Chavez's condition improves after suffering complication from surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez suffered bleeding as a result of a six-hour operation in Cuba meant to treat a third bout of cancer, the government said.

The 58-year-old socialist leader needed "corrective measures" that stopped the bleeding, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said in a statement.

"This process of recovery will take time because of the complexity of the operation," Villegas said in a broadcast on national television. "The patient is in a progressive and favorable recovery of normal vital signs."

He did not provide further details.

The ashen faces of cabinet ministers and somber tone of the terse official statements since the operation appear to suggest top government officials are preparing for the worst.

Chavez won re-election by a big margin in October and is due to start a new six-year term on Jan. 10. According to the constitution, if he is unable to do so, a new election must be held within 30 days.

The president has refused to divulge the details of the cancer diagnosed in mid-2011 and has twice declared he was completely cured - only to later undergo more surgery.

Venezuelans put aside political differences and prayed for ailing Chávez, who is in delicate condition after facing the fourth operation for cancer that could cut short his mercurial 14-year rule.

Lavish spending of oil revenue has led millions to hail him as a modern-day liberator, while his concentration of power and attacks on private businesses have infuriated adversaries who call him a fledgling dictator.

But for now even some of his fierce opponents have voiced support for the ailing Chavez.

"The truth is that as Christians we have to wish that the president gets better," said opposition legislator Ismael Garcia, who also insisted the government provide more information about Chavez's condition. "I hope he improves and comes back to take on his responsibilities as head of state."

The president has refused to divulge the details of the cancer diagnosed in mid-2011 and has twice declared he was completely cured - only to later undergo more surgery.