Chavez registers presidential candidacy bid

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has formally registered his candidacy for the presidential elections in October.

Chavez, who appeared to be in good health, was greeted on Monday by a massive crowd of supporters in the capital, Caracas, in his first public appearance since his year-long struggle with cancer.

Wearing their socialist party’s red caps and shirts and holding photos of the president, the supporters of the 57-year-old leader cheered as he rode to the National Electoral Center in Caracas to formalize his presidential candidacy.

“Each one of us is a soldier for Chavez, and we are going to get out the vote for the president,” said Ana Luzardo, a social worker.

Chavez addressed the crowd, saying “It was a difficult year,” but “Here I am, before you again!” apparently denying speculations that he might not be feeling well enough to run for another term in office.

“I give this to you with a promise to fight, to battle, and of course to win,” Chavez added as he handed electoral officials a signed copy of his proposed government platform.

The Venezuelan president has undergone at least two operations in Cuba over the past year to remove cancerous tumors from his pelvic area.

His struggle with cancer has recently forced him to scale back his public appearances and has raised questions about whether his health may interfere with the re-election campaign.

However, Chavez’s approval ratings remained above 50 percent during the past year. Chavez has been Venezuela’s president since 1998.