Chávez on his way back to Venezuela

President Hugo Chávez said on Friday evening on his Twitter account that he departed from Havana bound for Venezuela, after spending 11 days on the island to receive medical treatment against cancer.

"I am already onboard the plane on the "José Martí" runway, bound for the Venezuelan Fatherland! We are more optimistic than ever! We shall live and overcome!" wrote the Venezuelan president on his Twitter account.

Chávez was in Havana for 11 days for a round of radiation therapy that was prescribed after he underwent surgery on February 26 to remove a new tumor, a recurrence of the cancer that was detected in June last year.

The president said on Monday that he would return to Venezuela in the coming days, but did not specify exactly when.

Chávez traveled last April 30 to Cuba, which has become his usual resting place and where he has spent more time than in Venezuela since his surgery in February.

Before leaving, Chávez, who has not delegated his powers throughout his convalescence, received authorization from the National Assembly to stay out of the country as long as deemed appropriate.

A year ago, Chávez began to show signs of health problems. He announced that a knee injury forced him to postpone a tour of several countries in the region. Such condition, the president himself said later, was related to the tumor that was removed on June 20, 2011.