Venezuela's Chávez in satisfactory condition

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez is recovering "satisfactorily" from his cancer surgery in Cuba although the process remains slow, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said today.

Reading the latest of regular government updates on the socialist leader's condition, three days after his operation, Villegas said the 58-year-old president had communicated with relatives and sent greetings to all Venezuelans.

"The recovery has been slow but progressive," he said.