LatinNews Daily Report - 16 April 2012

Venezuela | Chávez a no-show in Cartagena. Venezuela’s national assembly voted on Sunday (15 April) to authorize further travel to Cuba for President Hugo Chávez for his cancer treatment. President Chávez failed to attend the Summit of the Americas in Colombia at the weekend, citing the advice of his doctors. An opposition deputy, Carlos Berrizbeitia, yesterday complained about the president’s continual absences from the country and raised questions over the cost to the Venezuelan taxpayer. Berrizbeitia noted, “In the past 340 days, from 11 May 2011 to 8 April [2012], the president has spent 200 days resting or hospitalized and 80 days in Cuba”. He added that the president’s plane had racked up 56 flight hours at an estimated cost of US$1.7m, complaining that the presidential entourage to Cuba contains up to 150 people. Berrizbeitia pointed out that in contrast the radiotherapy unit at the Tejera París hospital in his home state of Carabobo had been down for the past three weeks, while the oncology unit at the Razzeti hospital in Puerto La Cruz was out of action for eight months. He said that the president’s illness “cannot be above the problems of the country”. The president of the assembly, Diosdado Cabello, replied that the president’s recovery was “a fundamental point” for the country.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 215 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial