Venezuela's Chavez In Cuba For Chemotherapy

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in Cuba to begin chemotherapy, nearly a month after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.
He is due to start treatment in Havana on July 17.
Speaking shortly before leaving Caracas on July 16, the 56-year-old Venezuelan leader vowed to win his fight against cancer.

"After the extraction of the tumor and all the rigorous exams that I have been undergoing until the sun of today, as my mother says, no other malignant cell has been detected in any other part of my body," Chavez said.
Chavez has not said what type of cancer he has or how long he will be out of the country.
He has resisted opposition calls to temporarily hand over authority to his vice president during his absence.

Instead, he has delegated only limited powers to his subordinates.

compiled from agency reports