It appears that Chavez is seriously ill and is likely on Chemo. He 'll be out of commission for quite awhile. In 6 mo the situation will be clearer. His terminal limit would be about 1 to 2 years.

Politics in Vz will be interesting for the next 2 years. Fall (literally and figuratively) of 2012?? Not too far away.

Special Article
Background
He gave up heavy smoking some months ago, yet he still is a heavy coffee drinker, in addition to his eating disorder derived from Sabaneta, his place of origin. His schedule, perhaps inspired by his Cuban mentor, is the other way around. Add to this his existential anguish, enhanced after the events of 2002. Also, as suggested by his Cuban security agents, he very frequently moves his place of residence and a place to spend the night. His movements from Miraflores presidential palace, to the presidential official residence La Casona or military base Fuerte Tiuna are business as usual for the President Commander, who lacks a stable family life, somewhat harming his health. His continued flu has been a subject matter in the Bolivarian republic. Surgeons consulted by him always refer to somatization because of so many problems faced as the single leader of the revolution and, therefore, the only individual liable for all the bad and good things of a revolutionary process which increasingly shows, rather than successes, failures; rather than solutions, problems; rather than strides, hurdles, and rather than unity, division. I have listed all these factors for a better understanding of what could eventually happen to Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, an ordinary person, whose physically and mentally overburden body has started to charge his disregard. "I am the only leader;" "Everything is attributable to me, because I am the only one in command;" Without Chávez, there is no revolution," "I am the ultimate responsible;" "Do the right thing, otherwise people will blame it to me," and so on. Such phrases have been repeated ad nauseam in more than 2,200 obligatory simultaneous broadcasts and more than 4,000 hours of speeches since 1999. He is the same one who has been quiet for some weeks.

Symptoms
Ending February or beginning March, the Commander had urination problems. Right away he contacted a prominent urologist at the Caracas Clinical Hospital. The doctor saw him at the so-called Little Hospital at Fuerte Tiuna. There, he was first alerted against his prostate status. He was recommended treatment and permanent check of his antigen or PSA. Later on, by May, the president developed an "anal tissue" which was removed at the very military Little Hospital. Treating doctors advised him to look after himself and take it easy for a while. He ignored the professional advice and fully engaged in obligatory simultaneous broadcasts, Mission Housing and blackouts, desperate by his aides' incompetence, multiple demonstrations nationwide and some other unsolved problems in 12 years of the so-called process. Another ailing, this time the knee, emerged shortly after. Forced by a bone doctor at El Ávila Clinic recommended by another patient, Minister of Electricity Alí Rodríguez Araque, he had to go on sick leave. The visit of ex Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who told him that President Dilma Rouseff would finally meet with him after having deferred the rendezvous four times, made him travel to Brasilia; proceed to Ecuador, where bilateral meetings had been also adjourned quite a few times, and end in Cuba, where pain and discomfort of his obese body, together with dizziness when talking with Fidel, made Cuban doctors to check him and led to the first surgery in Cuba. Hence, the first public confession was made about "the abscess" amidst the usual red-very red informational gap. Luckily for the usually lucky Venezuelan caudillo, the Spanish doctor who operated his mentor Fidel was in Havana for the six-month check of the Cuban dictator.

The alarm was raised right away in the presidential family. His daughters remembered the meetings with treating doctors in Caracas and sought advice. A tomography revealed a major damage in his prostate and it was found that after the abscess removal, his prostate should be removed as well. At a distance, the Caracas-born urologist of Jewish origin led on a video the prostate surgery aided by a robot and practiced by the Spanish doctor, assisted by two Cuban colleagues. Another Venezuelan doctor, an immunologist at the Baptist Hospital of Miami and the Tufts Medical Center of Boston was taken to Havana for the trans-operation biopsy made in one of these US sites. There, cancer was found; the therapy should begin at once, including radiation and hormonal blocking. I have contradictory information about the procedure so far. My Cuban sources have told me that he is planning to make a brief public appearance before returning to Caracas next Thursday, June 30. For this purpose, accommodations have been made at the Military Hospital.

I have been told that Chávez wants to attend, taken cover at least, the parade of the bicentennial celebration next July 5. Afterwards, he would follow the rest of the treatment.

Travelers
Chávez's closest relatives, his children María, Rosita and Hugo, as well as Rosinés; ex wife María Isabel Rodríguez; his mother Elena and his brother Adán, have joined him while he is getting well at the Cuban hospital. Most of the presumed talks with many of his ministers, congresspersons and state governors are a fake. Only Vice-President Elías Jaua, who had not been sworn in as President, and Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro have talked to him on few occasions. I have kept the doctors' identity to prevent any harassment.

Translated by Conchita Delgado