Hugo Chavez served as President of Venezuela from 1998 until 2013. He was very popular in his country and was re-elected twice. His policies focused on helping the poor in his country. He used the nation’s oil wealth to fight poverty and illiteracy. He was strongly in favour of Latin American integration and was 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 died from respiratoty problems on March 6th, 2013, aged 58. Chavez remains a popular figure throughout South America.