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Ariana Cubillos / AP
Supporters of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez react after learning of his death in Caracas, Venezuela, on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of Caracas to mourn President Hugo Chavez after learning of his death Tuesday.
Chavez, 58, the socialist leader who ran Venezuela for 14 years, lost his two-year battle with cancer, which was first detected in his pelvic region in 2011.
"It's a moment of deep pain," Vice President Nicolas Maduro said, as he announced Chavez's passing and urged the nation not to resort to expressions of violence.
The deceased leader's daughter, María Gabriela Chavez, tweeted to her followers: "I don't have words. Eternally, THANK YOU! Strength! We must follow his example. We must continue building our NATION! Always daddy of mine!"
A public funeral is scheduled for Chavez on Friday, followed by seven days of mourning.
Venezuelans -- some in tears, some chanting "Long live Chavez!" -- gathered near the Miraflores presidential palace and outside the military hospital where Chavez died, The Associated Press reported.
One of the world's most flamboyant leaders lost his two-year battle with cancer on Tuesday, ending 14 years of a tumultuous and often bitterly divisive socialist reign. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker, told the AP. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."
"He was our father. 'Chavismo' will not end. We are his people. We will continue to fight!" Nancy Jotiya, 56, in Caracas' downtown Bolivar Square, told Reuters.
As the streets filled with people and stores closed early, additional police were sent to monitor the crowds. Reuters reported isolated violent incidents, including the burning of tents used by students who had been protesting against secrecy surrounding Chavez's condition.
The oil-financed social policies implemented throughout his rule earned Chavez the support of the poor but also disapproval from Venezuela's business community and the wealthy.
"At last!" shouted some women in an upscale neighborhood, according to Reuters.
Condolences also poured in from leaders and politicians around the world.
Claudio Santana / AFP - Getty Images
Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the United States and elsewhere mourn his death.
Among those who made public remarks was Henrique Capriles Radonski, who faced Chavez in the nation's elections last October.
"We hurt for the feelings of pain of the deceased president's family, and of his colleagues and many Venezuelans, our most heartfelt condolences," Capriles said. "This is not a moment to highlight what separates us. In hours of anguish, families and a people, who are a great family, must unite in prayer, in mediation. Not time of difference, time of union."
Capriles lost to Chavez in October, but the latter was not sworn in due to his illness.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said Tuesday that Maduro will be interim president, and also run as the governing party candidate in elections that will be called within 30 days. Jaua said it was Chavez's wish that Maduro should be the socialist party candidate.
According to Venezuela's constitution, the executive vice president should be put in charge when the president dies. The constitution, however, also specifies that the speaker of the National Assembly, currently Diosdado Cabello, should be in charge if a president can't be sworn in.
NBC News' Edgar Zuniga, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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The life of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez from his rise as a lieutenant colonel after his failed coup attempt in 1992.
Venezuela's 'Comandante' Hugo Chavez dies
Analysis: Chavistas begin search for Latin America's next 'Comandante'
Full Venezuela coverage from NBC News
This story was originally published on Tue Mar 5, 2013 10:11 PM EST
Leave a Comment:
WOW, either good actors or delusional ! or forced with a AK-47 stuck in their backs !
Delusional mike
I mean how can they accuse the US of causing his cancer? Good grief, he's not that important even if we had the medical capability.
The guy was an egotistical autocrat who aided the poor in Venezuela (a good thing) but failed to follow democratic ideology.
Here's hoping the people of Venezuela find better balance in the future.
In a country of 30,000,000 , hundreds turn out.
I was wondering where Feisty was?
I bet all the leftist Obama voters are mourning Hugo Chavez's death today. He provided the type of government that they dream of in America
Chavez was a great man! You really ought to learn more about Hugo Chavez and the revolution in Venezuela. They are trying to change the world. They are serious about "21st century socialism". That deserves respect, not childish jokes.
Do you wonder about these childish right-wing comments? Do you take them at face value? Do you wonder why any time the working class fights for its rights, these stupid comments are attracted like flies? It is well known that right-wing billionaires spend large sums of money financing right wing organizations like Americans for Prosperity. All that money can pay the salaries of a good number of scribblers. What do you think they spend their time doing? Are they "hard at work" trying to demoralize anyone who wants to fight for a better world?
Yea DuckRunner screw working hard and allowing yourself to be successful. We should give everyone everything equally. That way no one has to work hard at anything. Utopia right? Sounds like a legit plan!
