Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 58.

Chavez, who has been Latin America’s loudest anti-American voice for decades, had been fighting cancer for the last 2 years. “We must unite now more than ever,” Vice President Nicolas Maduro said after he announced Chavez’s death on state television.

Chavez’s remains will be taken to a military academy in Caracas on Wednesday according to the countries Foreign Minister, Elias Jaua. He will lie in state for three days and the funeral will be held on Friday morning. Chavez had controversially insinuated that his cancer had been driven by the United States saying, “Would it be strange if (the United States) had developed a technology to induce cancer, and for no one to know it?” he asked.

Venezuela will hold an election in 30 days, in the mean time, VP Nicolas Maduro will assume presidency.

Written by Sarah on March 5th, 2013 | Tagged as: Popular Culture