Thousands of people rallied in Venezuela on Thursday to mark what would have been the swearing-in of ailing President Hugo Chávez. The inauguration has been delayed while Chávez remains in Cuba following his fourth surgery for cancer. Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro addressed Chávez supporters.

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro: “Thirty days have passed since the operation on Commander Hugo Chávez, and at this very moment, as you know, he is fighting a battle, and we tell him from here: 'Commander, easy! Keep up your battle, because here you have a Bolivarian government and a revolutionary people!'”

While the Venezuelan Supreme Court has ruled Chávez is still president despite missing his swearing-in, the opposition is calling for a caretaker government and new elections.