His signature adorns buildings all over Venezuela. His eyes grace thousands of red T-shirts and caps. And there is even a special font to perpetuate his calligraphy.

Now, the legacy of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s charismatic socialist leader who died of cancer last year, has moved to the stage with a special ballet in his honour.

The state-sponsored work, Ballet of the Spider-Seller to Liberator, is to show at a Caracas theatre today in homage to Chavez’s life from poor boy selling homemade spider-shaped sweets in his rural hometown to president for 14 years.

“The work presents his story from shoeless and dignified childhood to his transformation into the guide of the fights of the Venezuelan people’s struggles,” the advance publicity said.

Hugely popular among the poor during his 1999-2013 rule, Chavez has become even more of a cult figure in death. Government opponents roll their eyes at such deification and his still-ubiquitous image in public life. They see that as a cover for the failings of his successor Nicolas Maduro who was elected last year after Chavez died. (Reuters)