Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says he will undergo surgery for prostate cancer, this week.
Santos revealed his illness Monday during a news conference at the presidential palace in Bogota. He says the tumor was discovered in its earliest stages and that his doctors say he has a nearly 100 percent chance of a full recovery.
Santos was scheduled to travel to Lima, Peru, Monday for a summit of South American and Arab leaders. He told reporters he would return to Bogota on Tuesday and undergo surgery to remove the tumor on Wednesday.
The president recently announced that he has began peace negotiations with the country's main rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. FARC has engaged in numerous attacks on security forces and political kidnappings in its battle against the government, which began in 1964 and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.