The 58-year old former military paratrooper was president of Venezuela for 14 years
March 06, 2013 – On Tuesday March 5, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela succumbed to cancer after a two-year battle with the disease. The 58-year old former military paratrooper was president of Venezuela for 14 years.
Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets across the country to honor and mourn Venezuela’s outspoken and flamboyant leader. The outpouring of emotion will last at least through Wednesday, as the leader’s body will lie in state throughout the day.
Chavez’s policies now are unsettled, the future of what he did for 14 years in the country is unknown. He won the adoration of the poorer Venezuelans with his leftist policies but infuriated his opponents who called him a dictator. Now it is up to current Vice President Nicolas Maduro to carry on Chavez’s legacy. He was handpicked by Chavez to succeed him late last year.
The constitution in Venezuela calls for an election within the next 30 days. Maduro, who is a former union leader and bus driver, will likely run against Henrique Capriles in the election. However, it is unsure whether the vote will actually take place within the next 30 days or if the date for the election would be announced within that timeframe.
One poll recently taken, showed Maduro with a big advantage over Capriles, part of that is because of the blessing he received from Chavez as an heir apparent. Maduro will likely benefit from the surge in emotion that is taking place following Chavez’s death.
For years, Maduro has been one of the president’s closest allies and most likely would not make any major changes to policy. Some thought he might try to ease tensions with the U.S. government and investors. However, just hours prior to the announcement of the death of Chavez, Maduro alleged that the U.S. government, Venezuela’s imperialist enemies, had infected Chavez with his cancer and expelled two diplomats from the U.S.