Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, 58, has died after a long struggle with cancer. The controversial figure was the President of Venezuela since 1999. Read on for more details.
Hugo Chávez, controversial president of Venezuela, has passed away on Mar. 5 after a battle with cancer. The President had not been seen in public for several months due to his illness. Vice President Nicolas Maduro had been standing in for the ill leader.
President Hugo Chávez’s Cancer Battle
President Chávez first announced his diagnosis with cancer in a televised address from Havana, Cuba on June 30, 2011, confirming that he was recovering from an operation on June 10, 2011 to remove an abscessed tumor with cancerous cells. On July 17, 2011, it was reported that he had returned to Cuba for further treatments.
On July 9, 2012, the president declared himself fully recovered from cancer, just three months before an election in which he was seeking a fourth six-year term as the country’s leader. On Oct. 7, 2012, he won re-election. However, on Nov. 27, 2012, he announced plans to travel to Cuba for more cancer treatment.
President Chávez Returns To Cuba For Further Treatment
On Dec. 8, 2012, he announced that he had to undergo a new operation after Cuban doctors discovered malignant cells. The operation took place just a few days later, on Dec. 11. After the surgery, President Chávez suffered a respiratory infection, though it was controlled. On Dec. 20, Vice President Maduro said that the president has suffered “new complications” following the surgery, with the revelation on Jan. 3, 2013 that he had a “severe” lung infection that had caused respiratory failures.
On Feb. 18, President Chávez reportedly returned to Venezuela after his two months of treatment in Cuba. However, as ABC News reported, he had not been seen or heard from since leaving the country in December. On March 1, Vice President Maduro said that the president had been receiving chemotherapy in his home country as he “continue[d] to battle for his life.”
– Billy Nilles
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- George McGovern Dead At 90 — Former Senator Passes
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