On Wednesday, the body of Venezuela’s late president, Hugo Chávez, was transported through Caracas in a formal procession that drew a crowd of weeping millions, accustomed to calling him, among other epithets, “the Example of Permanent Battle,” and “the Christ of Latin America’s Poor.” Those that were not openly mourning his passing stayed quietly at home, bunkered with whatever food basics they could hoard before the shops closed, and waited fearfully for what might come next.

Chavistas have set fire to the mattresses and tents that opposition protesters used while chained together to protest his presidency. Sobbing mourners shout: “Are you happy now that he’s dead?” Ambulances have been seen and heard throughout Caracas, where a huge section of the downtown area has been cordoned off by security forces. Phone lines are crashing and Internet is down in much of the country. Those that do have phones are afraid to use them, saying that they are tapped and they fear for their safety and are therefore afraid to speak to friends and relatives inside and outside Venezuela who have been critical of Chávez.