Venezuela: Hugo Chavez Cancer Treatment Continues In Cuba

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez headed back to Cuba on Saturday night for a fourth phase of chemotherapy that he expects to be his last round of treatment for cancer.

Supporters saw off Chavez with songs and a prayer outside the presidential palace before he left for the airport along with Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was accompanying him to the island.

Chavez told the crowd that he is confident he is overcoming the illness.

"I'm sure that this week we will close the cycle of chemotherapy and we will be turning the page," he told supporters, standing at the doors of the presidential palace.

"Chavez's cancer is now part of this history," he added, likening it to the short-lived coup he survived in 2002.

Chavez waved to the crowd wearing the red beret and fatigues from his years as an army paratroop commander.

He said he expected to undergo medical tests in Havana on Saturday night and then resume chemotherapy Sunday.

Chavez said he and Morales both planned to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro.

Later, a military band played Venezuela's national anthem at the airport as Chavez and Morales prepared to board their flight to Havana. Chavez said he would return to Venezuela before next weekend.

Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba in June to remove a tumor from his pelvic region. Since then, he has undergone three rounds of chemotherapy treatments, two of those in Cuba.

He has lost weight, and since the beginning of August he has appeared with his head shaved after his hair began to fall out due to chemotherapy.

The 57-year-old leader has said that the treatment aims to prevent any cancerous cells from reappearing and that tests have shown no signs of a recurrence.

He said previously that he expects his entire treatment regime to be finished around the end of October.

Once the treatments are finished, Chavez said, it will be "goodbye to the threat of cancer, and then on to life."

"I will come out strengthened," he said.

Chavez, who has been in office since 1999, is up for re-election in October 2012. Referring to his political campaign, he said he will be ready for "the battle ahead, which is hard."

Comments

[BillyRI]

01:46 PM on 09/19/2011

The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program is so effective Chavez has to travel to Havana to see his doctor.

[WILLIEMOJORISIN]

01:11 AM on 09/19/2011

Although I dissagree with Hugo's politic's I don't wish him dead

[turbobore]

12:28 PM on 09/19/2011

Best he stay around and fuel the "Revolucion" that his leading his country into decline.

[Gottlieb]

12:43 AM on 09/19/2011

This doesn't sound good but until Chavez heads to Europe for treatment, I don't expect any positive results. I think it is time for Chavez to get a second opinion and Venezuela to get a new government.

[bbertaud]

07:59 PM on 09/18/2011

I will repeat his famous phrase from when he was captured after his failed attempt of coup

"Por ahora ..."

[LMPE]

02:58 PM on 09/18/2011

Cancer and chemotherapy can't be pleasant experiences.

[FernandoProano]

07:38 PM on 09/18/2011

You're right. It is specially bad when a person is a political prisoner in one of Chavez's jails and he does not allow them to get proper treatment. Chavez and his puppets not only denied proper treatment to them, but they laughed at them, as well as they ridiculed Mr. Brito's dead after a hunger strike protesting because Chavez took his private property.

Chavez and his puppets are not laughing any more. ;-)

[fairwayhill]

01:11 PM on 09/18/2011

Shame on Colombians for voting no to PALESTINE.

[looneydoone]

03:56 PM on 09/18/2011

Colombia is a client State. It follows directives, no independent decision making is permitted

[FernandoProano]

07:19 PM on 09/18/2011

Any proof of that?

[turbobore]

12:29 PM on 09/19/2011

Balooney

[Tony Moschetti]

01:02 PM on 09/18/2011

Well, that's bad news for Obama. It means the Hugo will remain the world's most powerful, "elected" dictator for some time to come. Obama will have to settle for being a Jimmy Carter-like, ex-president!

[theepitviper]

02:50 PM on 09/18/2011

Chavez has 4th stage cancer.......he will be dead within 6-8 months. you reap what you sow. He will have to answer to the Lord.....and already knows the truth about chavez.

[Bobby Dias]

09:18 PM on 09/18/2011

Obama changed to dictator after being elected. Now Obama is trying to look nice to fool the voters again.

[turbobore]

12:41 PM on 09/19/2011

Most of the foolish libs will still vote for him.

[whitemale08]

12:32 PM on 09/18/2011

I live in Venezuela and here's some facts that might shock the average Ditto-head.

1. Nearly every country in Europe is more entrenched with socialism then Venezuelas.

2. Capitalism is actually more abundant here, with no restrictions to set-up a "lemonade stand" (mango-juice or arepas stand) unlike the US where now you need a permit for everythng.

3. City of Caracas is one of the most expensive to visit or live in, not only in Latin America but compared to London and New York. -average luxury condo requires $10,000 for deposit to rent.

4. Gasoline is among the cheapest in the world - $.14ct a liter.

5. Venezuela is where the Andes mountains meet the carribean as more then 600 miles of coastline, much of it pristine with expensive Miami-style resort condo hi-rises everywhere.

6. National parks that rival the Grand Canyon in the US or waterfalls that are so high they look like they were used to shoot scenes out of the movie Avatar.

