Hugo Chavez

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈuɣo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβes ˈfɾi.as]; born 28 July 1954) is the current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly theleader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Following his own politicalideology of Bolivarianism and "Socialism for the 21st Century", he has focused on implementing socialist reforms in the country as a part of a social project known as the Bolivarian Revolution, which hasseen the implementation of a new constitution, participatory democratic councils, the nationalization of several key industries, increased government funding of health care and education, andsignificant reductions in poverty, according to government figures.[1]
Born into a working-class family in Sabaneta, Barinas, Chávez became a career military officer, and after becoming dissatisfied withthe Venezuelan political system, he founded the secretive Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 (MBR-200) in the early 1980s to work towards overthrowing it. Chávez led the MBR-200 in an unsuccessfulcoup d'état against the Democratic Action government of President Carlos Andrés Pérez government in 1992, for which he was imprisoned. Getting out of prison after two years, he founded a socialdemocratic political party, the Fifth Republic Movement, and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998. He subsequently introduced a new constitution which increased rights for marginalized groups andaltered the structure of Venezuelan government, and was re-elected in 2000. During his second presidential term, he introduced a system of Bolivarian Missions, Communal Councils and worker-managedcooperatives, as well as a program of land reform, whilst also nationalizing various key industries. On 7 October 2012, Chávez won his country's presidential election for a fourth time, defeating Henrique...