(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.