Birth of Hugo Chávez

Hugo Chávez was born on 28 July 1954 in Sabaneta. A Venezuelan military officer and politician, Chávez first became known for leading a failed coup attempt in 1992. He was elected president in 1998 and led what he called the Bolivarian Revolution, writing a new constitution in 1999 and describing his goal as socialism of the twenty-first century. Using oil revenue he funded health, education and housing programmes for the poor, while nationalizing industries and expanding presidential powers. He survived a brief coup in 2002 and won re-election in 2006 and 2012. Supporters admired his social policies and defiance of the United States, while critics accused him of authoritarian tendencies. He died of cancer in 2013 and was succeeded by Nicolás Maduro.

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