Hugo Chavez, the well known, and at times troubled, President of Venezuela died Tuesday March 5th, 2013 after a battle with cancer. Chavez was brought to his home Sunday, and it was shortly after that that media began to report Chavez's condition had deteriorated greatly.
The announcement of Chavez's death was broadcast to the nation by Vice President Nicolas Maduro, who called on the people of Venezuela to remain calm as the Venezuelan government handles the situation. Maduro said there would be public elections to decide who would be the new President.
Chavez's election to the presidency in 1999 ushered in a new era in Venezuelan politics and its international relations. A charismatic and outspoken adversary of the U.S., Chavez greatly encouraged other Central and South American leaders to take a similar defiant stance against the United States. Chavez leaves in his wake a country divided with itself, with many wondering where the country will go from here.
Long before Chavez was even a well known name around the world he was paratrooper in the Army. He plotted a coup against the Venezuelan government in 1992, but was foiled and imprisoned until 1994.
Hugo Chavez was well know for frequently address the citizens of Venezuela in lengthy televised speeches. While Chavez and the government kept the exact circumstances of his illness a closely guarded secret, some information was leaked out to the citizens of Venezuela and other parts of the world. After being diagnosed with cancer Chavez would travel back and forth for chemo treatment and surgery in Cuba, as recently as December, and was photographed with former Cuban President Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro, the current President. Shortly before the Venezuelan elections in 2012 Chavez declared himself cancer free in a televised speech from Havana, Cuba where he also announced he would be running for a fourth term.
Shortly after the news broke on Tuesday of his death conspiracy theories began to pop up immediately across the internet that Chavez had actually died in Cuba, and may have died in the past week and not on Tuesday.
Chavez had always had a rocky relationship with the United States, especially with former U.S. President George W. Bush, who Chavez famously called "the devil" while addressing the United Nations in 2006.
When it came to his view on the Government Chavez was quoted as saying his style was more in line with socialist beliefs.
Comments