Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had a successful operation on Friday in Cuba for an abscess in the pelvis discovered on the last stage of this week's tour around Latin America, his government said.

The usually fit and sports-loving Chavez had been out of the limelight for several weeks, due to a knee injury, before visiting Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba.

"With his knee injury almost totally better, President Chavez suffered a new health problem, which was immediately assessed by his medical team," said a statement by the Venezuelan government read on state TV.