CARACAS, Venezuela – Hugo Chavez’s surprise return from Cuba after cancer treatment was a classic maneuver for a president who excels at showmanship. It’s also likely to give him a political boost as supporters rally around their ailing leader.
The 56-year-old president projected a strong, vibrant image as he stepped off a plane early Monday. Smiling, he hugged his vice president and raised a fist in triumph.
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“It’s the beginning of my return!” he declared.
Despite the confident image, doubts about his future re-emerged as he suggested later in the day that he still isn’t ready for a full comeback.
Chavez told state television by telephone that he doesn’t expect to attend celebrations today marking the 200th anniversary of Venezuela’s independence from Spain. Normally, he would be front and center at the patriotic event.
Still, for a president who knows how to command attention, his surprise return was signature Chavez and sent a powerful message that he remains in control. During nearly a month in Cuba, uncertainty has swirled in Venezuela, both about how sick he is and what would happen if cancer were to force him from power.
The long-term political impacts of fighting cancer for a leader who thrives on the spotlight remain unclear. But Chavez will likely play up his plight to rally his movement as he looks ahead to 2012 elections, in which his allies say they are convinced he will still be their candidate.
Unanswered questions about Chavez’s health abound. He has said he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, and his foreign minister said it was extracted from the same part of the “pelvic region” where Chavez had an abscess removed in Cuba on June 11. Chavez hasn’t said what type of cancer is involved nor whether he is receiving chemotherapy, radiation or another treatment.
Based on Chavez’s account, medical experts said it’s most likely he has colorectal cancer, but Chavez has not confirmed that.
Many Chavez supporters were thrilled just to have him back Monday, and hundreds celebrated in the Plaza Bolivar in downtown Caracas, holding pictures of the president and chanting “Viva Chavez!” and “He’s back!”
Elsa Gonzalez, a 61-year-old building maintenance worker, said she had stopped cooking breakfast when she saw Chavez on TV at the Caracas airport.
“I shouted with excitement,” she said as she joined the revelers in the plaza. “God is going to lay his hands on his body and is going to heal him completely.”
Vice President Elias Jaua denied that Chavez’s socialist-inspired Bolivarian Revolution movement is threatened and said Chavez was back in the presidential palace.
Leading opposition lawmaker Alfonso Marquina said Chavez’s return puts an end to the “irregular situation” of having a president governing from Cuba, but he said much has yet to be explained.
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