United States has doubts about health of Hugo Chávez

The American spy services have doubts about the health of Hugo Chávez, even though Chavez has said to be cured of a cancer.

The national director of intelligence James Clapper said about Chavez in a speech written in the Senate "there is no other leader who can match his charisma, strength of personality or ability to manipulate political debate or public policy where he can not be candidate again".

"Their failure to prepare others to lead his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) means that any successor adolecería of its stature," he added.

"Chavez announced that he has cancer, but there are still doubts about his health," said Clapper in a section devoted to Latin America in his speech in writing, which evaluates the major threats to American security during 2012.

Chávez, of 57 years, underwent an operation in Cuba in June u000ato remove a cancerous tumour of the pelvic region. Between July and September, four rounds of chemotherapy, he received in Cuba and Venezuela, and said tests show that it is now free of cancer.

The President has reiterated his intention to seek re-election in elections scheduled for October 7. The Venezuelan Chávez Chair since February 1999.

Clapper reiterated their concerns about Iranian attempts to strengthen ties with Governments of the hemisphere in relation to its nuclear program. "We obviously are very although by connecting to Venezuela".

"The Iranians are looking for anywhere a helping hand." "Trip (Iranian President President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad was not very successful", said Clapper in responding to a question about the giraq in January by several countries latiniamericanos.

Said that if either Latin America has achieved sustained economic growth and a deepening of u000aits democratic principles, "authoritarian and populist leaders in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua are undermining representative democracy and consolidating power in their executive branches".

On Cuba said that their leaders fear that economic reform push them even more to a political opening.

"The hardness of government repression to peaceful protests and brief detentions of dissidents increased suggests that economic changes will not be accompanied with political changes," indicated.

Clapper stressed that the Mexican Government has succeeded in dismantling several posters of crime organized and has arrested or killed 23 of 37 top traffickers, but cautioned that "the implementation of its ambitious programme of reforms is a slow process requiring legislative action at federal and State levels".

Admitted that the Mexican cartels have a presence in United States, but "probably don't see the" u000alevel of violence that afflicts Mexico. "The main cause of deaths in Mexico, the competition for control of the trafficking routes and networks of corrupt officials, does not apply to small distribution activities" within American.

For its part, the director of the CIA David Petraus said have recently made a visit to Mexico, and pointed out have been left with the impression that the Mexican Government "knows what needs to be done, has been solidifying these critical institutions needed to carry out his campaign".

"The legacy of the President (Felipe Calderón) will be the institutions it created during this time." "In terms of the national police, the challenges with regard to the judicial system soon open five prison institutions, and civil-military holistic approach you are taking with respect to compliance with the laws," he added.

The fight against organized crime has made Mexico to the u000afewer 47,000 deaths since December 2006.

Share this article

Digg it!

del.icio.us

MySpace

Facebook

Fark

Reddit

Newsvine