Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela, is hopeful that a fourth chemotherapy round – for which he headed back to Cuba on Saturday night – will “most likely” be the last and final phase of treatment of his cancer.

Expressing the confidence that the last chemotherapy round, which will begin on Sunday, will be the last one leading to his “full recovery,” Chavez said that he would probably be back before next weekend.

Addressing a crowd of supporters who had come to see him off songs and a prayer outside the presidential palace, Chavez – who had undergone a surgery for the removal of a pelvic region tumor on June 20 in Havana – said that he is optimistic of being close to overcoming his cancer.

Drawing a parallel of his illness with a short-lived rebellion that he survived in 2002, Chavez waved to the crowd and said that his cancer “is now part of this history.”

The President then left for the airport along with Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was on an "unofficial" visit to Venezuela to reassure Chavez during his illness, and was accompanying him to Cuba.

Saying that he will “come out strengthened” from the ailment, Chavez – the Venezuelan President since 1999, who will stand for re-election in October next year – added that the after the treatments are over and done with, it will be “goodbye to the threat of cancer, and then on to life.”