President Hugo Chavez has died in Venezuela

President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez has died after his 18 month battle against cancer.

His second in command Nicolas Maduro fought back the tears as he announced that the 58 year old President had passed away at 4.25pm local time on Tuesday March 5.

The President died less than three months after his fourth operation on a malignant tumour in his pelvic region. Top surgeons in Cuba had not been able to identify the type of cancer that he had been suffering from since 2010. He had undergone chemotherapy treatment in 2010, but last year the cancer flared up again.

Chavez returned to Venezuela but has not been seen in public for months. Shortly after his last operation, he needed assistance with breathing via a tracheal tube due to a lung infection.

The official funeral will be held on Friday this week, and a seven day period of official mourning has been declared.