Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will have a prostate cancer operation in Bogotá on Wednesday, he announced today, after discovering a benign tumor last week.

In a speech today, accompanied by his wife, he said will spend a few das at the clinic after the operation but will not abandon his duties as president.

“Fortunately, the cancer was discovered in time,” he said. “But I want to make sure all Colombians have examinations to prevent these diseases.”

President Santos said one of his brothers had the same illness and was able to overcome. He also confirmed that he would be gong to Peru for the South America-Arab Summit (ASPA).

“My doctors have been clear, the situation does not compromise my physical or mental state,” he said.

The president’s doctor said his tumor is isolated and the process will not require chemotherapy or radiation.

“The president is in great health. And if things to as they should, he will be back to his regular job soon.”

Venezuela president, Hugo Chávez, announced yesterday on Cuban television, that he was recovering from cancer surgery. He said that this would not affect his mandate.

Following weeks of speculation about his health, Chávez finally came clear on the state of his health.

Chávez has been in a medical facility in Cuba for the past three weeks. He said that doctors had “confirmed the existence of a tumourous abscess, with the presence of cancerous cells, which required another operation to extract the tumour completely”.

He added that this was “a major operation without any complications” from which he is recovering well and is “hopeful of a full recovery”.

During his address, he thanked the Venezuelan people, Heads of State and Cuban people for their support.

Vice-president, Elías Jaua, said social policies were to continue under the leadership of president Hugo Chávez.

Article courtesy of Agencia Púlsar.

The vice-governor of Buenos Aires province, Alberto Balestrini, was operated on this afternoon, after undergoing emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage yesterday. Doctors described Balestrini’s position today as “stable” although they acknowledged that the prognosis was uncertain.

Balestrini was taken to the hospital San Martin in La Plata yesterday after suffering a brain haemorrhage in his home. Ernesto Echeverría, head of neuro-surgery at the facility, confirmed that today’s operation was preformed to prevent complications from yesterday’s procedure.

Buenos Aries’ minister of health, Alejandro Collia, told various radio stations that Balestrini’s “general condition” was positive, although he also warned: “his situation is delicate.” He stressed that “the main concern now is saving his life, and afterwards the possible consequences can be addressed.”

The minister of health confirmed that the stroke was caused by “a attack of high blood-pressure” and was not the result on an aneurysm. Collia also added that the brain haemorrhage had affected “the right side of the brain, which is an encouraging fact in the circumstances, because the centre connected with speech is not going to be damaged.”

President Kirchner and Governor Daniel Scioli visited the hospital this afternoon to support the vice governor and to be kept up to date with his condition. Ex-president Nestor Kirchner also visited Balestrini last night. As a consequence of the vice-governor’s stroke, Governer Scioli cancelled a scheduled visit to Washington with the President.

Former President Nestor Kirchner has been making a strong recovery since he underwent an emergency surgery for a cardiovascular condition on Sunday afternoon. Earlier today he was transferred from the intensive care unit to a general care room at the Sanatorio de los Arcos hospital in Buenos Aires. The latest medical report states that the former president’s move to general care is a positive development and that if his recovery continues to evolve in this way he could return home from hospital as early as tomorrow.

During the early afternoon on Sunday, following a series of aerobic exercises, Kirchner began to feel tingling and numbness in his left arm and left leg was taken to a hospital in Olivos, near the presidential residence. From there he was taken to Sanatorio de los Arcos for a more specific diagnosis. At los Arcos he underwent emergency surgery on his right carotid artery, responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Doctors removed an ulcerated plaque from the artery.

Following the procedure, the heart surgeon who operated on the former president, Victor Caramutti, told the press that the possible causes of the ulcerative plaque “are somewhat a product of the society we live in”, clarifying these as “stress, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and hypertension.” Caramutti went on to explain that the surgery was performed as a preventative measure to avoid more serious issues in the future.

After spending Sunday night in a private suite near the intensive care unit, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner returned to her scheduled agenda on Monday. She expressed her gratitude for “all the expressions of concern and affection” that supporters gave during the last couple of days.