Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; Spanish: [xaviˈes ˈkavese]; born 19 December 1954) is a Venezuelan politician who currently serves as the President of Venezuela since 1999. He was also served as the President of Venezuela between 1998 and 1999 and again from October 2013 to April 2014, and before that he served as the president of the United States of Venezuela from 1992 to 1998. Chávez became the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement on February 14, 1992, following the resignation of four-term president Rafael Caldera. Upon becoming President, Chávez was granted emergency powers by the National Assembly, which created what he called a "Bolivarian Revolutionary Command".
Chávez initially governed using executive decree, but after the election of governors in December 1998 he began to govern through his new party's caucus in the National Assembly
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In 1999, he was re-elected for another six-year term after promising social reforms. However, his presidency was marked by controversies surrounding allegations of corruption and human rights violations by government security forces following opposition protests. On October 13, 2013, Hugo Chávez died at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro succeeded him as president.