Shocked and saddened supporters of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took to the streets on Tuesday to mourn their leader's death.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro said in an emotional televised speech that the 58-year-old president lost his battle with cancer in the Dr. Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital.

Chavez's supporters quickly gathered outside the hospital, at the Plaza Bolivar and near the Presidential Palace, carrying photos of Chavez and chanting slogans to express their condolences and voice support for Chavez's allies.

Traffic at the three sites turned into solid gridlock and communications across the country largely broke down, making it difficult to make phone calls.

OVERTURES TO PREVENT POLITICAL CHAOS

Shortly after the announcement of Chavez's death, both Chavez's pros and cons stood out to prevent the country from slipping into political chaos.

Maria Gabriela Chavez, the late leader's daughter, said on Twitter that "I have no words. Eternally, THANKS! We should follow his example. We must continue to build HOMELAND! Farewell my daddy! "

Nelson Merentes, president of the Central Bank of Venezuela, called Chavez's death "a hard time, very hard."

"That pain has to give us strength to move forward in finding solutions to problems. We seek maximum efficiency," Merentes said.

House Minister Ricardo Molina vowed to continue the strategies set by the late leader and said "Hugo Chavez is at the heart of our people."

"The program of the country must be fulfilled in their historical lines to build the socialist country and a better world," Molina said.

Meanwhile, Chavez's endorsement of Maduro as his successor was repeatedly broadcast on national television.

"If any unexpected circumstance occurred ... it is my strong opinion that in the case of new presidential elections, you should elect Nicolas Maduro as president of the republic. I ask you to do this at heart," Chavez said in December before leaving for Cuba to undergo his fourth round of cancer surgery.

Moveover, Opposition leader Henrique Capriles made a call for unity.

"We understand the hurt feelings of the president's family and colleagues. To them, our condolences," Caprilies said. "We had disagreements, but one thing is for humans while another is for positions. This is not the time for difference, it's time for the union and peace."

The opposition had long questioned Chavez's health and urged fresh elections because the government had only released one photo of Chavez since he underwent cancer surgery in December. The late president even missed his swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 10.

Chavez, who had ruled Vezezuela since 1998 and wielded its oil wealth to benefit the poor, went to Cuba for surgery shortly after he won a third term last October.

POLITICAL CHART IN POST-CHAVEZ ERA

During Chavez's absence, Maduro led the government, appearing on official television and reproducing Chavez's style.

Maduro, 50, is poised to win the presidential elections to be held within 30 days after Chavez's death. One of his strong rivals is the 40-year-old Capriles, the governor of Miranda, Venezuela's second most populous state.

Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, Venezuela's ties with the United States after the death of the stridently anti-American Chavez have been in the limelight.

Venezuela is the world's 11th largest crude exporter and a top-four supplier to the United States. However, Chavez had created headaches for successive U.S. administrations with his strong anti-American rhetoric and alliances with some of Washington's main foes, including Cuba and Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama reacted quickly to Chavez's death, saying that Washington hoped for "constructive" future ties with the major oil-producing nation.

Analysts say that if either Maduro or Capriles is elected as Venezuela's next president, Venezuelan-U.S. ties have some hopes for thawing because both politicians share a tendency to mend fences with Washington.

Meanwhile, the heads of state and governments across Latin America expressed condolences over the death of the regional leader.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala said: "We want to express our deep sorrow to our sister nation of Venezuela ... and the family of Hugo Chavez.we want ...to give them a big hug and our Bolivarian, South American and Latin American solidarity."

Peru's Congress also observed a minute of silence to mourn Chavez.

In Argentina, President Cristina Fernandez ordered three days of mourning and flags to be flown at half mast.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto sent his condolences via Twitter, saying "I am sorry for the passing of President Hugo Chavez. My sincerest condolences to his family and the Venezuelan people."

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff described Chavez as a "great Latin American" and "friend of Brazil," whose death leaves a void in the region.

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