Photos of Hugo Chavez shown after 2-month absence
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CARACAS (AP) - Venezuela's government showed the first photos of ailing President Hugo Chavez in more than two months on Friday, presenting images of him smiling alongside his daughters in Cuba.
Chavez is propped up on what appears to be a bed in the photos, a blue pillow behind his head. His face appears puffy, but he is smiling broadly, while his daughters Rosa and Maria lean in close to him.
In other images, Chavez is shown looking at Thursday's issue of the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma, his daughters still flanking him. The photos were shown on television by Chavez's son-in-law, Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza.
The government released the images amid widespread speculation and rumours in Venezuela about Chavez's condition following his Dec. 11 cancer surgery.
