When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Battling Severe Lung Infection In Cuba

TELESUR(Venezuela), CNN(USA), BBC NEWS(UK)

Worldcrunch

HAVANA - According to a top official, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is battling a "severe" lung infection that has caused respiratory failure, reports state-funded media TeleSur.

Fifty-eight-year Chavez underwent cancer surgery for the fourth time in Cuba on Dec. 11 and then developed a respiratory infection, according to BBC News.

He is following a strict treatment regimen for "respiratory insufficiency" caused by an infection, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas told TeleSur Thursday night.

The information minister did not provide details about the treatment or prognosis, adds CNN.

The president has not been seen in public since having cancer surgery in Havana three weeks ago. This has sparked rumors that his health was quickly deteriorating.

The Venezuelan authorities have urged people not to believe "the lies" being told about Chavez's health.

Mr Villegas warned the people of Venezuela not to get caught into a "psychological war" being fought in the media which had the "ultimate aim of destabilising the Bolivarian republic", reports TeleSur.

Hugo Chavez came into power in 1999 and was elected for a fourth term in office in October 2012.

It is not known whether Chavez will be able to be inaugurated for another term as planned on Jan. 10.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Geopolitics

How Russia And China Are Trying To Drive France Out Of Africa

Fueled by the Kremlin, anti-French sentiment in Africa has been spreading for years. Meanwhile, China is also increasing its influence on the continent as Africa's focus shifts from west to east.

Photo of a helicopter landing, guided a member of France's ​Operation Barkhane in the Sahel region

Maneuver by members of France's Operation Barkhane in the Sahel region

Maria Oleksa Yeschenko

France is losing influence in its former colonies in Africa. After French President Emmanuel Macron decided last year to withdraw the military from the Sahel and the Central African Republic, a line was drawn under the "old French policy" on the continent. But the decision to withdraw was not solely a Parisian initiative.

October 23-24, 2019, Sochi. Russia holds the first large-scale Russia-Africa summit with the participation of four dozen African heads of state. At the time, French soldiers are still helping Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, and Niger fight terrorism as part of Operation Barkhane.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Few people have heard of the Wagner group. The government of Mali is led by Paris-friendly Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, although the country has already seen several pro-Russian demonstrations. At that time, Moscow was preparing a big return to the African continent, similar to what happened in the 1960s during the Soviet Union.

So what did France miss, and where did it all go wrong?

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest