Venezuelan president will be operated on 'in the coming days' for a small lesion in same spot where he had cancer surgery last year
President Hugo Chavez is to undergo more surgery after doctors found a new lesion in the same spot where he had cancer surgery last year, renewing doubts over his bid for a third term in October's election.
"It is a small lesion of about 2cm (less than one inch) in diameter, very clearly visible," Chavez told state television on Tuesday after days of intense speculation, and official denial, that he was ill again.
He denied rumours the cancer had spread aggressively. "I completely deny what's going around that I have metastasis in the liver or I don't know where, that the cancer has spread all over my body and that I'm already dying."
The 57-year-old said he would be operated on "in the coming days" and that it would be less complicated than the surgery in June when doctors in Cuba removed a baseball-sized cancerous tumour from his pelvic region.
After four rounds of chemotherapy, both in Cuba and in Venezuela, he said in September he was free of cancer. The exact nature and location of the cancer remains secret.
Chavez remains favourite to win a third consecutive third term in October on the back of a growing economy but a youthful state governor, Henrique Capriles, has united the opposition to mount what is expected to be a tough challenge.
"No one should be alarmed," Chavez said, wearing a red hard hat on a visit to a factory in his home state of Barinas. "I'm in good physical condition to face this new battle," he said. "It has to be verified whether there is any link with the previous tumour, or not."
He said he had travelled to Havana for tests on Saturday. After disappearing from public view on Friday local media reported he had spent the weekend in Cuba for tests and treatment, prompting a denial on Monday from the information minister, Andres Izarra. "Regarding the rumours, dirty war from the gutter," he tweeted on Monday.