2012-10-02 08:51:25

Colombian president faces cancer


(Vatican Radio) Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Monday that he has prostate cancer. Santos said his doctor and three US specialists have advised that he have surgery on Wednesday to remove the growth in so the cancer can be caught at an early stage.

In just a week, exploratory peace talks will begin with the country's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia- the FARC, who've been waging war since 1964. The talks will take place in Norway and Cuba.

Washington has given Colombia one of its few remaining allies throughout Latin America, more than five billion dollars in hardware, training and funding to combat rebel factions and cocaine.

Juan Manuel Santos, who was also a Minister of Defence prior to becoming President, has been a key part of the overall process.

Other leaders throughout the Americas who are cancer survivors include: Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil; and former leaders Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Fernando Lugo of Paraguay and Fidel Castro of Cuba.

Listen to James Blears’ full report: RealAudioMP3







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