The president's battle against cancer

From June 8 to July 4, 2011 (26 days): Subsequent to landing in Cuba while on an international tour- Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez has some medical tests done and on June 10, he undergoes emergency surgery of a "pelvic abscess," claims Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro that very day. Unofficially, on June 20, it is known that he gets surgery again to be removed a cancerous tumor. On June 30, the Head of State discloses to the country that he had two surgeries.

From July 16 to July 23, 2011 (seven days): He travels authorized by the Parliament in order to start a chemotherapy treatment. He then reports that "no malignant cells were found" in his body.

From August 6 to August 14, 2011 (eight days): He gets back to Cuba for a second chemotherapy session.

From August 27 to September 2, 2011 (six days): He continues his treatment but this time in Caracas. He is admitted to the Military Hospital to initiate the third chemotherapy session.

From September 17 to September 22, 2011 (five days): He comes back to Cuba to receive the fourth and last cycle of chemotherapy.

From October 16 to October 20, 2011 (four days): He returns to Havana for a comprehensive checkup, which in his own words- showed "no active malignant cells" in his body.

From February 18 to February 19, 2012 (one day): He secretly travels to Cuba for a  checkup, but it is on February 21, when he discloses about his trip to the country and reports that an "lesion" was detected on the same spot where the cancerous tumor was resected; therefore, he needs another surgery.

From February 24 to March 16, 2012 (21 days): He gets back to the Caribbean island in order to undergo surgery for the third time, on February 27.

From March 24 to March 29, 2012 (five days): He returns to Cuba to start radiotherapy.

From March 31 to April 4, 2012 (four days): He comes back to the Caribbean island in order to receive a second session of radiotherapy.

From April 7 to April 11, 2012 (four days): He gets back to Havana for the third cycle of radiotherapy.

From April 14 to April 26, 2012 (12 days): He travels authorized by the Parliament for the fourth radiotherapy session.

From April 30 to May 11, 2012 (11 days): He travels again authorized by the National Assembly in order to initiate the fifth and sixth cycles of radiotherapy.

Translated by Adrián Valera Villani