Hugo Chavez reported on his latest cancer surgery today. The Venezuelan leader said the two-centimeter tumor was cancerous; however he was optimistic saying vital signs, including blood pressure, were “favorable.” Chavez also clamis to have “no fever, hemorrhages or infections”and that scarring is occurring at “a normal pace, and digestion is normal.” Chavez sums up his recovery as “real, sustained, progressive and fast…I am flying like the condor.”

But Chavez never said what kind of cancer he has. His health, and a unified opposition ready to contest the October elections, creates many questions about the Venezuela’s future.

Worldview talks with Javier Corrales. He’s Professor of Political Science at Amherst College and co-author of the 2011 book, Dragon in the Tropics: Hugo Chavez and the political economy of revolution in Venezuela.