Hugo Chavez Arrives In Cuba For Cancer Treatment
CARACAS, Venezuela (CBSMiami) –Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Cuba Saturday for urgent cancer surgery after an emotional day of farewells in his home country of Venezuela.
Cuban President Raul Castro met Chavez at the airport and the Venezuelan leader was planning to meet with Cuban doctors as early as Saturday.
Chavez, 57, will use the same Cuban doctors who took a baseball-sized cancerous tumor from his pelvic region last summer. The new growth is smaller, roughly an inch in diameter.
"I have faith that everything will go well," Chavez told Venezuelan state television by telephone late Friday.
Chavez's allies have accused opponents of hoping the president will die ahead of a scheduled presidential election on October 7.
Venzuelan authorities said Chavez will continue to govern from Cuba instead of giving authority temporarily to Vice-President Elias Julia.
No timetable has been given for when Chavez might return to Venezuela.
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