THE PRESIDENT OF Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, has revealed the reason why he has not been seen in recent weeks: he is battling cancer.

Chavez had undergone an operation three weeks ago for what officials said was a pelvic abscess.

His absence after that date was noticed and his government had to release photographs of him in hospital meeting Fidel Castro, to prove he was not in a ‘critical condition’.

However, Chavez himself took to the pan-American television channel Telesur last night to admit that he had undergone a successful second surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumour.

Looking noticeably thinner, he said he resolved to “be victorious in this new battle that life has placed before us” and that he made a “fundamental mistake” in not taking better care of his health.

However he said he feels he is “coming out of another abyss” and described himself as being on the path to “complete recovery”.

He will remain in Cuba recovering but gave no indication of how long this would be for.

The government announced on Wednesday that due to Chavez’s health, it was cancelling a two-day summit of Latin American leaders that Chavez would have hosted next week on the 200th anniversary of Venezuela’s declaration of independence from Spain.

The leftist leader has been in office for more than 12 years and has said he plans to run for re-election in 2012

- Additional reporting by AP