Chavez Illness Fuels Succession Speculation

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' hospitalization and subsequent disappearance from public view while visiting Cuba has stirred rumors about the seriousness of his medical condition and controversy over whether he should delegate power temporarily.

Chavez, 56, has not been seen in public since June 8, when he arrived in Havana on a Latin American tour. Two days later, he underwent surgery for a "pelvic abscess," and the Venezuelan government has offered little detail on his condition.

There has been no direct public communication from Chavez since June 12, when he spoke via telephone to a state-run TV station in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. On June 17, the Cuban government released a photo of Chavez being visited in his hospital room by Fidel and Raul Castro.

On Venezuelan Defense Minister Carlos Mata Figueroa said Thursday that he talks to Chavez every day, and that the leader is convalescing well and is "stronger than ever."

Later in the day, the first messages in more than a week were sent from Chavez's Twitter account, but they did not mention his health and there was no way to verify that he was the author of the tweets.

Critics such as opposition lawmaker Americo de Grazia have demanded that the government issue a daily medical bulletin on Chavez's condition. De Grazia also said Chavez's ongoing treatment in Cuba was an affront to Venezuelan doctors who are "characterized by professionalism."