(KCEN) -- Hugo Chavez is fighting for his life. That's according to Venezuela's Vice President and the man personally chosen by Chavez to succeed him.
Nicolas Maduro spoke about Chavez at a housing dedication Thursday.
Maduro said the ailing leader sacrificed his health for the benefit of the country's poor.
Chavez recently made a surprise return to Venezuela more than two months after cancer surgery in Cuba.
He hasn't been seen in public in months and Chavez's condition is jeopardizing his 14-year socialist rule.
Many expect Chavez to be formally sworn in for his new six-year term at a military hospital in Caracas, where he's staying.