HAVANA, November 29 (RIA Novosti) – Venezuelan Minister of Information and Communication Ernesto Villegas called on opposition forces to stop fuelling what he called “hysteria” over President Hugo Chavez’s illness, according to local media.
“Calm down, ladies and gentlemen, Chavez will return soon,” Villegas said on state television, adding that the president will attend his January 10 inauguration.
Villegas’ comments follow widespread speculation over the Venezuelan leader’s battle with cancer, with social networks and the local opposition press claiming his health has sharply declined recently.
Chavez arrived in Cuba on Wednesday for treatment. Shortly after his October reelection, he told voters he was cancer-free, but he has rarely been seen in public since then.
On Tuesday, he bowed out of an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of an attempted coup by his supporters while he was in prison.
Chavez has undergone surgery and chemotherapy in Cuba on numerous occasions.
