Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez -- seen here with his daughters in a Havana hospital last month -- is suffering from worsening breathing problems.
Venezuela's information minister said the 58-year-old leader's condition is "delicate" as he battles a lung infection after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN INFORMATION MINISTER, ERNESTO VILLEGAS, SAYING:
"Today there is a worsening of his respiratory function," he says, "Related to his depressed immune system, there is now a new, severe infection."
Chavez is reported to be in a tightly-guarded suite at a Caracas military hospital, after making a surprise pre-dawn return from Cuba two weeks ago.
He hasn't been seen in public nor heard from since his operation in Havana last December -- his fourth cancer surgery since the disease was detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011.
