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Hugo Chavez, the controversial 53rd president of Venezuela, is known for his incendiary speeches and left-wing politics. He founded the Bolivarian Revolution and Fifth Republic Movement, and attempted a military coup in 1992. He won the presidency in 1998 and implemented welfare and justice programs, though some were unsuccessful. He has been criticized for limiting free speech and strengthening his own power, and has aligned himself with controversial leaders such as Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Saddam Hussein.
Hugo Chavez is the 53rd president of Venezuela, and perhaps one of the most controversial not only for his politics, but also for his incendiary, sometimes obscene way of speaking. Chavez, the son of teachers, was born in Sabaneta, Venezuela on July 28, 1954. He is the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, named after his idol Simón Bolívar. Hugo Chavez also founded the Fifth Republic Movement, a left-wing organization that promoted its own form of democratic socialism, which he called “21st century socialism.”
Hugo Chavez enlisted in the military and graduated with an engineering degree from the Venezuela Military Academy in 1975. His 17-year career with the military included stints as a paratrooper and as a teacher at the academy. It was there that he developed the strong teaching style for which he is well known. During his lectures, Chavez began voicing his harsh criticisms of the Venezuelan government and social structures.
Hugo Chavez began his undergraduate studies in political science at the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, but did not earn a degree. During the early years of his political upbringing, Chavez was influenced by Juan Velasco Alvarado, president of Peru, and an assortment of communist and socialist leaders and icons, including Fidel Castro.
By 1992, Hugo Chavez had amassed a significant following within the military. In February of that year, he organized and led a military coup against the government, led by President Carlos Andrés Pérez. Chavez had hoped to capitalize on the current dissatisfaction with poor economic conditions, as well as public outrage over the bloody riots and mass killings of rioters during what was called “El Caracazo” in 1989. A combination of factors led to the disappearance of the coup, and Chavez was eventually imprisoned. He had, however, planted a seed during a public press conference, which later had widespread public support.
Within a year, President Pérez was impeached, and in 1994, Hugo Chavez was pardoned. He has started a public campaign for the presidency on the platform of Bolivarianism. His core beliefs included anti-imperialism, Venezuelan sovereignty, a populist democracy that included mass participation in government, economic self-sufficiency, and strong nationalism. He also believed that the country’s oil revenue should be distributed equally among the citizens. One of his major concerns was fighting the corrupt kleptocracy that had dominated Venezuela.
In 1998, Chavez won the election with 56% of the vote. He immediately began implementing his own welfare and justice programs and took action to improve Venezuela’s struggling economy. Unfortunately, the first years of his presidency were marked by an economic downturn due to low oil prices and high international interest rates.
While many of Chavez’s programs seemed well-intentioned, they weren’t always successful. The “Plan Bolivar 2000” used the military to implement social programs to fight poverty and promote the construction of roads and housing. It failed due to widespread military corruption. Some of Chavez’s programs have been successful, as statistics show both poverty and infant mortality have declined, Medicare is available to many more than before, and the literacy rate is on the rise, among many other improvements.
Despite Chavez’s promotion of limited government and democracy with the separation of powers, he has shown that he is willing to influence laws that support his goals. At his suggestion, a new constitution was drawn up in 1999, as well as new term limits for the presidency. In 2000, Hugo Chavez was reelected in a ballot that the Carter Center refused to officially validate. Many say that Hugo Chavez intends to run for a third term, even if he were to change the constitution. Chavez has also enacted media regulations that limit speech against government officials.
Chavez’s presidency has been widely criticized. The country was crippled by large strikes, and in 2002 the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Pedro Carmona, was installed as president during a military coup. Soon after, Chavez’s supporters in the military overturned the coup and Chavez returned to power. Those who criticize him believe that despite the populist rhetoric, Chavez has worked tirelessly to strengthen his individual power, forge alliances with foreign allies, nationalize the country’s industry and use the power of government to dictate changes in the lives of his people.
Hugo Chavez has steadily gained notoriety on the world stage with his vitriolic criticism of the United States, especially President George W. Bush, and his allies. He has also aligned himself with some of the most controversial leaders of the early 21st century. His “friends” include Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Saddam Hussein during his presidency of Iraq.
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