Born in Sabaneta, Venezuela, on July 28, 1954, Hugo
Chávez attended the Venezuelan military academy and served as an army officer
before participating in an effort to overthrow the government in 1992, for
which he was sentenced to two years in prison. Chávez became president of
Venezuela in 1999. Early into his presidency, he created a new constitution for
the country,
QUOTES
"The
left is back, and it's the only path we have to get out of the spot to which
the right has sunken us. Socialism builds and capitalism destroys."
– Hugo Chávez
which included changing its name to the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela. He later focused his efforts on gaining control of the state-run oil
company, which stirred controversy and led to protests, strained relations with
the United States and other nations, and Chávez briefly being removed from
power. His actions included selling oil to Cuba and resisting efforts to stop
narcotic trafficking in Columbia. In 2006, Chávez helped create the Bolivarian
Alternative for the Americas, a socialist free-trade organization.
Born Hugo Rafael Chávez
Frías on July 28, 1954, in Sabaneta, Venezuela, Hugo Chávez is the son of
schoolteachers. Before becoming known for his reform efforts and strong
opinions as president of Venezuela (1999-), Chávez attended the Venezuelan
Academy of Military Sciences, where he graduated in 1975 with a degree in
military arts and science. He went on to serve as an officer in an army
paratrooper unit.
In 1992, Chávez, along with other disenchanted members of the military,
attempted to overthrow the government of Carlos Andres Perez. The coup failed,
and Chávez spent two years in prison before being pardoned. He then started the
Movement of the Fifth Republic, a revolutionary political party. Chávez ran for
president in 1998, campaigning against government corruption and promising
economic reforms.
After taking office in
1999, Chávez set out to change the Venezuelan constitution, changing the powers
of congress and the judicial system. As a part of the new constitution, the
name of the country was changed to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
As president, Chávez has encountered some challenges both at home and aboard.
His efforts to tighten his hold on the state-run oil company in 2002 stirred up
controversy and led to numerous protests. Chávez found himself removed from
power briefly in April 2002 by military leaders. The protests continued after
his return to power, and led to a referendum on whether Chávez should remain
president. The referendum vote was held in August 2004, and a majority of the
voters decided to let Chávez complete his term in office.
Hostility Toward the U.S.
Throughout his presidency,
Chávez has been outspoken and dogmatic, refusing to hold back on any of his
opinions or his criticisms. He has insulted oil executives, church officials
and other world leaders. He has particular hostility for the United States,
which he believes was responsible for the failed 2002 coup against him. Chávez
also objected to the war in Iraq, stating that he believes the United States
abused its powers by initiating the military effort. He has also stated that he
considers President George
W. Bush to be an evil imperialist. Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained for some
time.
Since taking office, Chávez has sold oil to Cuba—a longtime adversary of
the United States—and resisted U.S. plans to stop narcotics trafficking in
nearby Colombia. He also helped guerrilla forces in neighboring countries. Over
the years, Chávez has threatened to stop supplying oil to the United States if
another attempt to remove him from power should occur. He did, however, donate
heating oil to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita,which
destroyed numerous fuel processing facilities.
No matter the state of
Venezuela's relationship with the United States, Chávez has leveraged his
country's oil resources to form connections to other nations, including China
and Angola. In 2006, he helped create the Bolivarian Alternative for the
Americas, a socialist free-trade organization joined by Fidel
Castro, president of Cuba, and Evo
Morales, president of Bolivia.
Chávez is also an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of more
than 100 countries, including Cuba, Iran and several African nations.
Since 2011, Chávez has undergone three surgeries to remove cancerous
tumors; the Venezuelan president reportedly discovered that he had cancer in
June 2011, following a surgery to remove a pelvic abscess. In preparation for
his third surgery in December 2012, Chávez acknowledged the severity of the
operation as well as the possibility of not being able to continue his service
as president, and named Vice President Nicolas Maduro as his successor.
Away from the political arena, Chávez is a fan of baseball, having been
an excellent player growing up. He and his wife, Maria Isabel Rodriguez, have
five children.
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