Newsmakers

Venezuela's Chavez has surgery in Cuba

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-11 16:29

File photo taken on May 22, 2011 shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greets supporters at the end of his weekly 'Alo Presidente' broadcast at Miraflores Palace in Caracas. Chavez, 56, had a successful operation on June 10, 2011 in Cuba for an abscess in the pelvis discovered on the last stage of this week's tour around Latin America, his government said. He will stay on in Cuba for a few days until he is in a condition to return. [Photo/Agencies]

HAVANA -?Venezuelan?President Hugo Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba for a pelvic abscess Friday but is in good health and is expected to return to Caracas in a few days, Venezuela's foreign minister said.

The procedure on Venezuela's president was "immediate" in nature but successful and Chavez is recovering with family and should be able to return to Caracas soon, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro told state-run Venezolana de Television.

Chavez injured his knee last month, prompting him to postpone his current trip to Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba.

Maduro said the Cuba trip aggravated the condition that led to Friday's pelvic surgery.

The Venezuelan leader has been in Cuba since Wednesday. Cuban state TV said he met with President Raul Castro and close friend and ally Fidel Castro.

A pelvic abscess is an accumulation of pus that can have various causes, including infection or complications from surgery.