“We got here as the sun was rising. So we very happy to be back home,” Mr. Chavez said.
He hugged his vice president, Elias Jaua, and his elder brother, Adan, after stepping down the stairs from the plane.
The 56-year-old socialist returned just one day before Venezuela marks the 200th anniversary of its independence from Spain.
Mr. Chavez had been in Cuba since June 8, and was rushed to the hospital on June 10 for what was initially described as a “pelvic abscess.”
Caracas has not provided any details on what follow-up cancer treatment Mr, Chavez might receive, or the type of cancer from which the 56-year-old is suffering.
Mr. Chavez, who survived a coup attempt in 2002, announced in a video Thursday from Havana that a cancerous tumor had been removed from his body and that he was expecting a full recovery.
The news cut short a host of rumors about Mr. Chavez’s health, fueled by his nearly month-long stay in the Cuban capital.
On Sunday the Cuban government released photos of Mr. Chavez taking a short walk with his daughters Maria Gabriela and Rosa Virginia, and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. Mr. Chavez was dressed in sports clothes and appeared much thinner than usual.
Later on Sunday, Fidel Castro expressed confidence that the Venezuelan president would achieve a “big victory” in his battle against cancer.
Some Venezuelan opposition lawmakers argue that the president was staying abroad unconstitutionally because he had not requested lawmakers’ permission for the extended stay.
But Mr. Chavez’s government maintains that he never asked for authorization to work from abroad, and does not require or want it.
(Sara Ghasemilee, a senior editor at Al Arabiya English
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