Venezuela announces seven days of mourning for Hugo Chavez

Venezuela announced an official seven day mourning period, in honoured of their fallen president, Hugo Chavez.

In a report by BBC News, the Venezuelan strongman passed away on Tuesday from cancer. He had battled the illness for just over a year and it prevented him from taking oath after winning another term following elections last October.

Chavez was a controversial figure, constantly speaking out against the U.S. and led a left-wing revival across Latin America. Thousands of supporters took to the streets of Caracas to express their grief.

A state funeral is planned for Friday and Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has taken the reigns of power until an election is called , which should be within the next 30 days.

There were instances of violence in the capital where students were demanded more information on Chavez's passing. There aren't any reports of injuries in these incidents.

Flickr Photo by: zennie62