Venezuela has suspended a regional summit scheduled for 5 July amid continuing speculation¹ over the health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

委内瑞拉总统乌戈·查韦斯健康状况欠佳，导致委内瑞拉推迟了原定于7月5日举行的地区性峰会。

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Venezuelan TV had shown pictures of Mr Chavez (r) apparently looking well
Mr Chavez left the country on 8 June for Cuba, where he had surgery, apparently for a pelvic（骨盆的） abscess.

On Tuesday Cuban state TV showed images of the president talking animatedly³（精力旺盛地） to former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

But on Wednesday Venezuelan officials said the summit, which he was due to host, had been delayed.

Analysts⁴ say the suspension of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) meeting will be a blow to President Chavez.

He was due to chair the first gathering⁵ of the new regional bloc⁶ on Margarita island, off the Venezuelan coast.

Venezuelan officials had earlier said the latest footage from Cuba proved that the president's recovery was continuing.

Vice-President Elias Jaua said Mr Chavez had been in close contact with officials in an effort to "continue driving the national plans forward".

Mr Chavez's unexpectedly long absence from the country has prompted debate on whether he should delegate executive power to the vice-president.

Venezuelan officials have said he underwent emergency surgery on 10 June for a pelvic abscess, but there has been speculation in the Venezuelan and foreign press that the president's condition could be more serious.

He had been widely expected to be back in time to host the CELAC summit which also coincides with Venezuela's bicentennial（二百周年纪念） celebrations.

President Chavez is one of the driving forces behind CELAC, seen as an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS). Unlike the OAS, CELAC excludes the US and Canada.

The BBC's Sarah Grainger in Caracas said President Chavez wants to see greater co-operation between Latin American nations and less US influence in the region.