CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died following a battle with cancer, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday. He was 58.
Chavez died at 4:25 p.m., Maduro said.
Chavez, who won re-election to a third six-year term in October after saying he was "totally free" of the disease, had not appeared in public since Dec. 10, when he flew to Cuba to undergo his fourth surgery since June 2011. Before leaving, he called on Venezuelans to vote for Vice President Nicolas Maduro should he be unable to complete his term, which began on Jan. 10.
According to Venezuela's constitution an election must be held within 30 days of the president's death. It's unclear whether Maduro or National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello will take over on an interim basis after the Supreme Court ruled in January that the ailing president could delay his swearing in for a new term.
Chavez returned to Caracas on Feb. 18 and went directly to a military hospital, the government said at the time.
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