Butt Face, I mean
Bruteforce-2815572
Oh... Never mind.
He stole from people to give to voters. sounds familiar.
He gave back to poor people what the wealthy in Venezuela had already stolen from them for decades.
He also gave himself $2 billion.
You think thats enough Money to buy a place in Heaven.
So YOU say...got any proof?
No Lee-3485824.....You had it right the first time. Butt-face is beyond reach.
Poverty rate was 50% when he started. After 14 years in power, it is now 32%. He accomplished this 'achievement' by lowering everybody's standard of living. Inflation is very high there. In other words, he gave people money (who needed money) by giving them money that was worth less.
So, basically, this leftist hero, lowered the standard of living of the rich. Which caused many to leave. Which lowered the standard of living of many in the middle class. And only a 1/4 of the poor were raised up, but my guess is they didn't become rich, just barely out of poverty. Pretty unimpressive, until you take into account that HE managed to make about 2 billion in the deal.
What a hero...
Keep worshipping this type of hero and you will very much regret what will appear in the USA.
Data links please.
Bruteforce,
How about this Utopia? Sure they've been very succesfull in making their billions...
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/whiny_billionaires_in_need_of_sequestration_20130305/
History has demonstrated over and over again that socialism works as an economic system only until they run out of other people's money. Without his confiscation of the oil revenues, he is, and always was, simply a tin hat dictator.
Like shooting fish in a barrel:
WOW.....
The Progressive media just cannot cover this death enough, and provide that Progressive love and affection.
Just wait until Castro kicks the bucket.
Hugo Chavez = Worthless Pig! People who wish for our country what he did in Venezuela should be careful what they wish for, and are just plain stupid. How would you feel as a business owner if one day Odumbo said, "this isn't your business anymore, its mine (the governments) now". That is in effect what he did, and is ultimately what Odumbo wants to do here, to nationalize our businesses, starting with the health care industry.
you know somehow I think the father of hardtostarboard is also his grampa,obviously the gene pool was pretty small there. Intrbred pond scum. That is why I support abortion, I don't want trailer trash like him to breed. Look garbage like Chavez doesn't become president/dictator unless the guy before was even more of a POS' Sure sounds familiar for the USA, Cuba and anywhere else. Some of the trailer trash on this site needs to get out of the US now and again and see the real world. At least maybe read a book, maybe a little history. A lot of those countries don't like our govt., although I would say and I have traveled to most of those countries for business and have always been treated well. The reason they don't like our govt is rightly or wrongly we used them as pawns in the cold war. Again, read a frigging book now and again. hardtostarboard=interbred piece of pond scum
DM57,
The reason your so angry and resorted to childish name calling is because you hate to see the truth in the fact that Chavez is what you idealize and what American freedom is not. Why don't you move to Cuba if you like the way their government it run so much? YOU are the type of people who are ruining this country. Oh yea, you twit
I'm sorry DM57, its too late, I have 3 children, 2 in college, 1 in the Navy. Have a nice day and God bless you.
I always knew that cancer had to be good for something.
No one shows up to grieve.
They are all afraid CIA Cancer is contagious.
The CIA tried very hard to overthrow Chavez just as it overthrew the democratically elected government in Iran back in 1953 to install the Shah and return private ownership of the oil fields to British oil companies....just as they overthrew the democratically elected government of Chili in the 70's...just as they tried to overthrow Castro...the common denominator of course being in service to protecting wealthy elites at the expense of majority populations.
Try learning some history:
American Coup
It will be even better when you're diagnosed!
Wow, reminds me of when the old North Korean dud Kim Jong-il check out...... Come on people, pull yourselves together. He will be replaced.
Satan has a pineapple ready for you, Hugo; and there are plenty of other dictators who love wearing military uniforms for you to socialize with while you're down there in Hell. Enjoy!
Little Nicky always gets a thumbs up.
Make that pineapple a GRANDE.
You're obviously ignorant...so do yourself a favor and study the life of this man... Wiki is a place to start and you will learn he had high ideals and you come to understand that not everyone on earth thinks the US is the greatest thing since sliced bread....other parts of the world think differently and are happy to live a simpler life.. how said people like you that show no compassion or empathy...Chavez did much good for his country and was quite beloved for many reasons....as in all regimes his was not perfect but he did much for the country.... to say he's going to hell , well perhaps you should look in the mirror!
