Venezuela announces worsening health condition for Chávez.
Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information, Ernesto Villegas, said that the president is facing a "new and severe respiratory infection and his overall health is very delicate."
Leandra Felipe
Correspondent Agência Brasil/EBC
Bogotá - Venezuela's Minister of Communication and Information, Ernesto Villegas, said on Monday night (4) that President Hugo Chávez is facing a "new and severe respiratory infection and his general state of health is very delicate".
The minister read the statement directly from the Military Hospital in Caracas, where Chávez has been hospitalized for 15 days. "There is a worsening of his respiratory function," Villegas said, reading a statement broadcast on national radio and television.
He reaffirmed that Chávez has been undergoing high-impact chemotherapy sessions and complementary treatments. The minister also said that the statement was released on the instructions of the vice president, Nicolás Maduro.
"The president remains steadfast in his faith in Christ and in life, aware of his rather delicate condition and rigorously following the medical team's instructions," Villegas concluded.