The health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has worsened .He has breathing problems and his current  health  state has been described as  “very delicate”  according to the  Information Minister Ernesto Villegas

On Monday Villegas said that  Chavez is battling a new and “severe” infection which has deteriorated his health despite some reported improvement earlier .

“There is a worsening of the respiratory function, related to the state of his depressed immune system,” Villegas said, reading an official statement on state-run VTV.

“The president continues to hold fast to Christ and to life, aware of the difficulties he’s facing,” Villegas said.

Chavez, 58, first announced he had cancer in 2011. He spent more than two months in treatment in Cuba recently, returning to Venezuela two weeks ago.

The government has never specified what kind of cancer Chavez has.

By UP