Venezuela: Opposition march for ‘the truth’ about the health of Hugo Chavez

March 4, 2013
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Hundreds of opponents marched Sunday in eastern Caracas to demand ‘the truth’ about the health of President Hugo Chavez, undergoing chemotherapy, while support students who are protesting for days to demand that the president displayed publicly.

“We want the truth!”, “Uh, ah! Chavez where is it?”, the protesters chanted and marched to where about 50 young people are chained from Tuesday to ask the government to clarify the president’s health status.

“Speak out” on a banner calling for the government’s opponents, carrying flags and caps with the Venezuelan tricolor.

“What in the world the president is away 83 days and nothing happens?” Amanda Escalante, a retiree of 61 years old, said to AFP. While her husband, Hector Gonzalez, 70, insisted: “If (Chavez) is recovering, prove it.”

Students tried to chain himself Tuesday against a branch of the Supreme Court, which in January approved the differ of Chavez takeover, reelected in October, until the president recovers.

Being repelled by police they turned their protest into a side street, where they set up tents.

In parallel, government groups gathered in downtown Caracas to show support for the president.

Chavez remained since December 70 days in hospital in Havana, where he underwent surgery for the fourth time suffering cancer since 2011.

On Friday, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Chavez is undergoing chemotherapy at the military hospital in Caracas, where he is hospitalized since February 18, when he returned the country unexpectedly.

Although the president was not seen in public since December and were released only four photos of him while he was hospitalized in Havana, the government insists that he continues to lead the country and make decisions.