Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been fighting cancer for two years died on Tuesday. He was 58.
“We have just received the most tragic and awful information. At 4.25 p.m. (2055 GMT) today March the 5th, President Hugo Chavez Frias died,” Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced in a televised address, his voice choking.
After battling cancer for two years during which he underwent multiple rounds of surgeries and chemotherapy in Cuba and at home, the Venezuelan president breathed his last at a military hospital in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Tuesday evening.
Chavez was very active on Twitter. His official account has more than 4 million followers and he used to tweet regularly before the last few months of his life. His very last tweet, sent on Feb. 18.
Now as per the constitution, Venezuela must elect a new president within 30 days.
Sigo aferrado a Cristo y confiado en mis médicos y enfermeras. Hasta la victoria siempre!! Viviremos y venceremos!!!
— Hugo Chávez Frías (@chavezcandanga) February 18, 2013
“I’m still clinging to Christ and and I trust my doctors and nurses. Onward to victory!! We will live and we will win!!!” he tweeted in Spanish.
