Chavez says recovering from surgery

CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he was in good physical condition after a successful surgery in Cuba.

Vice President Elias Jaua on Tuesday read a statement on his behalf in a televised speech.

The diagnosed pelvic lesion was totally extracted, surrounding tissue was also removed and there were no complications with nearby organs, said the statement.

But he did not mention the pathological results, nor the date of his return to Venezuela.

Chavez, in the statement, thanked former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, his successor Raul Castro and the Cuban surgeon who operated on him.

Meanwhile, he called on his opponents to respect the peaceful rally held by his supporters and stop any "split" activities.

Chavez traveled to Cuba on Friday to have a surgery to remove a two-centimeter malignant lesion found in his pelvis, where a large cancerous tumor was removed in June last year.