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Bolivian President Banzer Confirms His Resignation
A frail-looking President Hugo Banzer, undergoing treatment in Washington for lung cancer, addressed Bolivians on national television Monday to confirm his plans to resign.
In the statement, which lasted around a minute, Banzer said he wanted to tell his countrymen in person of his decision ¡ª announced by a spokesman Friday ¡ª to resign Aug. 6, Bolivia's Independence Day.
"My love for Bolivia doesn't allow me to do anything else," Banzer explained, wearing a gray suit that appeared oversized.
"For the last time, I want to thank all of you with all of my heart," Banzer said, speaking from Washington. "God bless Bolivia."
Banzer, 75, is awaiting permission by his doctors to travel to Sucre, Bolivia's judicial capital, for the Independence Day activities. There, he plans to officially hand over the presidency to Vice President Jorge Quiroga.
The vice president has been leading the nation since July 1, when Banzer first checked in to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington for treatment of the lung cancer, which has spread to his liver.
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