Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offered assurances Sunday that his Cuban counterpart Fidel Castro was on his way to a full recovery, and announced plans to pay a visit to the ailing Communist leader, whom he considers a close friend.
"How are you Fidel?" he said on his "Hello Mr President" weekly television broadcast, sending an embrace over the airways to his "comrade and friend."
"I know that you are on the road to recovery," he said. "I have reliable information of a clear recovery," the Venezuelan leader said.
"You're expecting my visit there so that we can drink a 'tsunami,' an energy drink Fidel makes with soy milk, oatmeal and I don't know how many other things," Chavez added in his first broadcast in nearly two months.
His "Hello Mr President" radio and TV broadcast were preempted first by the World Cup football championships, and then by two weeks of presidential travel.
Since his return to Venezuela Thursday, Chavez had avoided mentioning Cuba or Fidel Castro, feeding speculation that the Cuban leader was in much worse shape than authorities in Havana had let on.
