Congress authorizes Chávez to stay in Cuba for as long as necessary

National Assembly Speaker Diosdado Cabello on Tuesday said the Parliament agreed to give President Hugo Chávez, who is in Cuba under medical observation after undergoing surgery, "all the time he needs to recover and return to Venezuela, whenever the supervening cause (preventing him from attending his inauguration next January 10) ceases to exist."

Cabello said that "for some people" January 10 is a date set in stone for the presidential inauguration. However, he stressed that this is not the first time that the Venezuelan president is sworn in on a different date than that provided for in the Constitution. He reminded that in 2000, the Head of State was sworn in on August 19.

Further, he argued that some sectors opposed to Chávez's government "find this moment politically convenient." He added that democratic institutions are operational in Venezuela, but in his view, "the opposition is the only thing that does not work."

On the other hand, he said the unity within Chavezism is unwavering. "The day anything happens, Nicolás (Maduro, the Venezuelan Executive Vice-President) and I will be here together. I do not know if you (the opposition) are going to be together," he said.

"They shall not pass! They shall not come back!" Cabello said referring to Venezuelan dissenters.