Portal:Socialism/Selected biography/6
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (born 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was the 56th President of Venezuela, serving for 14 years from 1999 until his death in 2013. Following his own political ideology of Bolivarianism and "Socialism for the 21st Century", he focused on implementing socialist reforms in the country as a part of a social project known as the Bolivarian Revolution, which saw the implementation of a new constitution, participatory democracy and the nationalisation of several key industries.
Formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997, in 2007 he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). He was elected President four times: in 1998, 2000, 2006 and finally—one year before his death—in 2012.
A firm anti-imperialist and vocal critic of neoliberalism and capitalism more generally, Chávez was a prominent opponent of United States foreign policy. Allying himself strongly with the socialist governments of Fidel and then Raúl Castro in Cuba, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, his presidency was seen in the Western world as a part of the so-called socialist "pink tide" sweeping Latin America. Chávez supported Latin American and Caribbean cooperation and was instrumental in setting up the pan-regional Union of South American Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, the Bank of the South, and the regional television network TeleSur. A highly controversial and divisive figure both at home and abroad, his political influence in Latin America led Time magazine to include him among their list of the world's 100 most influential people in both 2005 and 2006.
He died in Caracas on 5 March 2013 at the age of 58.