Venezuela on Tuesday celebrated the 200th anniversary of its independence from Spain, with the bicentenary celebrations marked by the surprise return of President Hugo Chavez from Cuba after a surgery for cancer.
The celebrations began at midnight in capital Caracas with a fireworks display. Later in the day, senior government officials, excluding Chavez, witnessed the opening of an urn containing Venezuela's declaration of independence.
Later, a civilian-military parade was staged in Caracas in the presence of Venezuelan dignitaries and several international leaders, including Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo and his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales. Street parties to mark the occasion are continuing across the Latin American nation.
Chavez did not personally attend the celebrations, preferring to follow the events from the presidential place. He had returned to Venezuela on Monday after undergoing a surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumor from his abdomen.
Chavez had left Venezuela on June 8 for Cuba for an emergency surgery, which was initially diagnosed as a pelvic abscess. Chavez underwent surgery on June 10 and spent nearly a month in Cuba recuperating from the surgery.
Chavez's surprise return to Venezuela from Cuba on Monday ended rumors about his health following his absence from the country for nearly a month. However, his decision to watch the celebrations from the Miraflores presidential palace indicate that he is yet to recover fully from the illness.
Speaking from the balcony of the presidential palace, Chavez said he was determined to win his battle with cancer. He said, "No one should think that my presence here on this July 4 means we've won the battle. No. But we've begun climbing back uphill, we've begun to defeat the ailment that incubated in my body."
Although Chavez managed to return home ahead of the bicentenary celebrations, the summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Integration and Development (CALC) scheduled to coincide with the occasion had to be postponed due to his health problems.
CELAC was formed last year with the intention of boosting trade and institutional cooperation in the region. Chavez in his capacity as the Venezuelan President holds a prominent position in CELAC, which excludes the United States and Canada.
Although he is widely expected to seek re-election in next year's presidential elections, Chavez's health problems have cast doubts on his political future.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.