Chavez heads to Cuba for chemotherapy

Updated July 17, 2011 17:18:22

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has headed to Cuba for an unknown period of time for chemotherapy.

He left after giving up some powers and saying doctors had found no malignant cells in his body after cancer surgery last month.

Mr Chavez, 56, resisted opposition calls to temporarily hand full power to his vice president during his absence. Instead, he delegated subordinates limited powers that included budgetary matters.

While he has not said what type of cancer he has or for how long he will be out of the country, Mr Chavez has implied he would not stay for long.

"I should say that after the extraction of the tumour and all the studies that we have been doing rigorously until today ... no other malignant cell has been detected in my body," Mr Chavez said at a rally where supporters and government ministers broke into tears.

"Based on the doctors' examination yesterday, in a few days we'll be back and ready for a final return."

A source close to Mr Chavez's medical team in Venezuela has told Reuters he is suffering from colon cancer that needs delicate treatment.

But the government has not confirmed this information.

Reuters

Topics: bowel-and-rectal-cancer, world-politics, venezuela, cuba

First posted July 17, 2011 17:03:06

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-17/venezuela27s-president-heads-to-cuba-for-chemotherapy/2797692

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