Chavez Cries, Prays for Jesus to Prolong Life

In an emotional speech yesterday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez openly cried and asked Jesus to prolong his life. Chavez, 57, is suffering from cancer and in the past year has undergone three surgeries and two rounds of radiation, reports the Telegraph. The socialist leader's illness has become a central political issue ahead of Venezuela's presidential election in October.

Chavez delivered the speech during a pre-Easter mass in his home state. "Give me your crown, Jesus. Give me your cross, your thorns so that I may bleed. But give me life, because I have more to do for this country and these people. Do not take me yet," said Chavez. Although he declared his latest surgery a success, there remains little public knowledge about Chavez's state of health, including the form of cancer he has, notes the Telegraph. (More Hugo Chavez stories.)