Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Cuba Saturday night, accompanied by his daughter Maria, sources here confirmed to Xinhua.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez (C) speaks to the media next to his daughter Rosa, before his departure to Cuba at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas July 16, 2011. Chavez said on Saturday doctors have found no more malignant cells in his body after cancer surgery but he delegated some powers to his vice president and finance minister just hours before a planned trip back to Cuba for chemotherapy. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Before heading for Cuba, Chavez asked for the approval of the National Assembly to leave his country and delegated some of his responsibilities to vice president Elias Jaua temporarily.

Prior to his departure, the Venezuelan leader told a rally of supporters and government officials in Caracas Saturday that no other malignant cell had been detected in his body since the two operations he had last month. But he also stressed the need to return to Cuba to receive chemotherapy, which is expected to start Sunday.

Chavez failed to give an exact date for his return, but instead said that his medical treatment would last for "a few days."

He also said that during his stay in Cuba, he would "watch every day and every minute Venezuela's internal development."

The 56-year-old leader spent most of June in Cuba where he first had a surgery on June 10 to remove a pelvic abscess. Then on June 20, he had the second surgery to cut off an unspecified cancerous tumor.

Chavez returned to Venezuela on July 4 and resumed duties as head of state under strict medical observation.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet