Venenzuela, June 29: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has appeared on television for the first time since his surgery in Cuba, dismissing recent US claims that he is in critical condition.
Venezuela and Cuba released new photographs and video footage of the 56-year-old president on Tuesday, walking with Cuban revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, AFP reported.
Chavez had not made a public appearance since June 10, when he went to the Cuban capital Havana to have a pelvic swelling removed.
The footage, aired in an effort to dispel rumors about the Venezuelan president, showed Chavez and Castro speaking in a garden as well as seated in a room.
“This morning, a brotherly meeting was held between comrade Fidel and the Venezuelan president… “, said a statement read out on the Cuban state television.
After watching the video of Chavez, Venezuelan Information Minister Andres Izarra said, “A picture says more than a thousand words,” adding, “We can see him there, very dynamic. We can see that he is recovering.”
The 56-year-old Venezuelan president, who had been recuperating from a knee injury, sustained before traveling to Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba, had medical examinations that revealed the abscess during his official visit to Cuba and underwent an operation there.
The Venezuelan leader plans to run for re-election in 2012 and serve at least one more six-year term. He has focused on implementing wide-ranging reforms in the country during his presidential tenure.
——Agencies