Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, made his first public appearance since April on Saturday, hosting Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko.
President Chavez was shown on state television leaving his meeting with Semashko at Miraflores Palace in Caracas. They had discussed a visit by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko scheduled for later this month.
Chavez did not take questions, and he remains silent on specifics about his cancer. The 57-year-old leader has made several trips to Cuba for radiation treatments since doctors discovered and removed a cancerous tumor last year, and a second tumor earlier this year.
President Chavez has said his illness will not keep him from campaigning for the October 7 presidential election.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.