Biografía

In November 2007, he referred to former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar as a fascist at the Ibero-American Summit. When he continued to denounce Aznar after his microphone was turned off, Juan Carlos de Borbón, the King of Spain, asked him to shut up ("¿Por qué no te callas?"). Chávez left the summit and the king's phrase became an Internet meme.

President of Venezuela (February 2, 1999 - March 5, 2013).

Named on of Time magazine's "100 most influential people" in 2005 and 2006.

Considered himself the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution in South America, promoting his vision of democratic socialism and Latin American integration. In 1974, he met strongman Juan Velasco Alvarado when Chávez and a dozen fellow cadets from the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela traveled to Ayacucho, Peru to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho. Alvarado gave each of them a pocket edition of La Revolución Nacional Peruana ("The Peruvian National Revolution"). Chávez kept the book with him constantly, but lost it after his arrest for leading a failed coup d'état in 1992.

Born to Hugo de los Reyes Chávez and his wife Elena Frías de Chávez, both teachers, he grew up with an older brother, Adán.