Update: The date for a new presidential election has been set for April 14, 2013. Nicolas Maduro will run for re-election. The opposition has not yet chosen a candidate. Scroll down for a correction to the original article below. - lmb President Hugo Chávez Frias, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and leader of the Bolivarian Revolution that has swept through Latin America and indeed the world died at 4:25 p.m. today in Caracas following a 2 year battle with cancer. Vice President Nicolas Maduro, surrounded by cabinet ministers and military leaders announced the death of the president. He said "We must unite now more than ever. Our people can count on having a government of men and women committed to protecting them." He called on all Venezuelans to remain peaceful and respectful. (See correction to the following statement, below) Diosdado Cabello Rondón, President of the National Assembly becomes interim president according to the Venezuelan Constitution. New presidential elections will be held in the very near future and Vice President Nicolas Maduro is widely expected to be the PSUV candidate and to be elected by the people as the next president of Venezuela. The central government, the Venezuelan military, governors of 20 of the 23 Venezuelan states, state legislators, the National Assembly and the people are united and as committed to the Bolivarian Revolution as ever. In the next few weeks the reader/seeker can expect to see a massive, belligerant media assault by the capitalists on President Chávez and The Republic. In fact, it has already begun, within minutes of the announcement of his death. Give it no quarter. At this moment, National Public Television broadcasts an earlier discourse by President Chávez, calling for unity and "Patria, Patria, Patria!" It is followed by a people's chant, "Chávez vive! La Lucha Sigue!" (Chávez Lives! The Fight Continues!) Today, we express our sympathy for the family of President Chávez and we along with the people across Venezuela, Latin America and the millions around the world who have learned to love him join them in mourning and the renewing of our commitment. Messages of sympathy and support are being received from heads of state from around the world. Streets in every country across the continent are filled with people expressing their love, grief and determination to continue the great revolutionary movement for which President Chávez gave his life. We want to thank all of you who have supported our president and followed his leadership for a better world over the years. These sites will be very busy over the next few days but if you can access them, you'll be able to follow events on VTV (click on Señal en vivo) and on TeleSur, both in Spanish. We will publish more on President Chávez' life and death in the days and weeks to follow. Correction: Initially, it was our understanding that the Venezuelan constitution required that Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Assembly automatically serves as interim president before new elections are called. Cabello corrected and cleared this up last night in a talk on VTV. He said that the Luisa Estela Morales, President of the Supreme court stated yesterday that because Nicolas Maduro is VP, he followed as president the moment Chavez died. He is to be sworn in today in a special session of congress and then will run as candidate for PSUV party when new elections begin. New elections will be called within 30 days of President Chavez death. - Axis of Logic Editors