Communication minister: "Chávez is alive and fighting a battle"

Minister of Communication and Information Ernesto Villegas late on Friday reaffirmed that President Hugo Chávez "is alive and is fighting a battle," adding that the Venezuelan government will continue to report on the health of the head of state as developments unfold.

"We cannot please those sectors that are awaiting fatal news with a morbid interest. President Chávez is giving a battle. Some people get upset because one repeats, ‘President Chávez is alive and fighting a battle'", Villegas said during an interview with multi-state television network Telesur.

The minister also noted that "a part" of society expects the president "fails to overcome the situation he is facing" and they "will never be happy with anything we say" about the illness of the president, Efe quoted.

"We reported that complications emerged (...) and we did it in a detailed way (...) We reported on a lung infection that resulted in a respiratory failure, but we also reported that the lung infection was controlled," he said.

President Chávez underwent a cancer surgery on December 11 in Cuba, where he continues in hospital.

Vice-President Nicolás Maduro said Thursday that Chávez is "aware of all the phases he has gone through during the post-operative period." Maduro added that the current treatment aims to overcome the "ravages resulting from respiratory failure" and that "the whole phase of infection has been controlled."