Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez died today after battling cancer for nearly two years.
The
fiery socialist leader, who was 58, had crusaded against U.S. influence and championed
a leftist revival across Latin America.
Chavez,
who led the oil-rich country for 14 years, polarised Venezuelans but was also a
masterful strategist who won huge support from the poor.
He
easily won a new six-year term at an election in October and his death will
devastate millions of supporters who adored his charisma, anti-US rhetoric and
social programs.
He
used his country's oil wealth to launch state-run food markets, new public
housing, free health clinics and education programs.
But
opponents accused Chavez of repressing critics, squandering record oil revenues
and scaring away investors by seizing and nationalising assets.
His
cancer was first diagnosed in June 2011, and he underwent surgery four times in
Cuba for a cancer that was first detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011.
Before
his cancer struggle, he appeared on television almost daily, talking for hours
at a time.
Vice
President Nicolas Maduro announced his death in a televised speech.
His
voice choking, he said: “It’s a moment of deep pain.”
Bizarrely,
Maduro claimed that Chavez had been infected with cancer by “imperialist”
enemies.
“We
have no doubt that commander Chavez was attacked with this illness,” Maduro
said.
“The
old enemies of our fatherland looked for a way to harm his health.”
His
death paves the way for a new election that will test whether his socialist
“revolution” can live on without his dominant personality.
Source:
www.mirror.co.uk
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