| When should leaders disclose to their countries that | | | | stage of prostate cancer in February of 2009 and |
| they have cancer? Should they do so when it is in | | | | underwent two months of successful radiation |
| the early stage? Mid-stage? Terminal stage? The | | | | treatment. The diagnosis and treatment was not |
| recent devastating earthquake in Haiti brought to | | | | made public until October of 2009, because the |
| mind the battle with prostate cancer of its president, | | | | general and his family considered this a "private |
| Rene Preval. Mr. Preval was first diagnosed in 2001 | | | | matter" and because it "did not interfere with his |
| after having completed his first term as president. | | | | duties". |
| After treatment by doctors in Cuba, his cancer was | | | | Fidel Castro, former President of Cuba, has been |
| declared "in remission". Following the disastrous | | | | rumored to be ill with cancer, but public disclosures |
| administrations of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Boniface | | | | only state that he has a "serious illness" and that he |
| Alexandre, Mr. Preval was persuaded to run for | | | | is "fighting a great battle" to regain his health. |
| president and was re-elected in 2006 after a | | | | The reasons for withholding information of cancer |
| contentious and divisive election. Shortly afterward, | | | | diagnosis and treatment of leaders from the public |
| the newly elected president announced that the | | | | are not complex. In countries that, unlike the United |
| cancer had returned and that he would once again | | | | States, have no Constitution that details a line of |
| travel to Cuba for tests and treatment. Since then, | | | | succession of its leadership, news of a cancer |
| the seriousness of Preval's cancer has been a | | | | diagnosis can bring about widespread chaos, |
| mystery, with Preval himself saying only that "he | | | | confusion and, in some cases, coupes and other |
| feels physically and mentally well". | | | | revolutionary actions. The environment created by |
| General David Petraeus, Commander, US Central | | | | such an announcement can become an opportunity |
| Command and previous Commanding General, | | | | for "outside infiltration" by groups seeking to gain a |
| Multi-National Force-Iraq was diagnosed with an early | | | | foothold to promote their ideals. |