LatAm envoys join pro-Chavez rally

the day.
The envoys, including the presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Uruguay, were accompanied by senior Venezuelan officials at a giant stage in front of the presidential palace of Miraflores.

Thousands of red-shirted Chavez followers amassed along the city’s main Urdaneta Avenue, waving flags and carrying images of Chavez. Chavez was re-elected to a six-year term on Oct. 7, but was too ill to attend the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Thursday, sparking debate between the government and opposition factions.

The debate was put to rest on Wednesday, when the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the government’s decision to forgo the swearing-in ceremony until Chavez’s health improves.

His supporters celebrated the decision by rallying Thursday under the banner “I take the oath with Chavez. “The official ceremony was kicked off at 2 p.m. local time (1830 GMT) with the recorded voice of Chavez singing the national anthem.

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said at the ceremony that the government and people of Argentina support Vice President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s anointed successor in case he could not finish his new term of office.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Uruguayan President Jose Mujica also spoke at the ceremony.

Maduro dismissed rumors about Chavez’s health condition and allayed the concerns of regional leaders by denying that Chavez’s absence marked the end of the socialist revolution the ailing leader launched when he first came to power in 1999. Chavez is recovering from a fourth round of cancer surgery in Cuba.

Maduro also denied that he and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello were locked in a power struggle to succeed Chavez. Maduro warned that the conservative opposition was attempting to use Chavez’s health as an excuse to cause instability. He pledged to work to prevent such a scenario.

The vice president concluded the ceremony by declaring Chavez the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution and stating “We are all Chavez.” — Xinhua.