Venezuelan VP: Chávez is sick for meeting people's needs

In a rally in Caracas, Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolás Maduro asserted that President Hugo Chávez's illness is the result of his grueling work "to better off the quality of life of the Venezuelan people."

"The leader of this revolution is going through a delicate health situation because he worked for his people taking no rest or break whatsoever. He spent too many nights without sleeping, thinking about how to better off the homes, the services, and the quality of life, in general terms, of Venezuelans," Maduro stressed.

With reference to requests made by the Venezuelan opposition asking for a proof attesting that the Venezuelan leader is still alive or the due appointment of a medical team to certify Chávez's current health condition, Maduro remarked, "They (dissenters), the traitors, will never believe in anything being told to the people, nor will they believe that he (Chávez) is fighting to get better. They do not even respect citizen's prayers aimed at his (Chávez) recovery.

Translated by Jhean Cabrera