Venezuela president Hugo Chavez dies from Cancer, vice president blames U.S.A.

Venezuela—Hugo Chávez, a former tank commander turned populist politician who used Venezuela's oil riches to challenge the U.S. with his fiery brand of socialism, died Tuesday from complications related to cancer. He was 58 years old.

With Mr. Chavéz just months into his fourth term, his death plunged Venezuela into political uncertainty.

Just hours before announcing the death, Vice President Maduro painted a picture of a country beset by conspiracy from foreign powers, suggesting the U.S. may have caused Mr. Chávez's cancer and kicking out two U.S. military attaches for allegedly trying to destabilize the country. 

The U.S. rejected the allegations.

His death could have major economic and political repercussions for Cuba, which receives billions in virtually free oil from Venezuela.

Mr. Chávez was voted into power in 1998 on a tide of citizen disgust with the corruption of democratically elected politicians who had ruled Venezuela for three decades. He went on to dominate the country, which boasts the world's largest oil reserves, for the past 14 years, spending billions to create what he called "21st-century socialism."