Wednesday, 6th March 2013
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ DIES – After a long battle with cancer the 58 year old military leader died after developing a severe respiratory infection which he was unable to overcome.
Hugo Chavez developed cancer some 2 years ago which he and his followers believed was a deliberate act of being infected by the so-called ‘imperialist enemies’.
The announcement of his death came through Venezuelan state run media from Nicolas Maduro, the country’s Vice President, yesterday.
“The President died at 4:25pm local time in the country’s capital Caracas. We have no doubt that commander Chavez was attacked with this illness.”
Regardless of the views that this was an act of ‘imperialist enemies’, many state figures around the world have come out to give their condolences to the Chavez family and to the people of Venezuela.
Last night the Venezuelan government declared that elections would be held within 30 days in order to determine who the next leader of the country will be.
There has been a long rift between Venezuela and the United States, and his death came only hours after two U.S Embassy officials were expelled from the country for secretly meeting with Venezuelan Military Officials, in what the Venezuelan Government has said was a likely clandestine meeting to over-throw the government.
There are accusations that Hugo Chavez was infected and therefore murdered in the same way that Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Leader – who died under similar circumstance.
Last night reports of some unrest occurred on the streets as some attacked students that had been previously protesting to the government over the lack of transparency of Hugo Chavez’s state of health. Some fear that the country, without its strong leader, could be plunged into chaos or civil uprising. The Government is now looking to move quickly in order to advert any civil issue by declaring an election within a month. It is likely that Nicolas Maduro could well rise to power in the election.
After governing Venezuela for over 14 years many feel that an era has passed and that without strong direction and leadership internal upheaval could result and the rift between Venezuela and the United States widen.
