I don't speak Spanish >.< Chavez in critical condition

[amadeus]

Link

MIAMI (AFP) – Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who is in Cuba following emergency surgery, is in "critical" but stable condition, Miami's El Nuevo Herald reported Saturday, citing US intelligence sources.

Chavez's government has said he was operated on for a pelvic abscess June 10 and is recovering well; the president's brother has told Venezuelan state media that Chavez could return to Caracas in about two weeks.

But the Venezuelan government has not addressed details of Chavez's condition. And opposition lawmakers are up in arms in Caracas as many think it is unconstitutional for the president to be governing from abroad.

The Spanish-language El Nuevo Herald cited unnamed US intelligence sources as refusing to comment on rumors in Venezuela that Chavez could be receiving treatment for prostate cancer.

Yet one source was quoted as saying that Chavez "is in critical condition; not on the brink of death, but critical indeed, and complicated."

The same sources said Chavez's daughter, Rosines, and his mother, Marisabel Rodriguez, were recently whisked off to Cuba in an air force plane, the report said.

"They took Marisabel and her daughter out urgently," another source told the paper. "That was 72 hours ago."

After almost two weeks of uncharacteristic quiet, Chavez took to Twitter again on Friday, without addressing the controversy over his time spent abroad recovering from surgery in Cuba.

"Good morning to my (Twitter followers). It is my Army's Day, and the sun is shining brightly. I am sending a big hug to my troops and my beloved people," Chavez (@chavezcandanga) tweeted on the microblogging service.

The firebrand leftist leader was hospitalized June 10 in Havana, his top regional ally, for what officials said was an operation for a pelvic abscess, but turned into an uncharacteristically quiet and prolonged absence.

Officials in Caracas have insisted that Chavez, 56, is recovering well and continuing to give orders from Cuba, and keeping abreast of developments in Venezuela.

And relatively few words from someone known for his verbal omnipresence left some foes speculating he might have had plastic surgery or might want to drum up sympathy for his illness ahead of a 2012 election in which he will seek a third term.

Chavez arrived in Cuba on June 8 on the final leg of a trip authorized by the National Assembly that also included Brazil and Ecuador. He was rushed into emergency surgery after suffering sharp pain diagnosed as a pelvic abscess that required immediate surgery.

Opposition legislators, who control 40 percent of Venezuela's single-chamber legislature, argue that his prolonged absence means that Vice President Elias Jaua should replace him.

Chavez is Communist Cuba's main economic and political ally. His cut-rate oil keeps the cash-strapped and isolated Raul Castro regime afloat.

If Chavez dies, will "Bolivarian socialism" die with it? Venezuela is already going through power shortages that started last year and Venezuela has the "honor" of having Latin America's high rate of inflation for 5 years in a row.

Like Putin, Gadhafi, and Castro, the nation seems to revolve around one man. The system Chavez has put in place seems contingent upon Chavez being in office. No Chavez, no Chavismo.

What do you think, OT? If and when Chavez expires, what will become of Hugoslavia?

 

[Tani Coyote]

This is why you're supposed to groom an heir to take over; it allows them to easily replace you once you're ka-powed by the force of fate. Korea's a hellhole, but its state authority is mostly secure across its two rulers, isn't it?

I imagine there's a reason Chavez is popular despite the shortcomings of his regime... he enriches the poor doesn't he? Now, that's not to say running a country on "who will give me the most money regardless of consequences" is a good idea, but if it really is the governing ideology of Venezuela, then logically, whoever can match him most will replace him.

That said, I can't help but imagine the country would eventually implode if these aren't just growing pains.

 

[RedRalph]

Hang on, hasn't Venezuela completely collapsed already? I seem to remember being told every year for the past ten years it was on the verge of implosion because of his policies... surely those predictions have come true by now???

 

[Arwon]

Socialismo o muerte.

Or, I suppose, socialismo y muerte.

 

[Azale]

Chavez is still popular in Venezuela, and it's not because of his charming good looks...

I think for the foreseeable future, as long as the opposition remains fragmented, corrupt, and completely inept (and as long as this remains the memory Venezuelans keep of the opposition) then the "Bolivarian socialists" will be fine.

 

[luiz]

Hang on, hasn't Venezuela completely collapsed already? I seem to remember being told every year for the past ten years it was on the verge of implosion because of his policies... surely those predictions have come true by now???

Because of the dictator's idiotic policies, Venezuela is the only country in South America where the GDP actually decreased for two years in a row. Quite an accomplishment to do that while freakin Peru is growing 8% per year. He ruined the country.

For those who say he is still popular, it is good to remember that his party lost the last elections, and managed to elect more deputies merely because Chavez brutally gerrymandered the districts just months before the voting. Most venezuelans want the man who ruined the nation gone.

Now that he is sick I bet he regrets hostilizing the US so much. I hope he suffers enormously from this but manages to survive. I want him tried and sentenced for his crimes as an example as an example for future latin american would be dictators.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Hang on, hasn't Venezuela completely collapsed already? I seem to remember being told every year for the past ten years it was on the verge of implosion because of his policies... surely those predictions have come true by now???

A system's inherent stability can take decades before it finally comes to a head and it collapses.

Case in point - the USSR. Not because it was socialist, but because it was based on coercion. If it was a socialist democracy I bet it would still be around in some form today.

Plus there's probably some bit in here about how a socialist state's supposed to go capitalist first. But saying states based on oppression are doomed to fail is far more poetic.

No wait. I have a better example, which I think you'll agree with(and I don't mean to sound snarky; I mean since you're a Communist): capitalism is inherently unstable but takes hundreds of years if not more before it collapses.

