Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday evening, losing a two-year battle to cancer.
Born in 1954 and described as the vanguard of "21st Century Socialism", Chavez took office in 1999 and was re-elected for a six-year term in October 2012.
Chavez named his Vice-Preisdent Nicolas Maduro as his preferred successor in December 2012.
See here for the BBC's obituary.
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