Hugo Chavez was born on the 26th July 1954 in Sabaneta, Venezuela. He is sent by his family to study in Venezuela's Military Academy and is awarded a diploma in Science and Art. He continues his education in Political Science at the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas but won't finish the course. He retakes the military route by joining the Venezuelan Army.

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On the 24th July 1983, the 200th anniversary since the birth of Simon Bolivar, Chavez amongst others creates the socialist Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement. In 1992 the movement fails in an attempted Coup d'Etat against the president Carlos Andres Perez, who imprisons Chavez for two years.

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While in prison Chavez calls for an uprising via a videotape which would be broadcast the night before a second attempted Coup D'Etat on behalf of the BRM, which would control the country for just a few minutes. In 1994 Rafael Caldera is elected president, and keeping to a promise made to the people, orders the release of Chavez.

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Upon his release Chavez creates a political party named the 5th Republic Mouvement, which he would take control of four years later. At the end of 1998, his popularity increases by 40%. His party adopts the slogan "plague on the oligarchy and heros of the poor", and gathers together a leftist coalition which gains a majority of seats at the National Congress after the legislative and presidential election on November 8th.

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In 1999 Chavez wins the presidential election with 56% of the votes. On the 2nd February he declares the constitution out of date, but having difficulty passing his proposal through parliament, he introduces a referendum on the 25th April which proposes to form a new constitutional assembly and to organise a new presidential election for the year 2000. With 40% participation, the proposal wins by 92%.

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On the 19th December the New Bolivarian Constitution is approved by 72% of voters, allowing for a series of changes, notably the abolition of the senate and the introduction of a referendum which gives the people the right to depose any government, civil servant or public administrator, including the president. On the 30th July 2000, Chavez is re-elected with 59.5% of the votes and the BRM gains 93 of the 165 seats at the national assembly.

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At the end of 2001, following the World Trade Center attacks, the oil markets were suffering the economic crisis. Venezuela, the world's third exporter of oil (which is a large part of its economy), reacts by nationalising the country's oil industry. This is strongly criticised by the sector's employees, who express their discontent by going on strike. The political opposition declares that the nationalisation, amongst others reforms, is a violation of the rights to private property. The population of Venezuela is divided between opposers and supporters of Chavez.

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In April 2002, Chavez goes further when live on his TV show Alo Presidente, seven leaders of the national oil company (the PDVSA, see dossier) are dismissed and twelve others are forced to resign. The executives lodge a complaint to the Confederacy of Venezuelan Workers, who in turn organise a 24 hour strike.

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All of this adds to the momentum which leads to a coup d'état organised by the Venezuelan entrepreneur, Pedro Carmona, who would take control for 48 hours and profit from the occasion to undo the constitutional changes introduced by Chavez, who is arrested by the military. The coup is supported by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators and exchanges of gunfire between supporters and opposers of Chavez would leave around a dozen people dead.

Ultimately the new Carmona government is overthrown the day after by the presidential guard, supported by a huge demonstration in the capital Caracas. Chavez is released and the ministers of his government come out of hiding and regain their posts.

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A few months later the PDVSA again tries to oust Chavez by refusing his government access to the company's income by organising a two month strike. This effort, as well as a petition on behalf of the political opposition for a referendum and accepted by the National Electoral Council is unsuccessful. A second referendum of this kind is requested by the opposition and observed by the Organisation of American States and the Carter Foundation. The result is 59% against dismissal for Chavez.

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In 2006 Chavez wins the election with 63% of the votes, and he announces radical changes towards socialism. Some of the most important changes, such as unlimited mandates, declaration of socialism in the constitution and measures which disallow press freedom in the event of a crisis, would be proposed in 2007 but rejected after their December referendum. However, other visions of his would come to be. In March 2008 he forms the Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela, which regroups a number of political groups and therefore 2.5 million individual members.

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