DEATH WATCH

Chávez Gets Severe Infection

Condition said to be “very delicate” after chemo.

Things are not looking good for the cancer-stricken president of Venezuela, whose health the media has followed closely. The 58-year-old Chávez has fallen ill with a “severe” respiratory infection, another complication from his cancer and chemotherapy treatment. A spokesman said his health is currently “very delicate” after the latest infection, which followed four rounds of surgery over the past two years. Chávez’s death is expected to send Venezuela, which he has ruled for more than a decade, into political turmoil. The opposition is expected to contest Chávez’s government-picked successor, and several candidates have already begun campaigning for the role.