7. No TSA sticking-hands-down-pants at airports.

8. Rich Venezuelans are called Boli-garchs and they travel back-n-forth to Miami buying foreclosed property for next-to-nothing.

Bottom line, for the first time, in a long time, Venezuela has a president who's skin tone is a littler darker and helps out the majority of poor darker-skinned Venezuelans.

The more white-Italian/Spaniard looking Venezuelans are jealous they lost power.

[whitemale08]

12:55 PM on 09/18/2011

Here's some more facts about Venezuela:

- Venezuela has a FLAT TAX .....that's right, no income tax, just a sales tax.

- Venezuela has NO PROPERTY TAX and NO DEATH TAX!!! (tax on inheritance)

[amConcerned]

03:55 PM on 09/19/2011

Yes but if you take Chavez at his word he wished to do away with private property (so sure property tax would be contra to that philosophy), the accumulation of capital (so with no inheritance what’s to be taxed). Common misconception that there is no income tax… there is but at a higher threshold than would include most Venezuelans.

[praymondc]

01:08 PM on 09/18/2011

Thanks for a bit of truth and fresh air... flowing from the Andes mountains to breath freely... after all the negative anti-Chevaez hot-air propaganda in the American press. I'm still in awe of his comments at the UN, describing GW Bush and his evil... murderous foreign policy in Iraq.

[turbobore]

12:43 PM on 09/19/2011

Viva la revolucion! Just look at how Venezuela is prospering and growing under Chavismo. How foolish can one be to support this guy. Ignorance epitomized.

[Alan Ray]

12:09 PM on 09/18/2011

I really wonder how many people here even know who Hugo Chavez is or what he's done rather than just repeating state rhetoric. People like to criticize the Soviet Union for not allowing free thought but the reality is a large percentage of the U.S. would believe what the media tells them regardless of whether not they were forced to. At least Soviet citizens had the threat of death or imprisonment if they went against the establishment. U.S. citizens can do whatever research they want but instead most of them just repeat what they hear on the news.

[looneydoone]

12:13 PM on 09/18/2011

That's why they're known as "ditto heads", "Fauxbots", "screeching Parrots", Myna birds" and "sheeple". Here they are trolls

[turbobore]

12:36 PM on 09/19/2011

And people like you are ignorant. Go check it out friend and come back with a report.

[Alan Ray]

12:05 PM on 09/18/2011

I wonder how many people here who are wishing death upon this man call themselves "Christians". It's rather disgusting, people wonder how "Christians" and religious people in general get a bad name and it's because of things like this. I'm pretty sure Jesus advocated teaching people the right path to follow not wishing death upon them. If people weren't a bunch of hypocrites, they should pray Hugo Chavez changes his ways not that he dies.

[FernandoProano]

07:43 PM on 09/18/2011

Chavez has declared himself as a "Christian - Marxist" (it's not a joke). He and his puppets used to laugh at people that participated in hunger strikes or are political prisoners with cancer.

On the other hand, why would anybody pray for him to change when they can pray for Venezuela to have an authentic Democracy?

[Alan Ray]

07:51 PM on 09/18/2011

Plenty of Republicans call themselves Christians as well but they're far from it. I'm not really sure what your point was. People can pray for whatever they want but a true Christian shouldn't wishing death upon someone.

[jessdog]

09:37 PM on 09/18/2011

Wasnt Jesus a Socialist because i dont remember him hanging out with the rich folks, and he did say it easier for a camel to go through a needle than a rich person to go to heaven. SOUNDS LIKE A COMMIE

[Customex]

11:54 AM on 09/18/2011

The distinction between optimism and denial is murky. The disease and the treatments can include a lot of suffering. Available treatments work better for some than others. Chavez' options are narrowing. If I had to imagine a parallel analogy, it would be the economy. Substitute USA or the world as you please. The diagnosis as well as the treatment are debatable. The outcome is murky. I don't like much of what I know about Chavez. I don't like much of what I know about cancer. Best wishes for all to enjoy better health. When you have your health, you have everything.

[Egalitare]

11:49 AM on 09/18/2011

Chavez is desperately trying to stave off death. He won't win that battle.

More importantly, he probably recognizes that he has failed to "institutionalize" his vision of Venezuela's political future, and is hoping that a few more years of him in power will turn the corner.

It will not.

[olitenup]

11:17 AM on 09/18/2011

So is it the lighting or does he look jaundiced?

[Sing Out and Slap Iron]

11:46 AM on 09/18/2011

Looks like the lighting.

[dodge45]

11:13 AM on 09/18/2011

Chavez may be absolutely terrible in a lot of ways, but cancer is awful - no matter who it is. I hope he recovers from it and gets beat in the next election.

[charlcreat]

11:45 AM on 09/18/2011

I survived cancer and I don't wish it anyone(okay, almost...)but knowing he has to deal with a little humility and has to go to Cuba for treatment makes him look less like a superman and more like just some guy with an attitude problem and an inferiority complex.

[cwestbrookjr]

11:04 AM on 09/18/2011

If he lives he will become the poster boy for the Cuban national medical establishment , if he doesn't I wonder how the Cubans will spin it...?