Hugo Chavez near death? That is what reports are saying following the Venezualans president return to the country following his return from Cuba as he hasn't made any appearances and speculation is running rampant.
Although his Twitter account has been active, letters have been issued in his name and government officials say they have already engaged in meetings with the socialist president, no photos or proof of his involvement in these activities have been released to the public.
According to the Associated Press, even his close ally, Bolivian President Evo Morales, was turned away without a bedside meeting.
Chavez, 58, underwent surgery in Cuba on Dec. 11 and has not been seen since then. He has undergone surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments since June 2011, when he first announced his cancer diagnosis. A government photo was released on Feb. 15 of the president in a hospital bed with his two daughters by his side. He appeared happy and smiling, although it's hard to tell if it is in fact a recent photo.
Guillermo Cochez, the former Panamanian Ambassador to the Organization of American States, told a Colombian news network that Chavez has been brain dead since December 30th, and that late last week, he was disconnected from machines that were "keeping him alive."
"News of his death has not been issued due to internal [power] struggles in Venezuela and pressure from the Cuban government," Cochez claimed. He said that he was getting information from a source within the Venezuelan government, which he could not name.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government says that Chavez has been in Venezuela since February 18, recovering in a military hospital.
Re-elected in October, Chávez was scheduled to have been sworn in on 10 January, but the supreme court said the swearing-in could be delayed.
