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THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Hugo Chavez Frías, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Chavez died after battling cancer for nearly two years.

Hugo Chavez was an epic figure who symbolised the radical transformations taking place in Latin America. He was elected for a fourth term as president just six months ago with a big margin. The Bolivarian revolutionary process which he initiated enabled Venezuela to take control of its destiny by asserting national sovereignty and control over all the vital resources of the country including oil and gas. In the one and a half decades of his presidentship, the Venezuelan people got health facilities, education and literacy as never before. Poverty was drastically reduced.