Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez resumes cancer treatment in Cuba

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez resumes cancer treatment in Cuba

2011-08-09 10:47:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

CARACAS (BNO NEWS) -- Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has flown last weekend to the Cuban capital of Havana to start a second session of chemotherapy, the El Nacional newspaper reported on Monday.

Chavez previously had surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumor on June 20 and he returned there for a first round of chemotherapy last month. The nature of the cancer has not been disclosed.

On Friday, Chavez wrote a letter to the head of the Parliament of Venezuela, Fernando Soto Rojas, requesting permission to leave the country on Saturday to continue his cancer treatment in Cuba. He said, before departing for Cuba, that he will remain in Havana for at least a week.

"I'll have to lower public profile after entering the second phase of chemotherapy. I won't retire, I'll be here," Chavez said, as cited by the newspaper. He also announced that a third stage of chemotherapy might be necessary but showed himself optimistic saying that he was responding well to the treatment.

The left wing president has been in office since 1999 and plans to run for re-election in late 2012 despite his disease.

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