President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega, President of Bolivia Luis Arce and Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves traveled to Venezuela to take part in these commemorations.
Socialist-inspired, Chavez ruled Venezuela from 1999 until his death on March 5, 2013. During this time, he maintained close ties with left-wing leaders in Latin America.
Fighting against cancer, he had appointed Nicolas Maduro as his successor. Maduro took power three days after Chavez’s death was announced, then was elected on April 14 of the same year. His re-election in 2018 was not recognized by the opposition or by part of the international community, including the United States, leading to economic sanctions.
