HAVANA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has sent his Cuban counterpart 80-year-old Fidel Castro a package of New Year's gifts alongside a message wishing him a complete recovery, Cuban media reported on Tuesday.

    The gifts included Venezuelan handicrafts and the complete works of Simon Bolivar, a famous South American independence hero held in high esteem in Venezuela.

    In July, Castro handed over power to his younger brother Raul, 75, who is the island nation's defense minister, to have a surgery to stem gastric bleeding. Since then, the Cuban leader has not been seen in public.

    Last week, he did not appear in the National Assembly's last session of the year, which is the second time in 30 years that Castro has been absent from the meeting.