President Chávez Returns to Venezuela from Cuba

[bemildred]

(CARACAS, Venezuela) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery.

Chavez announced his return in a series of message on his Twitter account, saying “we will continue our treatment here.”

They were the first messages to appear on Chavez’s Twitter account since Nov. 1.

“I’m clinging to Christ and trusting in my doctors and nurses,” Chavez said in another tweet. “Onward toward victory always!! We will live and we will triumph!!”

http://world.time.com/2013/02/18/president-chavez-returns-to-venezuela-from-cuba/

[Demeter]

1. And all the 5th columnistas can suck on lemons

[bemildred]

2. I'm impressed.

I thought he was toast.

[joshcryer]

3. I think your initial impression is correct.

He returned late at night, with no media coverage, I think sad times are ahead.

[bemildred]

4. Could be.

I would think there would be more exploitation of the emotions of such a moment, but perhaps my expectations are corrupted by constant exposure to US media.

[bemildred]

5. You know, processions, candle-lit vigils, that sort of thing?

But you may well be correct that they have given up and he's coming home to die. I'm still surprised he made it this far.

[Peace Patriot]

6. I don't know why you two are so glum. I thought just the opposite, that travel = improving health.

Joshcryer is a Capriles supporter (rightwing) and very anti-Chavez, so I don't credit his "time of sadness" prediction and I suspect typical rightwing surreality (a super-reality wherein those who believe that they are "born to rule" wish themselves into power).

The method of Chavez's arrival in Venezuela--quiet, no fanfare--may be merely a reflection of his desire for privacy about his illness and treatment, which he has manifested all along.

Also, the fact that he's traveled home points to improved health, although it could be that he beat the post-operation lung infection but still has cancer. But if he still has cancer, why isn't he still being treated for it in Cuba (one of the best medical systems in the world)? If his cancer has spread and they think he's terminal, that might be a reason to discontinue aggressive treatment and let him travel home, but why assume this? There is little basis on which to assume it, and there are contraindications--he beat the lung infection (a complication that should have done him in, if his cancer had spread), is not intubated any more (according to the photos), has not lost any weight (according to the photos--quite surprising, considering what he's been through) and has become well enough to travel by air (not recommended for critically ill patients, especially recently intubated ones).

[bemildred]

7. Leave me alone, just leave me out of it.

I know who everybody is, I generally support Chavez, but I have no interest in joining a side so I can't talk to whomever I like in a civil manner whenever I want about subjects of mutual interest. You can learn a lot that way. OK?

I tend to think Chavez is "better" somehow, but that can mean lots of things with cancer, and I don't pretend to any actual knowledge, I just go by my personal experiences.

[joshcryer]

8. I'm anti-authoritarian.

I have no personal animosity toward Chavez the person, but Chavista ideology is authoritarian, corrupt, and overall detrimental to Venezuela. The reason I make my position known is because there is little criticism of Chavismo on these forums and as leftists we should have intellectual integrity and criticize one who associates with the left when they do something bad (such as having human rights violating prisons, a high murder rate, a class system in which the Boligarchs rule). There wasn't one post here about the PDVSA people who got indicted recently, for example. It's all about lies of omission.

Cuba has a malignant neoplasm survival rate worse than Venezuela. To say that they are the best in the world is completely false as far as cancer is concerned. Venezuela has a malignant neoplasms (PDF) mortality rate of 62.8 per 100,000. Whereas Cuba is 141 per 100,000. He should've gone to Brazil.

If Chavez was healthy enough to sit up, smile and raise his hand with a thumbs up, they would've brought him back mid-day, they would've had a cadena, and bussed in tens of thousands of chavistas for his triumphant return.

[ocpagu]

9. It's quite difficult to believe you're a leftist...

... when you hold positions such as "there was no coup in Honduras".

[joshcryer]

10. Yeah, because supporting millionaire Zelaya is a truly leftist thing to do.

[ocpagu]

11. It's not a question of supporting Zelaya himself, but of respect for democracy.

The majority of Hondurans elected a president in an honest and democratic election. A coup perpetrated by military officials together with members in the Legislative and Judiciary powers, clearly without popular support (and literally a junta which ordered censorship of the press, curfews, attacked with sound weapons a foreign embassy, killed activists, peasants, supporters of Zelaya, etc.). The reason was an inconsequent elite thinking "I don't like his government".

So, in my POV, this is not being progressive. Coups even can be justified under a progressive and democratic ideology, but in complete different circumstances (generally, in a revolutionary context) and always taking in account the will of the people, the will of the majority.

[joshcryer]

12. Zelaya acted illegally.

What was illegal was that he was removed from the country via a US military base. This of course is what he wanted because he would've wound up in jail if he didn't leave the country. This is why I do not call it a coup despite that everyone else does because Zelaya had the US military help bail him out. Now, his side of the story is that he was grabbed in the middle of the night and flown out of the country, basically kidnapped and exiled. Yet he spent $80,000 in the first week out of the country. So, a guy kidnapped, and ousted, still has access to the coffers? No, it was a contingency. Of course, because he professes to be a "leftist" you will happily believe what he says even though he's the same person who claimed high frequency radiation was being used to torture him.

Nevermind the fact that Zelaya was effectively a US puppet (who we protected on several occasions, and he could so easily get our help to escape prosecution).

The wikileaks in question, where he does our bidding:

Zelaya praised Secretary Hillary Clinton for her work during the General Assembly, adding that he thought that in their second and last meeting she had made a very convincing and powerful case for the U.S. position, which had impacted greatly on him.

3. (C) Comment: Zelaya found himself trapped between his desire to please both the U.S. and his ALBA friends at the OAS. The need to produce a successful assembly won out, however, and Zelaya successfully pressured ALBA to accept our text.

Wonderful words for Zelaya: Zelaya administration's first 45 days - pro-U.S: http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2006/03/06TEGUCIGALPA526.html

He implemented CAFTA-DR as we wished: http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2007/06/07TEGUCIGALPA1154.html

This profile of him is even better, showing how he "understood his role" and implied that the US turned a blind eye to his corrupt administration: http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2008/05/08TEGUCIGALPA459.html

The justice minister was pissed that the military evacuated him (using a US military base no less) to avoid facing charges (note he does use the "kidnapping" angle): http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2010/01/10TEGUCIGALPA16.html

Nasty words for Micheletti (who wound up in charge during the transition): http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2008/08/08TEGUCIGALPA765.html

Funny oil deals: http://wikileaks.adren.org/cable/2008/01/08TEGUCIGALPA86.html