CARACAS, September 29 (Itar-Tass) – President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela appeared before reporters Thursday to disprove rumors about a sharp deterioration of his health.
The state-run TV channel Venezolana de Television covered the meeting in the Miraflores Presidential Palace, on the steps of which Chavez spoke to reporters. He was dressed in a vermeil-red jumpsuit.
Before coming up to the TV cameras, Chavez made several shots with a volleyball to show his perfect physical condition.
After that he read out with a note of indignation in his voice a chain of headlines in foreign newspapers, which reprinted an article from the Nuevo Herald paper published in Miami.
The U.S.-based publication alleged that Chavez had been urgently rushed to a military hospital in Caracas in a heavy condition.