Venezuela's Chavez renounces man claiming to be son

President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday denied that he's the father of a man claiming to be his illegitimate son. It was the first time Chavez responded publicly to the claims of 31-year-old Salomon Fernandez, who says his mother became pregnant after an encounter with Chavez in the city of Maracay. The president said he has investigated the matter, including obtaining a birth certificate, but is sure he never knew Fernandez's mother. He accused Fernandez of seeking publicity and said he has nothing to hide. 'She says we had relations,' Chavez said in a televised speech. 'But when Salomon was born I hadn't arrived to work in Maracay.' Fernandez and the president share a similar build and facial features. In a photo on his Web site, Fernandez -- who until recently had planned to run for governor of Carabobo state -- wears a bright red button-up shirt similar to those favored by Chavez. Chavez himself joked about the resemblance, saying his daughter Maria told him after seeing a TV interview with Fernandez: 'Papa, he looks a little like you.'