First photos of sick Chavez released
2013-02-15 22:00
Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was seen
bed-ridden but smiling in photos released on Friday that gave a jittery nation
a first glimpse of him since his fourth round of cancer surgery in December.
The pictures show Chavez lying in bed in a Havana
hospital, with his two daughters at his side and holding Thursday's edition of
the official Cuban newspaper Granma.
The images broke a virtual news blackout for Venezuelans
living in a state of limbo without their once media-happy and larger than life
comandante.
Until now they had not seen a single photo of him, nor
heard his voice, with sketchy government updates about Chavez's health feeding
conspiracy theories.
But Venezuelans will have to wait longer for the former
commando to break his silence.
Chavez has been fitted with a breathing tube in his
throat, making it hard for him to speak, Information Minister Ernesto Villagas
said.
That's because of a respiratory infection that emerged
after the surgery, he said.
The infection has been brought under control and is being
treated, but Chavez still has some trouble breathing.
"Because of this, Commander Chavez is breathing
through a tracheal tube, which temporarily hinders his speech," Villegas
said in a televised speech to the nation.
It was Chavez's son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, who is also
science minister, who showed the printed photos of Chavez on television.
"We wanted to share with you now some shots from
last night of our commander accompanied by his two daughters Rosa Virginia and
Maria Gabriela... yesterday on the day of friendship, on Valentine's Day,"
Arreaza said.
