Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has returned home after cancer surgery in Cuba.

Mr. Chavez returned to Venezuela in the early-morning hours on Monday, one day before the country celebrates the 200th anniversary of its independence from Spain.

Mr. Chavez announced in a televised speech Thursday that he underwent surgery in Cuba to remove a tumor with “cancerous cells.” He did not indicate the type of cancer he had, and questions remain about how sick he is.

On Sunday, a Cuban government website posted a four-minute video of Mr. Chavez in Cuba. It shows him walking in an outdoor location and conversing with several people.

The 56-year-old Chavez looks thinner and less robust than normal but is seen joking with his visitors, who include Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro.

The president's supporters waved flags and chanted “Long live Chavez” in Venezuela's capital Sunday, during a march to mark the country's Independence Day.

Mr. Chavez has ruled Venezuela since 1999.