Rumors abound that former President Joaqu?n Balaguer will be taken abroad for a health evaluation this week. Others say it is unlikely he would travel to the States given the cold weather there. The former statesman interrupted his walks on the Mirador Park and his visits to the tomb of his mother in the Cristo Redentor Cemetery in September of last year, reportedly after he suffered a fall at home. The physical health conditions of the 92 year old blind politician have worsened. Attending medics say he suffers from a persistent cold, phlebitis and dermatitis. Others, though, speculate that the former statesman seeks to avoid responding to the court summons to testify at the Orlando Mart?nez case. Orlando Mart?nez was a journalist who was assassinated during a Balaguer administration. The case involves several who were high ranking military at the time. The former statesman left a blank page in a biography he wrote, saying that the page would be filled in upon his death.
