Venezuelan president Chavez’ health situation worsens

(Vatican Radio) The already serious condition of cancer stricken Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has taken a critical and significant turn for the worse.

The Venezuelan Government has tended to be circumspect if not guardedly vague about the medical condition of President Hugo Chavez. He returned home two weeks ago, from a fourth round of surgery in Cuba, for an undisclosed form of cancer. But the mounting concern in the latest and uncharacteristically frank statement from Information Minister Ernesto Villegas, speaks volumes.

Villegas stressed: “The President has been receiving chemotherapy. His general condition remains very delicate. There's a worsening of his breathing, and he's suffering from a severe new respiratory infection.”

Polls show that more than half of Venezuelans hope and believe that Hugo Chavez will recover.

This latest official bulletin seems to cast doubt on that.

This has been going on since 2011, and improvement leading to recovery isn't happening.

Listen to James Blears’ report: