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.

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

The United States of America and Venezuela's foreign relations at the best of times are 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.

Hugo Chávez is a great friend of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and is said to have drawn his political style through influences such as Che Guevara, Karl Marx and Simon Bolivar.

Further reading

• [1] An in depth view on Venezuala under Hugo Chávez.
• Why The Left Should Cringe at The Mention of Hugo Chavez, Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Independent Institute, February 24, 2006.
• Bolivar, Dictator or Paladin? Interview: Hugo Chavez talks about Venezuela, Maria Amparo Lasso, Newsweek, Aug 20, 2001.