So says the Obamabot.
yea suzanne...he had high ideals...so did Hitler !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
The 1953 Iranian coup d'état (known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup) was the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran, and its head of government Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953, orchestrated by the United Kingdom (under the name 'Operation Boot') and the United States (under the name TPAJAX Project). The coup saw the transition of Mohammad-Reza- Sha-h Pahlavi from a constitutional monarch to an authoritarian one who relied heavily on United States support to hold on to power until his own overthrow in February 1979.
In 1951, Iran's oil industry was nationalized with near-unanimous support of Iran's parliament in a bill introduced by Mossadegh who led the nationalist parliamentarian faction. Iran's oil had been controlled by the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), now known as BP. Popular discontent with the AIOC began in the late 1940s: a large segment of Iran's public and a number of politicians saw the company as exploitative and a vestige of British imperialism. Despite Mosaddegh's popular support, Britain was unwilling to negotiate its single most valuable foreign asset, and instigated a worldwide boycott of Iranian oil to pressure Iran economically. Initially, Britain mobilized its military to seize control of the Abadan oil refinery, the world's largest, but Prime Minister Clement Attlee opted instead to tighten the economic boycott while using Iranian agents to undermine Mosaddegh's government.
With a change to more conservative governments in both Britain and the United States, Churchill and the U.S. Eisenhower administration decided to overthrow Iran's government though the predecessor U.S. Truman administration had opposed a coup. Classified documents show British intelligence officials played a pivotal role in initiating and planning the coup, and that Washington and London shared an interest in maintaining control over Iranian oil.
No, that pineapple satan has is reserved for your...well, you know the place.
one day you get to meet them personally.
some of are wearing suits numbnuts, might be speaking english also
Don't worry Hugo, your pet monkey will join you one day. I mean, you did call GW Bush a monkey, didn't you. His pitchfork will be longer, and sharper than yours.
Hugo Chavez sent Venezuela on the road to bankruptcy and hyper inflation. The nightmare is coming to an end.
Good! Maybe Rush Limbaugh will be next!
I think you mean Barry
Right. Rush and Hugo were polar opposites.
Hugo and Hussein are in the same fraternity.
Hugo and Rush are equally worthless, same as anyone who defames the POTUS, no matter what party...
I'm sure he did enough stuff (caused enough problems) in his lifetime.
The "Poor"of Latin America have lost their greatest Champion. I hope they continue Hugo's fight for equality and dignity, for all.
Yes, I hope they continue on. I know little about him, but I must say that a person who helps the poor for real can't be all bad. I wish someone would do that here.
Mike...you've been drinking way too much kool-aid
It looks to me like the people who are rejoicing over the man's death are the Kool-Aid drinkers. I didn't know much about him either, but to rejoice like some are doing here just aint Christian.
and the others are the normal interbred trailer trash that always write on these sites. The extreme right and the extreme left is no frigging different, you both have drank the kool aid. Thank god for guns and abortion cause neither of you should ever breed. What the best job you trash on the right is what an Asst. Mgr at Bubbas diner or something like that so you talk about private business. No other languages, actually English is difficult for you, never traveled, like I said just interbred trailer trash. It must be odd to have your grandfather also being your father
Americans are so brainwashed by the constant demonizing by the media. Death is death and should not be celebrated. The man resisted trading tangible Oil for worthless paper known as the $.
Look into the value of their currency, it is more on the worthless scale than the US dollar
Wow! People will defend him! NOW WE THE PEOPLE vote with them?!!! Pathetic!
Why don't you and your types who obviously are uneducated about so many things, take a long walk off a very short dock!
Hundreds you say. They must really be upset.
They showed up for their food stamps and Hugo phones.
Yeah, but your momma was holding up the line.
Let this be an example to all the world leaders. They day will come, when you too will come to your knees and will be ask, "what have you done to help out your fellow man."
That photo looked like Obama's lickspittles from NBCNews news team in Venezuela just heard the news. When does the praise from Obama start?
Another dictator bites the dust. I also heard that the authorities have Sean Penn under a suicide watch. lol
Good they should put up a live feed so we can all watch.
A feed wouldn't work. Your momma's fat ass would be in the way.
So classically said...."its all in the company one keeps". Shame to die being miserable. We had Hussein, BinLaden, an ailing Fidel Castro, Arafat, Khadafi, & no one will miss such evil & demonic, self-proclaimed bastards. I have more respect for the sick & disabled children of the world, than I ever will for the above said subjects. I think Pope Benedict got the idea right to retire. Live alittle Mr. Ritzinger.
