Hugo Chávez

Hugo Chávez was the President of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013. He implemented a socialist agenda, nationalizing industries and using oil revenues for social programs. He is newsworthy because his policies and legacy are currently being dismantled by the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The new government, under pressure from the US, is opening Venezuela's mineral resources to foreign investment by repealing Chávez's 2013 mining law, and is implementing economic reforms. María Corina Machado believes that the socialist doctrine inherited from Chávez is weakening. Chávez's influence is still felt in Latin America, with comparisons being drawn between Venezuela and Cuba and Nicaragua.