President Jose Napoleon Duarte of El Salvador has left a military hospital where he spent six days after falling ill during inauguration ceremonies for Mexico's president. Duarte, who suffers from incurable liver cancer, was released Wednesday. He was hospitalized with stomach pains shortly after Carlos Salinas de Gortari was inaugurated last week, and doctors said he was suffering from an intestinal infection. ``He's in high spirits, he feels good, and we'll be going to El Salvador soon,'' said Duarte's doctor, Jose Luis Saca. ``He's reacted well to a bland diet.'' He said Duarte might be able to return home today. In June, doctors diagnosed Duarte with cancer and gave him from six to 18 months to live. However, they have said recently that his condition has improved remarkably. At a brief news conference before leaving the hospital, Duarte said it would be hard to set up a Christmas truce with the rebel Farabundo Marti Liberation Front. ``The problem is that the terrorists have a concept of violent war, of reaching objectives via terrorism. That I can't agree with,'' Duarte said. In 1984, Duarte became his country's first democratically elected president in 50 years. Since then, his U.S.-backed government has fought leftist rebels in an eight-year struggle. More than 65,000 Salvadorans, mostly civilians, have been killed.
