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Venezuela's Chavez dies, officials call for unity

Wednesday - 3/6/2013, 2:18am  ET

In this photo released by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, a priest prays next to Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, left, and military officers after Maduro addressed the nation to announce the death of President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Maduro announced that Chavez has died on Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Some in anguish, some in fear, Venezuelans raced for home and stocked up on food and water Tuesday after the government announced the death of President Hugo Chavez, the larger-than-life firebrand socialist who led the nation for 14 years.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro's voice broke and tears ran down his face as he appeared on national television to announce that Chavez died at 4:25 p.m. local time (3:55 p.m. EST, 1755 GMT) "after battling hard against an illness over nearly two years."

He did not say what exactly killed Chavez, although the government had announced the previous night that a severe new respiratory infection had severely weakened him.

A few hours later, Foreign Minister Elias Jaua affirmed one of Chavez's final wishes: Maduro would be interim president and then be the ruling party's candidate to carry on Chavez's populist "revolution" in elections to be called within 30 days.

It was a day fraught with mixed signals, some foreboding and some violent. Just a few hours before announcing Chavez's death, Maduro made a virulent speech against enemies he claimed were trying to undermine Venezuelan democracy.

And he said two U.S. military attaches had been expelled for trying to destabilize the nation.

In announcing the death of the former army paratrooper who wielded Venezuela's oil wealth to benefit the poor and win friends regionally, Maduro shifted tone.

He called on Venezuelans to be "dignified heirs of the giant man" Chavez was.


The government declared 7 days of mourning and closed all schools and universities until next Monday.

All across downtown Caracas, shops and restaurants began to close and Venezuelans hustled for home, some even breaking into a run.

Many people looked incredulous or anguished.


"I hope the country calms down and continues the work that he left us, continues in unity and the progress continues," Barrios said.

Among the nervous was Maria Elena Lovera, a 45-year-old housewife. "I want to go home. People are crazy and are way too upset."

There were several incidents of political violence.


The attackers, who didn't wear clothing identifying any political allegiance, burned the students' tents and scattered their food just minutes after the death was announced.


Outside the military hospital where Chavez's remains were visited by loved ones and confederates, an angry crowd attacked a Colombian TV reporter.


Maduro and other government officials have recently railed against international media for allegedly reporting rumors about Chavez's health, though RCN was not among those stations criticized.


Some arrived singing Venezuela's national anthem and holding up posters of Chavez. Many chanted "I am Chavez," which had been a campaign slogan of the president.


Maduro, who had urged people to meet at the square, called on the opposition to respect "the people's pain."


Chavez leaves behind a political movement firmly in control of the nation, but with some doubt about how a new leadership will be formed.

Chavez's illness prevented him from taking the oath of office after he was re-elected to a new term on Oct. 7 and the constitution says the speaker of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, should take over as interim president under such circumstances.

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