Chávez Dies, Leaving a Bitterly Divided Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Tuesday after a battle with cancer, died, the government announced that bitterly divided country in the grip of a political crisis behind widest languished for weeks, quiet and out of sight in a hospital Havana and Caracas.


Tears and broken voice, the vice-president, Nicolas Maduro said he and other officers of the military hospital, where Chavez of trying, secluded from the public, "When we received as hard and tragic was the movement of our people can. '


Shortly after, policemen and soldiers were visible, people ran through the streets, causing cells to home to call their loved ones will hurry. Caracas, the capital, the only news that the U.S. government was forced to launch military was accused of sowing disorder, quickly became a huge file. Shops and malls closed suddenly.


After dark, somber crowd the main square and the military hospital in Caracas, where men and women are exposed and now further about what is collected in sorrow wept fear.


A neighborhood, Chavez supporters in the tent, and students who may be associated with the use of a Chávez himself Puche For more information about the status of the first few days of protests burned mattresses.

, Chávez supporters, "Are you happy now?" They ran through the streets with sticks does that. "Chavez dead, you got what you wanted!"


Chavez is a country that 14 years from his socialist revolution to dominate the future in question. It is the balance of power, not Venezuela, the United States, the fourth largest foreign oil supplier, also in Latin America, where Mr. Chávez, the region aims to reduce American influence was led by a group of nations.


Chavez, 58, has changed the default Venezuela, empowerment and felt marginalized and excluded millions of poor people energy. But the government also expanded layers of society, and their deaths bring great uncertainty about the country trying to find her way without his central figure is certain.

"He is the best president in history," Andres Mejia, 65, Cumana, Ciudad del Este, a retiree, said crying as she gathered with friends in a square. "See what I'm emotional - I'm crying I can not accept the death of President Maduro continue the revolution ..."


The Constitution says that, since Mr Chávez was the beginning of his term, the country within 30 days "to proceed to a new election" should be, and Foreign Minister Elias Jaua, said in a television interview that Mr. Maduro. This will be at the helm. In this election, Mr. Maduro, Chávez, by his Henrique Capriles, a governor of the state in the October presidential election, losing against young Chávez appointed as political heir likely pit.


But conflicting interpretations of the Constitution in the light of Chavez about the disease are discussed in recent months, hot, and it is impossible to predict how the transition will proceed.


"We, his fellow civilian and military commander Hugo Chavez, their heritage, their challenges, their project, and meet with people support," Mr. Maduro said the nation.