Changes

On June 30th, 2011, the 56 year-old President admitted, in a televised speech, of having cancer.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13991906]</ref>.He sought treatment, to no avail, in Brazil.<ref>http://latindispatch.com/2011/07/14/hugo-chavez-to-receive-cancer-treatment-in-brazil/</ref>

On June 30th, 2011, the 56 year-old President admitted, in a televised speech, of having cancer.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13991906]</ref>.He sought treatment, to no avail, in Brazil.<ref>http://latindispatch.com/2011/07/14/hugo-chavez-to-receive-cancer-treatment-in-brazil/</ref>

Despite knowing full well that he was dying of cancer and had only a few months to live, Chavez selfishly chose to run for reelection and plunge his country into chaos and turmoil instead of organizing a more orderly transfer of power to one of his Communist cronies. On 7 October 2012, a terminally ill Chávez won election as president for a fourth time, defeating Henrique Capriles.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/08/venezuela-election-idUSL1E8L70WK20121008</ref>

Despite being aware of his condition, Chavez chose to run again for President. On 7 October 2012, a terminally ill Chávez won election as president for a fourth time, defeating Henrique Capriles.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/08/venezuela-election-idUSL1E8L70WK20121008</ref>

Chavez was not seen since 11 December 2012, the last time he appeared in public. He must have died shortly afterwards. However, the Cuban and Venezuelan communists attempted to keep his death secret, and pretended he was alive for another two and a half months, going as far as using his [[Twitter]] account to post fake messages from a supposedly recovering Chavez.

Chavez was not seen since 11 December 2012, the last time he appeared in public. He must have died shortly afterwards. However, the Cuban and Venezuelan communists attempted to keep his death secret, and pretended he was alive for another two and a half months, going as far as using his [[Twitter]] account to post fake messages from a supposedly recovering Chavez.

Chavez should have taken the oath of office on January the 10th, the necessary step to asume the presidency for his new period. However, Venezuela's Supreme Court ignored the provisions of the Venezuelan Constitution (reformed by Chavez himself in 1999) and allowed Chavez to become president without taking the oath of office, thus doing away with any remaining semblance of constitutional government.

Chavez should have taken the oath of office on January the 10th, the necessary step to assume the presidency for his new period. However, Venezuela's Supreme Court ignored the provisions of the Venezuelan Constitution (reformed by Chavez himself in 1999) and allowed Chavez to become president without taking the oath of office, thus doing away with any remaining semblance of constitutional government.

On February, the 18th it was announced that Chavez had returned to Venezuela to finish his recovery.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/18/president-chavez-returns-to-venezuela-from-cuba-after-months-medical-treatment/</ref> The then Venezuelan vice-president [[Nicolás Maduro]] said that Chavez had been flown in secrecy from [[Havana]] to [[Caracas]] in the early hours of the morning to avoid possible attacks from his enemies. The two top floors of Caracas' Military Hospital were sealed from the public, with Chavez supposedly recovering in the 8th floor and the 7th floor closed to guarantee his security. On March the 5th the Venezuelan ''de facto'' government finally ended the charade and announced that Chavez had died, suggesting also that his cancer and death had been the result of an assessination plot by "the historical enemies of the Fatherland" (referring to the United States and the Venezuelan democratic opposition). On March 7th, Venezuelan vice-president announced that Chavez's body should be embalmed and put on permanent display inside a glass tomb, thus imitating the treatment given to the corpses of other Communist dictators like [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], [[Klement Gottwald]], [[Georgi Dimitrov]], [[Mao Zedong]], [[Ho Chi Minh]], [[Kim Il-Sung]] and [[Kim Jong-Il]].<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/07/chavez-body-embalmed-to-be-permanently-on-display/ Chavez's body embalmed, to be permanently on display] (March 7, 2013)</ref> But this was canceled because Chavez`s body would otherwise should be brought for a time in Russia.

On February, the 18th it was announced that Chavez had returned to Venezuela to finish his recovery.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/18/president-chavez-returns-to-venezuela-from-cuba-after-months-medical-treatment/</ref> The then Venezuelan vice-president [[Nicolás Maduro]] said that Chavez had been flown in secrecy from [[Havana]] to [[Caracas]] in the early hours of the morning to avoid possible attacks from his enemies. The two top floors of Caracas' Military Hospital were sealed from the public, with Chavez supposedly recovering in the 8th floor and the 7th floor closed to guarantee his security. On March the 5th the Venezuelan ''de facto'' government finally ended the charade and announced that Chavez had died, suggesting also that his cancer and death had been the result of an assessination plot by "the historical enemies of the Fatherland" (referring to the United States and the Venezuelan democratic opposition). On March 7th, Venezuelan vice-president announced that Chavez's body should be embalmed and put on permanent display inside a glass tomb, thus imitating the treatment given to the corpses of other Communist dictators like [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], [[Klement Gottwald]], [[Georgi Dimitrov]], [[Mao Zedong]], [[Ho Chi Minh]], [[Kim Il-Sung]] and [[Kim Jong-Il]].<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/07/chavez-body-embalmed-to-be-permanently-on-display/ Chavez's body embalmed, to be permanently on display] (March 7, 2013)</ref> But this was canceled because Chavez`s body would otherwise should be brought for a time in Russia.