30/09/2011 11:02
Hugo Chavez denies serious illness
In response to a report that his health was failing and that he had been rushed to the hospital, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that he had the best proof that his recovery from chemotherapy is advancing fine, the CNN reports.
"I'm here; this is my answer," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace, raising his arms and gesturing at his body.
Early on Thursday, Mr. Chavez called state television to quash the report, saying he was enjoying his first cup of coffee for the day and feeling good. Hours later, he held a press conference at the presidential palace, dressed in a red track suit, clutching a baseball and surrounded by aides, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"I had cancer—it was a tumor that was removed," he said, adding that the tumor hadn't spread.