Venezuelan president Chávez dies at 58

The failed coup leader transformed himself into an electoral phenomenon, launching the Bolivarian Revolution with its goal of building 21st-century socialism in oil-rich Venezuela.

Venezuela’s vice-president, Nicolás Madura, announced his death yesterday afternoon. He described it as a “historic tragedy” and called on Venezuelans “to be vigilant of the peace, respect, the tranquillity of the fatherland”.

Mr Chávez underwent four operations in little more than 18 months in his battle against an unspecified cancer in his pelvic region. With the exception of one photograph, he has not been seen in public since he returned to Havana for treatment in early December and missed his own inauguration for a new presidential term in January.

His supporters maintained the fiction that he was still in command of the country despite repeated reports that he was close to death. He returned to Venezuela last month in secret, announcing his arrival on Twitter. Relatives and officials said he has been suffering from respiratory problems since his latest surgery.

Fourth operation

Before travelling to Cuba for his fourth operation in a year and a half, Mr Chávez told supporters that if he was not to return they were to elect Mr Maduro in his place.

Mr Chávez’s triumph at the ballot box in 1998, just six years after he was jailed following a coup attempt, heralded the start of South America’s historic swing to the left after the neo-liberal experiment that briefly held sway in the region following the end of the Cold War.

As president he was a vocal scourge of globalisation and critic of the US.

In 2006 he famously referred to former US president George W Bush as “the devil” in a speech to the United Nation’s general assembly.