'Kirchner recovering from smooth surgery'

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is recovering, having undergone a reportedly smooth three-and-a-half-hour-long surgery to have her cancerous thyroid gland removed. "The operation was performed on the president without any problem or complication," said Argentina's presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro on Wednesday. According to a statement by her surgeon, Pedro Saco, she woke up after the operation and demonstrated signs of 'a good immediate post-operative recovery.' The 58-year-old had the operation in the city of Pilar, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Argentina's capital Buenos Aires. She is to remain hospitalized for three days, before being released for a 20-day-long convalescence period. Vice President Amado Boudou has been tasked with fulfilling her executive responsibilities. Fernandez began her second term as president after a landslide reelection victory in October.