Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dies

A deeply divided Venezuela is
mourning its late leader and preparing to
pick a new president to replace him.
Venezuelan officials called for peace and
unity after President Hugo Chavez's death
on Tuesday, emphasizing in state television
broadcasts that all branches of the
government and the military were standing
together.
Elections will be held in 30 days, and Vice
President Nicolas Maduro will assume the
presidency in the interim, Foreign Minister
Elias Jaua said in an interview broadcast on
state-run VTV.
Tearing up as he announced Chavez's
death after a long battle with cancer,
Maduro called on Venezuelans to remain
respectful.
"We must unite now more than ever,"
Maduro said.
Henrique Capriles Radonski, a former
presidential candidate and opposition
leader, said Venezuelans should come
together.
"This is not the time for difference," he
said. "It is the time for unity. It is the time
for peace."
Supporters of Chavez poured into a
Caracas square soon after news of his
death spread. Some wept openly. Others
waved flags and held up pictures of the late
president.
There were no reports of major violence,
but there was palpable tension in the
streets, as some Venezuelans heading
home from work tried to steer clear of
Chavez's fervent supporters.
Venezuela's military is in a "process of
deploying ... to ensure the safety of all
Venezuelans" and to support the country's
constitution in the wake of Chavez's death,
said Adm. Diego Molero, Venezuela's
defense minister.
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of the Venezuelan president
Venezuela prepares for funeral,
elections
Venezuela's government has declared
seven days of national mourning, Jaua said.
At Venezuelan embassies around the world
Tuesday, flags were flying at half mast.
Chavez's remains will be taken to a military
academy in Caracas on Wednesday, Jaua
said. There he will lie in state for three
days. His state funeral will be held there on
Friday morning, Jaua said.
The announcement of Chavez's death came
hours after Maduro met with the country's
top political and military leaders about
Chavez's worsening health condition and
suggested someone may have deliberately
infected Chavez with cancer.
Chavez first announced his cancer
diagnosis in June 2011, but the government
never revealed details about his prognosis
or specified what kind of cancer he had
Shortly before his last trip to Cuba for
cancer surgery in December, Chavez
tapped Maduro as the man he wanted to
replace him.