Hugo Chavez. He is already undergoing physical therapy to return to his country. A special hello to our bothers, to the Comandante who fights for the liberation of the people of his country, and also with other presidents, in the social movements for the liberation of the entire continent," Morales said in a speech to parliament in La Paz.
Speaking just days ahead of a January 26-27 CELAC-EU Summit in Santiago, Chile which will bring together government officials and business leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union, the indigenous leader said Chavez has been missed at international events.
Morales commended Chavez for his work in helping to integrate like-minded Latin American governments in what is often referred to by leftist leaders as the Patria Grande, or Great Fatherland.
"We hope to be together at international events again, like always, very soon. You all know the leaders that think of the Patria Grande like Fidel [Castro] and Hugo Chavez are very much needed at international events and I'm certain that soon we will be [together again)] at presidential summits," Morales said without giving any more detail.
There were rumours around the New Year that Chavez, 58, was on life support. Those have given way in the past few days to speculation he may soon return to Venezuela.
Local media reports have said a military hospital in Caracas is being prepared to receive Chavez.
In the absence of detailed medical information, Venezuelans are debating whether Chavez may be able to recover well enough to continue governing or whether he wants to come home to smooth a handover of power or simply to say farewell.
Morales' comments suggest Chavez may have come through some of the worst effects of his operation.
The government had acknowledged he suffered bleeding and a lung infection in an extremely "complex" situation after surgery.
The disease was first detected in his pelvic area in mid-2011.
While addressing the National Assembly to mark the start of his eighth year as president, Morales also touted the South American country's record on fighting drug trafficking.
"The nationalization of the fight against drug trafficking has been important not just for Bolivians, but as a model of fighting drug trafficking recognized around the world," Morales said.
In 2008 Bolivia accused U.S. anti-drug agents of spying on and barred them from fighting cocaine traffickers in the Andean country.
Nonetheless, a September U.N. report indicated Bolivia, the biggest cocaine producer after Peru and Colombia, managed to reduce coca plantations by more than 12 percent in 2011 after years of increased production of the raw plant used in making the illicit drug.
"While in other countries where coca is produced, according to the U.N. report, there has been an increase in coca of 2-3 percent despite foreign support, the millions of dollars, military bases, [and] the DEA presence. While in Bolivia, without the DEA, without military bases, with our money, we have had a net reduction of 12 percent, according to the U.N," Morales said.
In another victory for Morales, Bolivia was re-incorporation to the United Nations Convention on Narcotic Drugs this month after withdrawing last year to protest the classification of the coca leaf as an illegal drug.
Bolivia was reinstated and the U.N. recognized chewing coca leaves as legal in Bolivia despite the opposition of 15 countries, including the United States, the UK, Russia and France.
"The war on drugs enforced by the government of the United States has failed and will continue to fail because they have never seen the social side [of the issue]," Morales added.
Morales also told parliament the country's incorporation as a full member of the South American trade bloc Mercosur remained underway.
"We have a special possibility to join with a different treatment compared to the imbalances that exist within the Mercosur. We have mentioned to the presidents [of the Mercosur] that with Bolivia being the heart of South America without access to the sea, that they need to give us these preferences to enter the Mercosur," Morales said.
Bolivia officially signed a protocol to become the sixth full member state of the trade group in December, joining heavyweights Brazil and Argentina along with Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay which has been temporarily suspended from the group. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
