# Did the USA give Hugo Chavez cancer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 28, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671 "2011-12-28T22:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/1 "2011-12-28T22:28:45Z")
He’s not making any accusations, just [asking questions](http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/28/world/americas/venezuela-chavez-accusations/index.html?hpt=hp_t2). > [@Hugo Chavez](#): > > “Would it be strange if (the United States) had developed a technology to induce cancer, and for no one to know it?” > (…) > “I don’t know. I’m just putting the thought out there,” Chavez said. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/2 "2011-12-28T23:20:37Z")
Hugo Chavez, [JAQoff](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/JAQing_off). It’s more intriguing to consider whether the C.I.A. developed a moron pill and managed to sneak it into Hugo’s food. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/3 "2011-12-28T23:47:01Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Hugo Chavez, [JAQoff](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/JAQing_off). > > It’s more intriguing to consider whether the C.I.A. developed a moron pill and managed to sneak it into Hugo’s food. I don’t think that particular pill was needed. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/4 "2011-12-28T23:49:05Z")
Did they? Probably not, although not for moral reasons. If they could administer a cancer causing agent, they could administer something that would kill him a lot faster. Nor is it impossible; in fact IIRC one of the most popular types of poisoning in the US is spiking water with radioactive potassium (I think that’s the element) because it has a good chance of causing cancer. The motive for choosing that is the difficultly in catching the perpetrator (because it’s tasteless and very slow acting) and sadism (it kills slow if it kills, and creates fear & the risk of birth defects if it doesn’t) rather than efficiency however. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/5 "2011-12-28T23:49:52Z")
Well don’t look at me, he’s on my list, but I’ve got a few others ahead of him. Finally got Kim Jong-il, next up is Robert Mugabe. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/6 "2011-12-29T01:09:08Z")
> [@](#): > > “Would it be strange if (the United States) had developed a technology to induce cancer, and for no one to know it?” Yeah, as if anything like that could happen in the US and remain a secret… :rolleyes: The US needs to develop a technology that induces spontaneous enemas. Hugo would disappear entirely. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/7 "2011-12-29T01:18:18Z")
Where did the x-ray machine get developed? That is arguably the right technology for the job. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-usa-give-hugo-chavez-cancer/607671/8 "2011-12-29T01:20:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Nor is it impossible; in fact IIRC one of the most popular types of poisoning in the US is spiking water with radioactive potassium (I think that’s the element) because it has a good chance of causing cancer. Cite?