The Venezuelan government rejected reports that President Hugo Chavez is in critical condition following emergency surgery in Cuba, insisting the firebrand leftist leader was "recovering well."

Chavez's government said he had an operation for a pelvic abscess on June 10 and continues to mend.

"He is recovering," Information Minister Andres Izarra told AFP in the wake of a report by Miami's El Nuevo Herald citing unnamed US intelligence sources as saying the 56-year-old "is in critical condition - not on the brink of death, but critical indeed."

The newspaper also said the sources refused to comment on rumors in Venezuela that Chavez could be receiving treatment for prostate cancer.

The Venezuelan government has not addressed details of Chavez's condition, and angry opposition lawmakers in Caracas say it is unconstitutional for the president to be governing from abroad.

But several top Venezuelan figures have dismissed the reports.

The president of the National Assembly, Fernando Soto Rojas, denied the cancer rumors, saying he was confident Chavez would be back on July 5.

"You'll see, we'll have him back here in Venezuela at full strength in just a few days," he said.