Confirmed: Chavez Has Cancer and Is Still Undergoing Treatment In Cuba

Obviously, the WikileaksAR rumor was false, but the rumors about him having (prostate?) cancer were true. Now the question is just how grave is his condition, how badly has the cancer metastasized?

(Reuters) – Venezuela’s flamboyant socialist leader Hugo Chavez said on Thursday he had undergone an operation to remove a cancerous tumor, posing a serious challenge to his near-total dominance of national politics.

The announcement, which confirmed rumors swirling for nearly three weeks, convulsed the South American OPEC nation ahead of what was already looking like a tight race for a presidential election next year.

Speaking from Havana where he underwent surgery June 10, a pale and emotional Chavez gave no indication when he would return to Venezuela. Nor did he name a temporary substitute to lead the country of 29 million people.

“They confirmed the existence of a tumorous abscess, with the presence of cancerous cells, which needed another operation to extract the tumor completely,” he said in his first address to the nation since his surgery.

Chavez, 56, said he was receiving “complementary treatments to combat different types of cells that were found” — possibly implying chemotherapy.

See also Fausta, who translates Chavez’s statement:

However, and in spite of the favorable general course, throughout the process of draining and healing, there appeared suspicion of the presence of other cellular formations that had not previously been detected. Therefore, a series of special tests was started immediately, cytochemical, cytopathologic, microbiologic, and pathologic, which confirmed the presence of an abscessed tumor with the presence of cancerous cells, which necessitated a second surgery.

The Miami Herald has more:

Chávez said he had not been feeling well for weeks but made the serious mistake of ignoring his health and the symptoms. It was Fidel Castro who, during a meeting on June 8, noticed that his friend was unwell, Chávez said.

“He interrogated me almost like a doctor,” Chávez said. “And I confessed, almost like a patient.”

A check-up revealed a pelvic abscess, which was drained and treated with antibiotics on June 11. Despite the favorable results, Chávez said, doctors noticed something worse: an abscessed tumor with cancerous cells. It was completely removed in a second surgery, he said, and he is now undergoing “complementary treatments to address diverse cells which were found.”

He did not clarify, but seemed to be alluding to chemotherapy. He did not disclose the type of cancer nor when the second surgery was performed. He assured that he was still in charge of the country’s affairs and in constant contact with Vice President Elías Jaua.

The word on the street is it’s prostate cancer.

Hat tip: Gateway Pundit