Changes

[[Image:chavez.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Hugo Chavez]]'''Hugo Chávez''' (b. July 28, 1954) is the President of the Bolivarian Republic of [[Venezuela]].  Chávez was elected President in 1998 on promises of aiding Venezuela's poor majority, and was reelected in 2000 and in 2006. Chávez has launched Bolivarian Missions, whose goals are to combat disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, poverty, and other social ills.  Chávez openly encourages alternative models of economic development than those of "United States' Capitalism", and has advocated cooperation among the world's poor nations, especially those in Latin America.

[[Image:chavez.jpg|175px|right|thumb|Hugo Chavez]]'''Hugo Chávez''' (b. July 28, 1954) is the President of the Bolivarian Republic of [[Venezuela]].  Chávez was elected President in 1998 on promises of aiding Venezuela's poor majority, and was reelected in 2000 and in 2006. Chávez has launched Bolivarian Missions, whose goals are to combat disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, poverty, and other social ills.  Chávez openly encourages alternative models of economic development than those of "United States' Capitalism", and has advocated cooperation among the world's poor nations, especially those in Latin America.

According to the ''Washington Post'' Chavez has been accused of supplying weapons to Colombian rebels, of financing Bolivian and Ecuadorian groups seeking to establish "Marxist'' states, and of being, with Cuban leader Fidel Castro's guidance, a "subversive'' everywhere else in the region.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501420.html?nav=rss_world/centralamerica ''Dealing With the Good and Bad Hugo Chavez''], Marcela Sanchez The Washington Post 25 August 2005.</ref>

According to the ''Washington Post'' Chavez has been accused of supplying weapons to Colombian rebels, of financing Bolivian and Ecuadorian groups seeking to establish "Marxist'' states, and of being, with Cuban leader Fidel Castro's guidance, a "subversive'' everywhere else in the region.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501420.html?nav=rss_world/centralamerica ''Dealing With the Good and Bad Hugo Chavez''], Marcela Sanchez The Washington Post 25 August 2005.</ref>

Through Venezuala's state owned petroleum industry and membership in [[OPEC]], Chávez has now used powers granted to him by Parliament to increase oil prices, stimulating the economy and providing more money for the Bolivarianist projects. Countries such as the United States have criticised Chávez for the increase in cost for crude oil.  Chavez is at the forefront of wanting to set crude oil prices at $60 a barrel minimum, according to the ''Asia Times''<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/HL07Dj01.html ''Bush, OPEC and Chavez of Arabia''], Pepe Escobar, Asia Times, 7 December 2006.</ref>

Through Venezuala's state owned petroleum industry and membership in [[OPEC]], Chávez has now used powers granted to him by Parliament to increase oil prices, stimulating the economy and providing more money for the Bolivarianist projects. Countries such as the United States have criticised Chávez for the increase in cost for crude oil.  Chavez is at the forefront of wanting to set crude oil prices at $60 a barrel minimum, according to the ''Asia Times''<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/HL07Dj01.html ''Bush, OPEC and Chavez of Arabia''], Pepe Escobar, Asia Times, 7 December 2006.</ref>

The [[United States of America]] and [[Venezuela]]'s foreign relations  are presently unstable. This is understandable given that Chavez often criticizes the United States for its 'imperalism' on his radio segment 'Alo Presidente', and the United States's support of the 2002 coup in Venezuela, toppling Chávez and replacing him with a dictatoral government. (Which was then toppled shortly after by the Chávez supporters, also known as 'Chávistas'). However, Venezuela and the United States remain friendly trading partners when it comes to imports and exports.

The [[United States of America]] and [[Venezuela]]'s foreign relations  are presently unstable. This is understandable given that Chavez often criticizes the United States for its 'imperalism' on his radio segment 'Alo Presidente', and the United States's support of the 2002 coup in Venezuela, toppling Chávez and replacing him with a dictatoral government. (Which was then toppled shortly after by the Chávez supporters, also known as 'Chávistas'). However, Venezuela and the United States remain friendly trading partners when it comes to imports and exports.