Ángel Víctor Torres announces that he has cancer

Minister Ángel Víctor Torres announced this Sunday that he has cancer and that he will be on leave for two weeks for a surgical intervention in April, but without entailing a delegation of functions, as confirmed by La Moncloa: he will continue in the Government for all purposes.

The head of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, former Canarian president and leader of the Canarian socialists, 58, revealed it publicly during the island congress of the PSOE of Gran Canaria.

"I have had some medical tests that have culminated in the fact that I have cancerous tumors that need to be treated, but it is operable," said Torres, who added that the intervention will be at the end of April and that until then he will continue working normally.

Later he explained to journalists that his intention is to remain fully active, with all the ministerial work, including his presence in parliamentary sessions, as long as the doctors allow it, although, he qualified, "perhaps slowing down the agenda a bit."

However, he has denied the possibility of abandoning public life: "I have read that I am abandoning, I am not abandoning anything; there is Torres for a while, I know this is going to turn out well."

He has shown himself to be confident and "with optimism" because, in the absence of an additional clinical test that will be done this week, they have indicated that the tumors are localized and "are not widespread."

Sources from Moncloa have confirmed to EFE that they do not see any delegation of powers necessary by Torres and that he will continue to be in charge of the Department of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory for all purposes.

His cabinet colleagues have shown their solidarity this Sunday with messages of encouragement on social networks.