Hussein went?
SH!T!! That means Joe Biden is President.
I'm buying stock in ear plugs.
are you referring to Barack Hussein ?
Hugo Chavez was not a Sadam or a Bin Laden! Far more moderate and benign than any of those mentioned! Where do you get your information? You know nothing of his life and it would do you justice to study a bio on the man! He did great things and made mistakes as well like any leader ..keep in mind the revolutionaries of south America do not have the same goals as capitalist US they are a different mindset and a different breed, and it's not for us to judge...... He sold us oil for years and that seems to be ok with this our country.. as we were to greedy and too lazy to become oil independent years ago when we should of! It's amazing to me how we can go into countries as we have in South America and rape their land and sell them arms in dirty deals and buy their oil.. and have the unmitigated audacity to say the mean and cruel things most of these illiterates are saying on this very bad comment site about a man who died a painful death from cancer..
Well said Suzanne, I agree with you. Most of these people making nasty comments get their news from CNN or Fox.
Suzanne/Chris - neither of you have been to Venezuela nor have you lived there. My wife is from Venezuela and I have lived there.
You don't know sh!t about El Comandante's methods of RULE - the people imprisioned, killed/assassinated, moneys stolen, FARC promotion, total government control with no voice of the people (quite unlike Simon's method of government), plugging voting boxes, muting the media - need more???
Back off unless you've got some FACTS instead of BS.
and unfortunately numb nuts, the people before him did the same thing. I have been there. These things don't happen in a vacumn. You also should learn how to spell and you back off beso mi culo.
oh and another thing fstwarrior, you are such a whiny little bitch probably somebody else is doing your wife. The way you cry you sure enough aren't enough for her. I would like to meet up with her, I would do her for sure.
the left in this country is mourning their hero.
I love how this article cites the constitution as if it were sovereign. Chavez had no regard for democracy and changed the law when he found a problem with it. Hyperpresidentialism is rampant in South America and it is not conducive to a healthy democracy. Where is the opposition opinion in this article?
Chavez was disliked by anyone who hadn't been bought by him. Just ask the middle class, journalists, professors, small business owners and many others who were blacklisted or jailed for voicing their opposition. Funny how human rights aren't such an issue to the media when it's a leftist regime. It also shows what kind of company he kept when he receives condolences from Kirchner, Castro, Medvedev, Morales and Ortega. I'm never happy when someone dies, but this could be a critical juncture for democracy in South America.
...As though the gerrymandering and constant use of filibuster to block legislation right wing in this country does. I find it amusing that the right wing no-nothing party members commenting here criticize Chavez for the very same tactics they themselves applaud when the Republican party uses them.
culheath: the Dems use the same tactics and have for many many years. Research.
One of Chavez's dreams was a United South America. Yet he couldn't even get one other country to join with him. Ask yourself why? Perhaps the locals down there saw what it was really like and chose not to join forces with him.
He wasn't in the same league as a Hitler or Saddam, as some above will paint him, but he was no hero either. He didn't adhere to Constitutional laws, he simply erased those that got in his way. He was a DICTATOR! I can't understand why those on the left were always talking about "Bush was a dictator, and he must be stopped...." but then willingly worship a leftist dictator. A man who helped get some of his people out of poverty but charged them $2 billion to do it. Anybody besides a leftist dictator would be called a crook or evil.
A dictator is a dictator. All are evil. They all think you need to be controlled. Your speech, your job, your dreams, everything...Can you really support that? Left or Right?
StunnedByTheAge,
I don't treat him as a hero, but he certainly accomplished far more than the mindless detractors criticizing him in these comments.
He was a quick-witted populist who accomplished much for the poor in his country and served to reduce American hegemony in Latin and South America.
He was a colorful and eccentric strong man who used his strength in favor of the poor over the wealthy.
He managed to find himself a lasting place in history and will continue to be admired by more people than reviled him. He will be remembered...the keyboard warrior type people making knee jerk and disparaging remarks about him on this article will not.
culheath
every post you have is leftist. You are the kind of guy I'd like to kick the snot out of.
