Chavez hits campaign road

VENEZUELA: A reenergized Hugo Chavez, who is seeking a third term in October elections, is firing up his supporters as he hits the road to campaign after claiming full recovery from a bout of cancer.

Launching a nationwide tour late Thursday, Chavez told thousands of supporters in the northeastern state of Anzoategui that he was “very happy” to be “back in the street again.”

But this was only his second rally since the campaign officially launched early this month, a very slow start for a politician known for his populist style embracing the crowds and a stark contrast with his opponent, the youthful Henrique Capriles, who has already traveled relentlessly across the country.

“Trying to appear as someone who has beat the disease is the best strategy for the president, who is facing a rival in excellent physical condition,” Victor Mijares, a political science professor at Simon Bolivar University, told AFP.

“Capriles has tried to maintain a frenetic, constant pace of activity that is physically very demanding to show the difference between a candidate on the move who walks in front and a candidate who does not.”

The former Miranda state governor has focused on small towns and remote villages, sometimes visiting two a day.

Surveys show many Venezuelans had doubted until weeks ago whether the firebrand leftist president would stand for reelection after multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in Communist ally Cuba over the past year.

The exact location and nature of the cancer has never been revealed, with officials only saying that Chavez, 57, underwent surgery to remove cancerous tumors from his pelvis.

AFP