Maduro: Gov't ponders scenarios, but Chávez remains the President

Venezuelan Executive Vice-President Nicolás Maduro said the government is assessing and reassessing scenarios, but stressed that President Hugo Chávez is and will continue to be the president of Venezuela.

"If you ask me now what is the current state of affairs, I would tell you that (...) President Chávez is the president of Venezuela. He has started the 2013-2019 term and will remain the president of our country," Maduro told Efe in an exclusive interview released on Thursday.

Further, Maduro advocated the fact that the Government is reporting on Chávez's health through official statements combining his ideological struggle, and his defense, from the political and familiar standpoints.

"We have adopted what we consider the right choice: broadcasting communiqués that combine the ideological struggle, the defense of Chávez, from the political, human and familiar standpoints, as well as medical information," he explained.

He also said President Chávez "is very calm and aware" of his post-operative phase, following a cancer operation performed on December 11. Maduro added that Chávez's treatment is currently focused on overcoming the "ravages" of his respiratory failure.

"Overall, I see him very quiet, very calm, very aware of all the phases he has gone through in the post-operative period," Maduro stressed, adding that "the phase of infections has been controlled."