Hugo Chavez: 1954-2013

Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced Tuesday, March 5, that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died at age 58. He had been struggling with health issues and an unspecified cancer for two years.

The career military officer-turned-politician won friends and enemies as he launched poverty-fighting programs, nationalized key industries, and forged alliances with other leftist leaders in Latin America, particularly the Castro brothers in Cuba, during his nearly 15 years in office.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez poses for a photo with his daughters, Maria Gabriela, left, and Rosa Virginia at an unknown location in Havana, Cuba, Feb. 14, 2013. It was the last published photo of the leader.

Credit: AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office