Hugo Chávez is doing okay after cancer surgery in Cuba, the Venezuelan government says

Stop shaking the rosary beads. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is doing okay, Venezuela’s vice president said today, according to Reuters.

Speaking to the Venezuelan parliament, Vice President Elias Jaua was quoted as saying that “President Chávez is in good physical condition. … The pelvic lesion was extracted completely along with the surrounding tissue.”

“Chavez will not leave!” he reportedly said.

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Chávez, 57, underwent surgery in Havana yesterday to remove a lesion from his pelvis but had previously promised that he had been cured of cancer by two previous operations in the Caribbean island last year, according to the AP.

The renewed word of health concerns has encourage doubts about Chávez ahead of elections in October.

According to The Associated Press, Jaua’s remarks were greeted by chants of “Onward, Commandante!” by lawmaker.

The AP spoke with Sebastian Quintero, a Colombian oncologist, who said the announcement did not add anything to what was already publicly known.

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"They have not said anything different from what was already known: that he has a tumor in the area of the pelvis," Quintero was quoted as saying. "The pelvis is a large cavity with several organs inside, including the prostate, part of the liver, part of the colon, so it's difficult to determine in what part the tumor is based."

Reuters said Sunil Daryanani, an oncologist in Caracas, said the things appeared good for Chávez but that many details were still unknown.