For those who say he is still popular, it is good to remember that his party lost the last elections, and managed to elect more deputies merely because Chavez brutally gerrymandered the districts just months before the voting. Most venezuelans want the man who ruined the nation gone.

Assuming he reached Bush-esque levels of fail - 20% approval - I wonder how long he could gerrymander before there was a riot.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

At least he isn't encouraging his supporters to throw rolls of tape at the opposition.

 

[Ajidica]

Socialismo o muerte.

I don't think so. I seem to remember something about the 'o' being dropped for an 'e' when the previous word had ended in 'o'.

 

[RedRalph]

At least he isn't encouraging his supporters to throw rolls of tape at the opposition.

Yes, even I would drop support for him if he resorted to fascism. Interesting though, when is the prediction of total collapse for Venezuela now? Cause so, so, so many times I've heard from armchair pundits it was 6 months away, and now GDP is rising again I wonder if anyone else wants to make a new prediction for posterity?

Incidentally Luiz, given that you told me about a year ago that it was ridiculous to suggests Ireland's economy was collapsing, you needn't bother making a prediction.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Yes, even I would drop support for him if he resorted to fascism. Interesting though, when is the prediction of total collapse for Venezuela now? Cause so, so, so many times I've heard from armchair pundits it was 6 months away, and now GDP is rising again I wonder if anyone else wants to make a new prediction for posterity?

Trying to time an implosion is about as silly as a doomsday theory; in politics, events are not predicted half the time. They just happen. Who would have predicted the exact time of the Arab protests? The fall of the USSR? Germany having the guts to invade Poland?

It'd come down to factors.

-Popular support
-Foreign meddling, and if so, how much cash is being put towards this meddling?
-How long Chavez lives, and how competent his successor is at continuing to peddle his ideology
-If the economic setup is inherently sustainable

Those are ones that come to mind anyway; there's probably tons more.

--

As for Ireland, I'd love if it'd boom; I have some Bank of Ireland I'd love to dump.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

In recent days before the operation, Chavez and Santos has assured the Media in Latin America that they will be working together to solve their regional issues, as well as the trouble that is going on in Honduras. It seems that Chavez has been showing signs of getting through the US attempt to isolate him. And Columbia was the key, and still is to this day.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

I hope Chavez has the same doctor as Fidel Castro, Fidel has already been announced practically dead dozens of times but he's still alive and kickin'.

 

[RedRalph]

Trying to time an implosion is about as silly as a doomsday theory; in politics, events are not predicted half the time. They just happen. Who would have predicted the exact time of the Arab protests? The fall of the USSR? Germany having the guts to invade Poland?

It'd come down to factors.

-Popular support
-Foreign meddling, and if so, how much cash is being put towards this meddling?
-How long Chavez lives, and how competent his successor is at continuing to peddle his ideology
-If the economic setup is inherently sustainable

Those are ones that come to mind anyway; there's probably tons more.

--

As for Ireland, I'd love if it'd boom; I have some Bank of Ireland I'd love to dump.

I agree with you; that's why I think it is so ridiculous how many times our resident rightists have said it's just around the corner.

Anyway, I wish him a sppedy and full recovery

 

[NovaKart]

Everyone I know who has been to Venezuela and Venezuelans I have met (both of which admittedly are not a large number of people) say that Caracas is an incredibly dangerous city with a huge amount of crime.

 

[RedRalph]

Everyone I know who has been to Venezuela and Venezuelans I have met (both of which admittedly are not a large number of people) say that Caracas is an incredibly dangerous city with a huge amount of crime.

I believe so. It's an appalling failure of the government that this has not been addressed.

 

[amadeus]

Socialismo o muerte.

Or, I suppose, socialismo y muerte.

I thought "e" was "and." I know that isn't the expression, but I didn't mean to use it.

 

[NovaKart]

I think e is used if the following letter is a vowel.

 

[luiz]

Yes, even I would drop support for him if he resorted to fascism. Interesting though, when is the prediction of total collapse for Venezuela now? Cause so, so, so many times I've heard from armchair pundits it was 6 months away, and now GDP is rising again I wonder if anyone else wants to make a new prediction for posterity?

Incidentally Luiz, given that you told me about a year ago that it was ridiculous to suggests Ireland's economy was collapsing, you needn't bother making a prediction.

When exactly did I say that the venezuelan regime was close to collapse? I said Chavez would cause economic ruination, and that actually happened. To a far greater extent tha Ireland, which has not collapsed.

What i have always said is that the caudillo will only leave power either dead or after a violent uprising. I never claimd to know which will happen before or when either will happen.

The undisputable fact is that Bolivarian Socialism (Bolsoc) is now a joke around the world, and its early supporters (bolsockers) are waiting for an opportunity to take back their support with a minimum amount of dignity.

 

[civ_king]

A system's inherent stability can take decades before it finally comes to a head and it collapses.

Case in point - the USSR. Not because it was socialist, but because it was based on coercion. If it was a socialist democracy I bet it would still be around in some form today.

Plus there's probably some bit in here about how a socialist state's supposed to go capitalist first. But saying states based on oppression are doomed to fail is far more poetic.

No wait. I have a better example, which I think you'll agree with(and I don't mean to sound snarky; I mean since you're a Communist): capitalism is inherently unstable but takes hundreds of years if not more before it collapses.



Assuming he reached Bush-esque levels of fail - 20% approval - I wonder how long he could gerrymander before there was a riot.

Yeah no. If some herpderp didn't try this derpderp idea called glasnost and then further derped up the system with perestroika the USSR would still be around.