各国名人英文介绍-Hugo Chavez（在线收听）

Hugo Chavez has been the President of Venezuela since 1998. He is very popular in his country and has been re-elected twice. His policies focus on helping the poor in his country. He uses the nation’s oil wealth to fight poverty and illiteracy. He is strongly in favour of Latin American integration and is a fierce opponent of the USA.

Chavez was born in 1954 in a mud hut. Both of his parents were schoolteachers but his family was very poor. He was sent to live with his grandmother in the big city so he could go to school. When he was 17, he enrolled at the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in Military Arts and Science.

Chavez's military career lasted 17 years, during which he held several teaching positions. He was a very passionate teacher and frequently criticized Venezuela’s government. He developed a political belief called "Bolivarianism", which was influenced by the thought of the Venezuelan revolutionary Simon Bolivar, and Karl Marx. This shaped his later ideas about helping the people of Venezuela.

In 1992, Chavez attempted a coup to take control of Caracas. He failed but was elevated as a national hero. In 1998 he won the presidential election with 56% of the votes. He introduced major social reforms and nationalized many industries. He also gave land back to Venezuela’s poor and introduced free health care and education. He remains a popular figure throughout South America.