Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President, has returned to Cuba to start chemotherapy treatment nearly a month after surgery to remove a tumor, and he is expressing optimism the treatment will help him survive his cancer.
According to Yahoo News, Chavez said he would start the treatment in Havana on Sunday in an attempt to ensure cancer cells do not reappear following last month's operation.
"We're going to give it everything we've got," Chavez said hopefully in a televised speech shortly before he left Caracas on Saturday. He said there is always a risk cancer cells might show up again, "and therefore there's a need to attack hard through chemotherapy."
He was accompanied by one of his daughters, Rosa, who held his hand as they boarded the presidential jet.
"It's not time to die. It's time to live," Chavez said. "I'm saying goodbye for some days, but in a deeper sense I'm not saying goodbye. ... I'll be attentive every day, every hour, every minute to internal events and I'll be in permanent contact."
Chavez was met at the airport in Havana by Cuban President Raul Castro.
The 56-year-old Chavez made contingencies for his absence by delegating some of his duties to Vice President Elias Jaua and Planning and Finance Minister Jorge Giordani.
