By Andrew
Cawthorne and Daniel Wallis
(Reuters) -
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with
cancer, ending 14 years of tumultuous rule that made the socialist leader a
hero for the poor but a hate figure to his opponents.
The
flamboyant 58-year-old had undergone four operations in Cuba for a
cancer that was first detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011. His last
surgery was on December 11 and he had not been seen in public since.