It has been a busy year for Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, with a national election and cancer treatments.
With the presidential election over and Chavez securing another six years, his focus reverted back to his cancer treatments in Cuba. His latest treatments ended when he arrived back to Venezuelan territory after 11 days in Cuba.
The treatment might have been a "post-cancer" treatment as The Guardian noted, since Chavez did proclaim he as cancer-free earlier this year.
To signify his arrival back to Venezuela, he appeared on a morning show on state-run television.
"Today is 7 December it's been two months since October's victory, but yesterday it was 14 years since the 6 December [presidential] victory. We have gone from victory to victory," said Chavez.
According to Reuters, Chavez's treatment was for "hyperbaric oxygenation," used to treat bone decay after radiation therapy.
His return however falls on the same timeframe of the MERCOSUR meeting in Brazil. Chavez had originally said he will be attending the conference but plans indicate he will not.
"Chavez is not coming. They've even canceled the hotel reservation," said a Brazilian foreign ministry source on Thursday.
The MERCOSUR meeting marks Venezuela's first meeting under the organization and centers on trade and economic policies with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.