Chavez: Leftist firebrand who divided nation, vexed 'US'
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez waves upon alighting from the plane upon landing at the airport in Tachira, Venezuela, on October 20, 2011. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pictured at the presidential palace Miraflores after having finished his third round of chemotherapy at the military hospital in Caracas, on September 2, 2011. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file handout picture released by the Venezuelan presidential press office shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez descending from a plane upon arrival in Ciudad Bolivar, Bolivar state, Venezuela, on February 15, 2012. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R), driving an armored vehicle 29 November, 2001, during military exercises in the state of Cojedes, some 250 kms (150 miles) southeast of Caracas. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L), smile at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on January 9, 2012. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Colombian politicians Clara Rojas (2-R) and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo (2-L), being welcomed by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (C) at the presidential palace in Caracas on January 10th, 2008, just a few hours after being released by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in the Colombian jungle. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez holding his grandson and a copy of the Venezuelan constitution, during a press conference after voting at a polling station 02 December 2007 in Caracas. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gesturing and greeting supporters as he arrives for a campaign closing rally 26 July, 2000, in Caracas. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer and died at the age of 58, on March 5, 2013, in Caracas, silencing the leading voice of the Latin American left and plunging his divided oil-rich nation into an uncertain future. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) and Defense Minister Raul Isaias Baduel, wiping sweat off their faces during a military parade in honour of the inauguration of Chavez, in Caracas, 10 Janary, 2007. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) huging Bolivian President Evo Morales, during the closing ceremony of the Social Summit of the People, in the sidelines of the II South American Community Summit, in Cochabamba 09 December 2006. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This file picture shows Venezuelan President and reelection candidate Hugo Chavez gesturing to supporters during a campaign rally at "Petare" shantytown in Caracas on November 1, 2006. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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This undated picture shows Venezulean President Hugo Chavez (R) when he was a child posing with his brother Adam Chavez (L) in Barinas, Venezuela. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez waves upon alighting from the plane upon landing at the airport in Tachira, Venezuela, on October 20, 2011. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pictured at the presidential palace Miraflores after having finished his third round of chemotherapy at the military hospital in Caracas, on September 2, 2011. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file handout picture released by the Venezuelan presidential press office shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez descending from a plane upon arrival in Ciudad Bolivar, Bolivar state, Venezuela, on February 15, 2012. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R), driving an armored vehicle 29 November, 2001, during military exercises in the state of Cojedes, some 250 kms (150 miles) southeast of Caracas. Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L), smile at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on January 9, 2012. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Colombian politicians Clara Rojas (2-R) and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo (2-L), being welcomed by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (C) at the presidential palace in Caracas on January 10th, 2008, just a few hours after being released by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in the Colombian jungle. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez holding his grandson and a copy of the Venezuelan constitution, during a press conference after voting at a polling station 02 December 2007 in Caracas. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gesturing and greeting supporters as he arrives for a campaign closing rally 26 July, 2000, in Caracas. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer and died at the age of 58, on March 5, 2013, in Caracas, silencing the leading voice of the Latin American left and plunging his divided oil-rich nation into an uncertain future. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) and Defense Minister Raul Isaias Baduel, wiping sweat off their faces during a military parade in honour of the inauguration of Chavez, in Caracas, 10 Janary, 2007. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) huging Bolivian President Evo Morales, during the closing ceremony of the Social Summit of the People, in the sidelines of the II South American Community Summit, in Cochabamba 09 December 2006. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This file picture shows Venezuelan President and reelection candidate Hugo Chavez gesturing to supporters during a campaign rally at "Petare" shantytown in Caracas on November 1, 2006. President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
This undated picture shows Venezulean President Hugo Chavez (R) when he was a child posing with his brother Adam Chavez (L) in Barinas, Venezuela. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez passed away on March 5, 2013 in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
CARACAS (AFP) - Former paratrooper Hugo Chavez led a self-styled revolution that redistributed Venezuela's oil wealth, earning the devotion of the long-neglected poor while provoking foes at home and abroad.
He won power through the ballot box in 1988 and hung on to it, most recently winning a new six-year term in October. It was cancer that finally defeated the leftist president on Tuesday at the age of 58.
His end came after a three-month period in which the symbolic head of the Latin American left had been neither seen nor heard by his public, fueling rumours and leaving the oil-rich nation and wider region in a state of suspense.
When he had left in December for Cuba - where he had received treatment since 2011 - Mr Chavez had pumped his first and shouted "Onward to life, always!," invoking Che Guevara's famous "onward to victory" battle cry.