Culheath:
I'm not some "no-nothing member of the Republican Party," in fact, I have an MA (Research) in Political Science -World Politics specializing in the field of democratization. So say what you want to perpetuate your own ego, but let me tell you something I learned back in university: "No self-respecting academic quotes Wikipedia." Next time you want to start writing about things in which you have no real life experience, perhaps you could pick up a Journal of Latin American Studies.
Nice try to disparage by source. I see you're not below cheap shots when you can't dispute the facts. And who said I was an academic? This isn't a research paper, it's a comment section.
I'm 64 and have been through quite a bit of "Latin American Studies", probably while you were still in diapers. Not to mention that you have zero knowledge of my life experiences or where I have been or what I have done. So I would ask you to STFU, please and address the facts I offered if you are going to speak.
Culheath:
"STFU" ?
Really?! I don't know anything about you, nor you me, which didn't stop you from calling me a "no-nothing republican" in your first comment.
I didn't tackle your Wikipedia argument because it's really not worth my time. Do the research, talk to real Venezuelans and perhaps consider relocating to the lovely socialist paradise that you seem to think is Venezuela. Hope human rights don't mean anything to you.
Cheers, and really, considering your worldly experience and grand amount of time spent living, surely you've learned that insulting people makes your argument look weak, despite its content. Go back and see who insulted whom.
I did go back and you assaulted me first. I was even talking directly to you as one of the "the no nothings"...you took that on for yourself.
Two things, 1) I wasn't asking for anyone to take it on as an argument it was simply information for anyone to do with as they liked...and 2) I've done the research, world traveled (living on both sides of town, as it were), know several Venezuelans (from both camps) and can estimate exactly who you are from your text book anti-socialist rhetoric.
Here's the mirror...enjoy.
God did that... Good riddance
What a shame we can't similarly be rid of Obama
As an American that both lived & worked in Caracas, I can attest, chavez' destroyed a once beautiful country. Venezuela now is a World Leader in all things bad.
- Murder rate, Kidnapping, Theft, Inflation. General Crime.
- Supermarkets are out of stock on Milk, Bread, Meat, Juice, Soap...... for days, sometime weeks. When Chicken comes in, Police are called in BEFORE the product is released, as people attack the counter upon waiting for 12, 18, or more HOURS for the chance to buy a Chicken.
- Tirofijo, the FARC Terrorist leader, has a STATUE in a park. Yes, this Narco trafficker, thug, and admitted mass murderer, now has Children studying his life in School......WOW.
BS.
Given your handle, you must make your own nose very stuffy.
And that's why he was democratically elected to 4 terms? BY the wealthy elites? No, by the poor he helped, who for generations were completely ignored by the elites. Describe for us, if you will, what life was like for the poor before Chavez.
culheath: When he came to power, 50% of the people wer ein poverty. After 14 years, 32% are in poverty. Could be considered good until you understand he charged $2 billion for that AND the currency has out of control inflation now. So, the poor have money, but it is worthless. In order for money to have value, teh country must have wealth (i.e. business). That is simply how it is. He ruined the wealth of his country, so he could have wealth. HIM not the poor.
And he was 'democratically' elected? He just bought votes with a promise of wealth that he never delivered. He just delivered pennies to keep people interested, while he took the dollars.
OMG culheath - do you actually believe that sh!t?????? Democratically elected????? How 'bout using tantamount fear at the polls - how 'bout standing over the voters and CHANGING THEIR VOTES to Chavez - how 'bout the "Opposition" leaders who were abducted, imprisoned/assassinated - how 'bout the trucks and trucks of AK-47 armed red-tee-shirted Chavistas on election day ensuring he received the popular vote - how 'bout my wife's mother getting beat the hell out of because she voted for the opponent in Caracas.
Quite BS'itting and go talk someplace where you might actually know something about.
Sounds Republican.
My only hope for Hugo Chavez; that he dead with an Ice Pack in one hand, and a Bottle of Ice Cold Beer in the other.....
...as HELL can be a bit 'Warm'
SO NOW WHAT...?...?...?
Does this mean the Chavez poster Sean Penn masturbates to will have to cum down?
I hear the poster is going to be replaced by one of your momma.
Did Obama order all American flags to be flown at half-mast yet??
The same guys that complain about Chavez, are all buddy buddy with the biggest communist regime in the world, China.
They do all kind of dirty business with a regime that has no respect for human rights and that is ruining the economy of this country, but they are so quick blaming Chavez just because he tried to do something good for the people of his country.
What a bunch of hypocrites !