Power vacuum follows death of Venezuelan president

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has died of cancer, leaving a power vacuum that will be hard to fill in the oil-rich country. Fresh presidential elections are to be called within 30 days. Chávez's death was announced by Vice-President Nicolás Maduro and follows the president's return to Venezuela on 18 February from Havana, Cuba, where he spent more than two months following cancer surgery on 9 December. Elias Jaua, the minister of foreign affairs, announced yesterday that elections will be called in 30 days, as the constitution foresees, and clarified that Maduro will remain in charge until then.