Venezuelan politicians demand 'the whole truth' over condition of President Hugo Chavez after rumours circulate that he has died

Spanish paper reports he is in 'induced coma' amid rumours he has died

Op position leader said Venezuelans had not been kept properly informed

Chavez suffered bleeding and a respiratory infection after Dec 11 operation



Venezuela's opposition has demanded the government tell 'the whole truth' about the health of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez, who has not been heard from in three weeks after undergoing a gruelling operation in Cuba.

Officials have acknowledged the usually garrulous former soldier's health is delicate after his fourth cancer surgery in 18 months, but they have offered scant details on his condition despite rumours that he has died.



Ramon Aveledo, head of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition, slammed the government for not keeping its word about keeping Venezuelans properly informed.

Venezuelan opposition leader Ramon Guillermo Aveledo (left) has demanded the government tells the 'whole truth' over the condition of president Hugo Chavez (right)



'The official version (of Chavez's health) hides more information than it gives,' Aveledo said at a press conference.



'The vice president himself has promised to tell the truth, whatever it is. Fine, he should tell it. He should tell the whole truth.'

Sources at the hospital in Cuba where he is being treated this week told a Spanish newspaper in an induced coma being kept alive by life support he was showing 'very weak' vital signs, adding that doctors could decide to switch off the machines 'at any moment'.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro, whom Chavez last month designated as his heir apparent, said in an interview from Havana that Chavez had recognized the complexity of his post-operative condition.



Maduro said he was returning to Venezuela after several days visiting with Chavez and his relatives, which may quell rumors his trip to Cuba signaled the president was in his final days.

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Concerns: With rumors swirling that Chavez, left, had taken a turn for the worse, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, right, said the ailing president's condition remains 'delicate' three weeks after his cancer surgery

The president's son-in-law and Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, who is in Havana, said via his Twitter account on Wednesday that the medical team told him Chavez's condition 'remains stable' but that his health is still delicate.

'Commander Chavez is fighting hard and he sends his love to the people. Dedication and patience!!!' he tweeted.

Chavez's abrupt exit from the political scene would be a shock for Venezuela, where his oil-financed socialism has made him a hero to the poor majority but a nemesis to critics who call him a dictator.

He is still set to be sworn in on Jan. 10, as laid out in the constitution. If he dies or steps aside, new elections would be held within 30 days, with Maduro running as the Socialist Party candidate.



SUCCESSOR READY TO TAKE OVER

Following news that Hugo Chavez's cancer had returned in December, the president officially named Vice President Nicolas Maduro as his successor.

Maduro has been an active member of the country's government since Chavez assumed power in 1998. The 50-year-old Maduro has been close friends with Chavez since the 1980s.

He got into politics as a teenager, joining the Socialist League, which sent him to Cuba for training in union organising. He then became a union organiser in the Caracas Metro system, for which he served as a bus driver. Maduro worked as a coordinator during Chavez's first presidential election and later became a congressman and president of the assembly until 2006. As vice president, Maduro has been key in designing the country's radical anti-imperialist policy. He has worked to grow Venezuela's relationship with Iran, Russia and China.

Chavez suffered unexpected bleeding and a respiratory infection after a six-hour operation on Dec. 11. Terse official statements have said nothing about when he might be expected back or whether his life is in danger.

The government has provided none of the signature videos or pictures released after Chavez was diagnosed with cancer in June 2011 and his relapse in 2012. And allies have refused to discuss the possibility that he could hand over power or resign.

Chavez last year staged what appeared to be remarkable comeback from the disease to win reelection to a third six-year term in October despite being weakened by radiation therapy. He returned to Cuba for new treatment within weeks of his win.



Officials from the ruling Socialist Party are now suggesting his inauguration could be postponed indefinitely to accommodate his health.

Aveledo insisted the government should stick to the Jan. 10 timeline called for in the constitution.

'Trying to make the country believe that the president is governing is absurd to the point of being irresponsible,' he said. 'Jan. 10 marks the end of one presidential term and the start of another. As such, there is no continuation of the current government.'



Aveledo said if Chavez cannot make it back in time, he should hand power over to the president of Congress - who would temporarily run the country while elections are called.



Congress, controlled by Chavez allies, on Saturday elects a new president. Current Congress chief Diosdado Cabello, a close Chavez ally who could be reelected to head the legislature, has at times been considered a rival of Maduro. The two have taken great pains in recent weeks to publicly deny this.

Hope: A supporter of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez holds a picture of him, as she attends to a ceremony in Caracas on New Year's Eve

Support: Many people gathered to pray for the president at the church in Caracas

While the constitution cites Jan. 10 as the start of the new term, it does not explicitly state what happens if the president does not take office on that date.

Chavez's condition is being watched closely by Latin American countries that have benefited from his generous assistance, as well as Wall Street investors who are drawn to Venezuela's lucrative and heavily traded bonds.

The president announced on December 8, two months after winning re-election, that his cancer had come back despite previous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

'There's nothing we can do except wait for the government to deign to say how he is really,' said Daniel Jimenez, an opposition supporter who was in a square in an affluent Caracas neighborhood.

Jimenez and many other Venezuelans say it seems increasingly unlikely that Chavez can be sworn in as scheduled January 10 for his new term. If he dies or is unable to continue in office, the Venezuelan Constitution says a new election should be held within 30 days.

Before his operation, Chavez acknowledged he faced risks and designated Maduro as his successor, telling supporters they should vote for the vice president if a new presidential election was necessary.

Maduro didn't discuss the upcoming inauguration plans, saying only that he is hopeful Chavez will improve.

The vice president said that Chavez 'has faced an illness with courage and dignity, and he's there fighting, fighting.'



'Someone asked me yesterday by text message: How is the president? And I said, `With giant strength," Maduro said. He recalled taking Chavez by the hand: "He squeezed me with gigantic strength as we talked."