Hugo Chavez’s Death—a Turning Point for Venezuela?

World leaders paid their last respects to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday. More than 30 political leaders were in attendance at Chavez’s funeral. Among them was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Chavez reportedly succumbed to a respiratory infection after his two-year battle with cancer. The 58-year-old leader’s death has left the country in uncertainty. Vice President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Friday. But opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski called the act unconstitutional, and his party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.

Venezuela’s constitution bars sitting vice presidents from running for the presidency. However, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that Maduro became the acting president after Chavez died, enabling him to run for office.

Elections are scheduled for April 14.

Venezuela is deeply divided, and Chavez’s death could usher in big changes for the government in Caracas. Under Chavez, Venezuela has distanced itself from the Vatican and grown close to Iran. If opposition leader Capriles is elected president there could be a huge shift in Venezuelan foreign policy. Capriles is a self-proclaimed devout Catholic.

Bible prophecy says that Europe and Latin America will draw closer in the near future, cemented together by the Catholic Church. The upcoming elections could prepare the way for this relationship to develop. For more information, read “Is Venezuela on the Verge of a Roman Catholic Spring?”