Hugo Chavez is one of the leading leftist figures in Latin America -- and one of the United States ' most vocal critics . His personal history is as colorful as his larger-than-life persona . When first elected in 1998 , Chavez became at age 44 the youngest person in the nation 's history to become president . He 's now 58 . He advances a social agenda seeking to lift people out of poverty , and he is close friends with Cuban leader Fidel Castro . Chavez comes from a military background . He joined the Venezuelan army in 1975 and rose to lieutenant colonel by 1990 . He became involved in a coup attempt against President Carlos Andres Perez and was imprisoned for two years for his role , until 1994 . Upon release , he formed the opposition Fifth Republic Movement , eventually catapulting him to the presidency . He was sworn into office in 1999 and his government created a new constitution that was approved at the end of same year . In 2000 , he was reelected to the presidency for a six-year term under the new constitution . But within two years , he faced major setbacks . An economic crisis ignited violent demonstrations , one of which left 16 protesters and one police officer dead in Caracas in 2002 . Chavez then briefly stepped down from the presidency , but after further unrest from supporters , he was reinstated . He overcame a recall election in 2004 . He weathered a call for his assassination by conservation Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson in 2005 . In 2006 , Chavez rebuked President George W. Bush in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly when the Venezuelan leader stated : `` The devil came here yesterday , and it smells of sulfur still today . '' By 2011 , his health took a turn for the worse . Chavez revealed he was receiving treatment for cancer . He went through several rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba in 2011 and this year . In May , speculation intensified over who would succeed Chavez when he named 10 people to the highest circle of presidential advisers . But in July , Chavez announced he was cancer free .
Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998 at age 44 . He 's now 58 and has been battling cancer . Score: 6 He was imprisoned for two years in the early 1990s for his role in a coup attempt .