Cheering Venezuelans in New York and across the U.S. waved their country's flag and anxiously voiced hope that change would come to their homeland after the death Tuesday of long-ruling populist President Hugo Chavez.
Expatriates from Venezuela gathered before the consulate in Midtown after word spread swiftly of the death of the 58-year-old leftist. Many said they were rejoicing after nearly a decade and a half of socialist rule, heavily concentrated in Chavez's hands.
"We are happy. We were waiting 13 years for this," said Enrica Lanza of Kips Bay. "I think that he deserves it. He was a bad person, he made a lot of people suffer in my country."
"He was a guy who did a lot of damage and he really hurt our country," said Gabriel Bastidas of South Salem, N.Y.
Still others mourned the death of a leader they saw as a champion for the poor.
"I'm deeply saddened for Venezuela and all of Latin America," said Christian Hernandez of Rockville Centre. "I think they lost a great leader. He really sparked the revolution."
Rep. Jose Serrano of the Bronx tweeted: "Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President."
Local
Former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II recalled that Chavez and the people of Venezuela donated 200 million gallons of heating oil to the group he heads, Citizens Energy, which distributes oil to lower income families in 25 states, including New York.
"I think half the country hates him and half the country loves him, and the truth is somewhere in the middle," said Pedro Aguilar of Washington Heights.
In Caracas, Venezuela's foreign minister announced late Tuesday that Vice President Nicolas Maduro would be interim president and run as the governing party candidate in elections to be called within 30 days. It wasn't immediately clear when presidential elections would be held.
Chavez, though cancer-stricken in recent years, had led the oil-rich Latin American nation for years by espousing a fiery brand of socialism. All the while he bickered with a succession of U.S. governments over what he called Washington's hegemony in the region.
Many in Venezuelan communities around the U.S. are stridently anti-Chavez and had fled their home country in response to the policies his government instituted.
A large number of professionals and others left their country beginning after Chavez became president in 1999. Many did not agree with his socialist government, became frightened of soaring crime or sought better fortunes abroad.
An estimated 189,219 Venezuelan immigrants live in the United States, according to U.S. Census figures. Besides Florida, there are sizable Venezuelan communities in Los Angeles and New York.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said in a statement that Chavez's death marks a challenging time for Venezuela. He said the U.S. is committed to promoting democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.
Chavez's inner circle has long claimed the U.S. government was behind a failed a 2002 attempt to overthrow him, and he has frequently played the anti-American card to stir up support.
