Hugo Chavez (Venezuela)
By Zachary Barthelemy
Essential Question: How did he rise to power and how did he keep his position?
Hugo's Early years
Full name: Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias
Born: July 28, 1954
Joined the military at the age of 17, He graduated from the Venezuela Academy of Military Sciences when he was 21 and commissioned as a Officer. He was assigned to a counterinsurgency unit, and was also head of a paratrooper unit
Chavez's military career
Hugo was a exceptional Officer, quickly rising in ranks and earning several commendations, he spent some time as a instructor of the Academy of Military Science, he even went as far as to set up a secret society withen the military.
"I remember. How many minutes do I have left President? About one, one minute." Hugo Chavez
1954-2013: The Life and Legacy of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
The video covers pretty much everything about this man how he rose to power and how he kept it, his allies, enemies, even what the general population thought of him overall.
Prisoner to President
After the coup Chaves went on television to explain his actions and was after imprisoned, but in 1994 president Rafael Caldera pardoned him and he entered the world of politics, in the 1998 elections he won by landslide victory with 56% majority vote, soon after taking office he began opening clinics for the poor, started construction prodjects to give people jobs, also he changed the constitution to "Bolivian Republic of Venezuela" but doing this required a new election but Chaves was re-elected in the end
"I am convinced that the path to a new, better and possible world is not capitalism, the path is socialism." Hugo Chavez
President Hugo Chaves
Chávez was a complicated political figure who did much for Venezuela, both good and bad. Venezuela's oil reserves are among the largest in the world, and he used much of the profits to benefit the poorest Venezuelans. He improved infrastructure, education, health, literacy and other social ills from which his people suffered. Under his guidance, Venezuela emerged as a leader in Latin America for those who do not necessarily think that the United States is always the best model to follow. Not everyone thought the world of Chávez, however. Middle and upper-class Venezuelans despised him for nationalizing some of their lands and industries and were behind the numerous attempts to oust him. Many of them feared that Chávez was building dictatorial powers, and it is true that he had a dictatorial streak in him.