Images deflect rumours of Hugo Chavez's demise

Supporters of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez have hailed the release of new footage of the socialist leader as proof he was recovering well from surgery in Cuba despite speculation he may have cancer.

As rumours about Mr Chavez's disappearance from public view since the 10 June operation reached a climax, both governments put out new video and photographs of him walking and chatting with revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.

The new images don't disprove the most extreme rumour - that Mr Chavez has prostate cancer - but they do support the official line that he is simply recuperating from an operation to remove a pelvic abscess.

Famous for hogging the airwaves and giving hours-long speeches, Mr Chavez went to ground after his surgery in Havana, triggering a wave of speculation across the politically polarized South American nation he has ruled since 1999.

The focus now is on whether the 56-year-old will be back in Venezuela to host a regional summit planned for 5 July.

One state media employee said that coverage plans for the summit were on hold after word Mr Chavez would not return on time. There were rumours yesterday the meeting might be moved to the capital Caracas, but it was unclear when.

In the newly-released images, the Venezuelan leader looked thinner than usual but in better condition than photos released shortly after his operation.

He is seen walking, chatting and sitting with the former Cuban president, who is a close friend and political mentor.

Venezuelan and Cuban state media featured the pictures on their front pages, and hundreds of supporters said prayers for his health at a big Caracas church.

The new footage left plenty of questions unanswered: Why has Mr Chavez still not addressed the nation? If his surgery was straightforward and successful, why is he still in Havana 19 days later? Who is running the government?

The affair has highlighted the lack of an obvious successor for Mr Chavez, who has utterly dominated Venezuelan politics while driving forward his "21st Century Socialism" reforms.

Were Mr Chavez to be incapacitated, there would probably be a fight for power among his closest allies and the opposition might demand immediate elections, analysts said.

Given past violence, especially around a short-lived 2002 coup against Mr Chavez, the potential for more trouble always lurks in a nation brimming with arms and political bitterness.

Some Venezuelans think the president has deliberately let the rumours grow over the last two weeks so he can smoke out the opinions and positions of both allies and enemies alike, before making a triumphant return.Opposition politicians had been careful not to speculate too much - at least in public - about the president's condition, preferring to accuse him of abusing the constitution.

That left opposition-leaning media as the ones talking up the rumours of serious ill health with the most vigour.

"The opposition have tried to look serious ... but Chavez will still come back spitting blood at the 'ultra-right' for wishing him dead," said one Western diplomat in Caracas. "It's classic Chavez tactics, probably learned from Fidel Castro's political book."