Colombian president has swine flu
Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe (left) and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talk during a family photo opportunity of the Unasur group summit in Bariloche in this August 28, 2009 file photo. Uribe has contracted the H1N1 swine flu virus and is being treated by doctors, government spokesman Cesar Velasquez told local media on August 30, 2009. REUTERS
BOGOTA, Monday
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has contracted the H1N1 swine flu virus and is being treated by doctors while continuing to work from his residence, government spokesman Cesar Velasquez said yesterday.
“He is working by telephone and Internet,” the spokesman told Reuters.
A popular conservative and Washington’s key ally in South America, Uribe attended a summit with other regional leaders on Friday in Argentina. He started suffering from fever, headaches and backaches after the meeting, Mr Velasquez said.
Have been advised
The leaders who met with the 57-year-old Uribe at the summit have been advised of his infection, Mr Velasquez added.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was the first known head of government to have caught swine flu. He recovered earlier this month from a mild case of the virus and returned to his normal routine after working from home for about a week while being treated.
During a public event on Saturday, Mr Uribe was sneezing and had a fever and aching muscle. On Sunday, doctors confirmed the cause was the H1N1 swine flu virus.
Checks were being carried out on the 55 people who flew with him to the summit, including Cabinet ministers, and Colombian authorities were using diplomatic channels to urge other South American governments “to adopt the necessary measures”, said Mr Velasquez.
To date, neither the president’s travelling companions nor the other heads of state with whom he came into contact have reported symptoms.
Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez said yesterday his own health was fine, and wished his counterpart a speedy recovery. “I regret this and hope there are no repercussions for the president’s health, and that nobody else has caught the disease,” he said.
The good wishes were a rare break in the war of words between two Andean neighbours who regularly trade insults, not least because the Venezuelan socialist sees Uribe as a supporter of what he calls US imperialism.
The Union of South American Nations summit was called because Chávez and other regional leaders had expressed alarm over Bogotá’s plan to expand US access to Colombia’s military bases. (Reuters)
