After returning from his latest round of chemotherapy in Cuba, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has reportedly been hospitalized with renal failure and medullary aplasia:
The UK's Telegraph reports that Hugo Chavez is in the hospital 'for kidney failure.'
El Nuevo Herald also reports that (my translation: if you use this translation please link to this post and credit me):
'On the other hand, the source stated that Chavez suffered from medullary aplasia, the disappearance of blood-producing cells in the bone marrow, which complicated his medical state. According to doctors, medullary aplasia can be total, affecting the production of red and white blood cells, or partial, which affects the production of one type of blood cells.'
(More information on aplasia here)
Of course, it didn't take long for Chavista officials to deny the Herald report:
'Venezuela's Information Minister Andres Izarra appeared to deny the report in a posting on the micro-blogging website Twitter."Those who should be admitted are the journalists of the Nuevo Herald, except into a madhouse (instead of a hospital)," Izarra tweeted, without providing further details.
'
Chavez subsequently stated that he'd "be the first one to say if there was any difficulty in the process," in a telephone interview this morning.
He didn't, however, specify his whereabouts.
Ambassador Roger Noriega last week argued that "we must start thinking about, and preparing for, a world without Hugo Chavez."
Indeed.
Cross-posted at Fausta's blog
(AP Photo)