President Hugo Chávez made a surprise return home to Venezuela on Monday, after a controversial extended stay in Cuba where he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.
“We got here as the sun was rising. So very happy to be back home,” Chávez said on Venezuelan state television as he arrived in time for July 5 bicenntenial celebrations here.
On exiting his plane, Chávez raised his arm in a show of victory, and was greeted by Vice-President Elias Jaua, his brother Adan Chávez and several Cabinet ministers, the video showed. He appeared lively and chatty, and even sang a bit of a popular tune on arrival.
Chávez had been in Cuba since June 8, and was rushed to hospital on June 10 for what was initially described as a “pelvic abscess”. He revealed on Thursday he had a cancerous growth, which was fully removed in a second operation.
Caracas has not given details on what follow-up cancer treatment Chávez might get, or the type of cancer from which the 56-year-old is suffering.
Chávez, who survived a coup attempt in 2002, announced in a video on Thursday from Havana that a cancerous tumor had been removed from his body but that he was expecting a full recovery.
The news cut short a host of rumours about Chávez’s health, fuelled by his nearly month-long stay in the Cuban capital.
On Sunday the Cuban government released photos of Chávez taking a short walk with his daughters Maria Gabriela and Rosa Virginia, and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. Chávez was dressed in sports clothes and appeared much thinner than usual.
The four pictures appeared on the government-run website cubadebate.cu, which said the Venezuelan leader’s walk took place on Friday and continued for about 10 minutes.
Later on Sunday, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro expressed confidence that the Venezuelan president will achieve a “big victory” in his battle against cancer.
“I can state without hesitation that the results of the operation were impressive and that the patient had fought a decisive battle that will lead him and the Venezuelan people to a big victory,” Castro wrote on cubadebate.cu.
Some Venezuelan opposition lawmakers argue that the president was staying abroad unconstitutionally because he has not requested lawmakers’ permission for the extended stay.
But Chávez’s government maintains that he never asked for authorisation to work from abroad, and did not need or want it. — AFP