Tobacco.org

Bolivia President Banzer Has Cancer 

President Hugo Banzer has cancer in his lung and liver, the government's spokesman said Saturday, calling his condition ``grave'' but saying he hadn't yet decided whether to resign as leader of South America's poorest nation.

The 75-year-old Banzer, who was democratically elected president four years ago after serving as dictator from 1971-78, is currently undergoing treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. . .

Doctors first spotted the tumor during a checkup a month ago in La Paz, some media reports said. Others said doctors detected a small nodule in Banzer's left lung in December 1999. Banzer is a cigarette smoker, smoking up to 30 cigarettes a day, according to sources close to the president. th

Jump to full article »