Venezuela’s acting president Nicolas Maduro told AFP on Sunday that his mentor Hugo Chavez had fought for his life “until the last second” and called for a probe into the leader’s death.

“Until the last second of his life he believed that he would live and he wanted to live,” Maduro told AFP in an exclusive interview.An emotional Maduro recalled how he had visited Chavez in the military hospital on March 5 intending to discuss matters of state with the ailing leader, who had not appeared in public since December.

“He always wanted to live. He had this gigantic optimism and faith in life.”Maduro reiterated his intention to launch an investigation into Chavez’s death. Hours before Chavez passed away, Maduro, then vice president, had hinted that “historic enemies” had been behind the leftist leader’s death, a veiled reference to the United States.