( CNN ) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is fighting a new infection , and his breathing problems have worsened , Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said late Monday . `` 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 . Opinon : Is n't it time to respect Venezuela 's democracy ? He reported Chavez is battling a new and `` severe '' infection , stressing that his overall condition remains `` very delicate . '' Chavez is undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments , he said . `` 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 . Chavez : Survivor and Venezuela 's long-serving president . The government has never specified what kind of cancer Chavez has . Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that Chavez is `` fighting for his life . '' The president began chemotherapy after his fourth cancer surgery in Cuba in December , and he is continuing the `` intense '' treatment at a military hospital in Caracas , according to Maduro . Read more on CNN EspaÃ±ol . Since Chavez underwent surgery on December 11 , government accounts about his health have been vague . After previous procedures , Chavez called state television to offer upbeat , if vague , reports on his condition . There have been no such calls in recent weeks , and he has not been seen in public . The last glimpse Venezuelans had of their leader was last month when the government released a series of photographs that showed a smiling Chavez -- his face bloated -- lying on a blue pillow , flanked by his two daughters . The president 's allies maintain he is continuing to run the country , while critics say Venezuela is in limbo without a leader , and are demanding more details on his health . CNN 's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report .
NEW : ` ` The president continues to hold fast to Christ and to life , '' says Ernesto Sanchez . The report that says the president 's condition remains ` ` very delicate '' The government has never said what type of cancer Hugo Chavez has .