Havana, 8 APR ( EFE)-Cuban President, the general Raúl Castro, welcomed at dawn on Sunday, his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, who returned to Havana to receive the third stage of the treatment of radiotherapy following cancer, local media reported today.

Chavez and Castro had “a lively exchange” at the Havana International Airport “José Martí”, highlights on its cover the official journal “Juventud Rebelde”.

Also points out that the representative of Venezuela “before leaving Venezuela he met with his Cabinet”, and cited statements by Chavez to the State channel Venezolana de Televisión, which said it was returning to Cuba “to continue the battle for the health and life”.

This is the third trip of the Venezuelan President to Cuba, after the last surgery which underwent a 40 days ago in the island to remove a new tumor, recurrence of cancer for which he underwent in June of last year.

Own Chávez pointed out last week that are five sessions of radiotherapy which must receive before operated it on 26 February for the third time.

Before returning this weekend to Cuba, Chavez made a speech, in which he was in good spirits and said that you between Wednesday and next Thursday would be back in Venezuela to participate in the activities in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the coup that deviated it from the Government for 45 hours.

Recalling that event, he said, that a miracle saved him from being killed after the coup d ’ état and pointed out that he had “great faith” in which Jesus Christ, so “going again”, he said, “the miracle to continue living, to finally defeat this disease”.

Chávez traveled last April 4 directly from Havana to his native Barinas, after receiving the second application of radiotherapy.

Hugo Chavez underwent emergency on June 10, the year 2011 abscess pelvic in Havana at the end of a tour of Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba, and ten days later was again intervened to remove a cancerous tumor that is being treated since then.

After the first operation, the President of Venezuela has returned to the island regularly to continue with sessions of chemotherapy or undergo medical check-ups. EFE