Spain wishes Chávez to recover; calls for serenity and harmony

The Spanish government of Mariano Rajoy on Thursday wished President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez to recover and take on his duties as Head of State, so that the "difficult time" facing the Latin American country may be overcome pursuant to the constitutional order.

The situation is "very delicate," said Spanish Secretary of State for Latin America Jesús Gracia, who called on Venezuelans to be in "calm," "peace" and "harmony." "Otherwise, this could be a difficult moment for the future of Venezuela," he said, DPA reported.

"The health of the re-elected president, President Chávez, comes first. This is a pivotal factor, and we want things to be worked out the best as possible for him to take on the duties for which he was democratically elected," Gracia told reporters at the Senate.

The Venezuelan president has been in Cuba for a month, where on December 11 he underwent his fourth cancer operation in one year and a half. On Thursday, he was supposed to take oath for a new mandate after his re-election in October, but he informed that he would miss the ceremony.

The Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) ruled Wednesday that Chávez's no-show at his inauguration does not prevent him from starting a new mandate. In this way, the top court solved the tug of war over the issue between the government and the opposition.