Chavez says will undergo surgery to remove new 'lesion'

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Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a ‘lesion’ in the same area where a cancerous tumour was extracted in mid-2011.

Chavez, who faces a serious challenge as he runs for re-election this year, said the lesion was found during a medical checkup over the weekend in Cuba.

"It is a small lesion of nearly two centimeters in diameter, very clearly visible. That requires that that lesion be extracted and a new surgical intervention," he said on state-run VTV television.

The Venezuelan leader has said he was declared cancer-free after the surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy, but details of his condition have been kept secret.

The latest disclosure raises new questions about his health as he faces a credible challenge for the presidency from Henrique Capriles, who was chosen in a heavily attended primary this month as the sole opposition candidate.