Hugo Chavez held the position of President of Venezuela from 1999 until he succumbed to Cancer on March 5 2013.
Born in Sabaneta, Barinas, he grew up to become a military officer and became dissatisfied with the Venezuelan political system. He was imprisoned in 1992 in his unsuccessful coup d'état against President Carlos Andres Perez.
After being released from prison, he founded a social democratic political party and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 introducing new constitution and fundamentally altering the structure of Venezuelan government.
Chavez described his policies as anti-imperialist and he was one of the most significant opponents of the United States' foreign policy.
In June 2011, Chavez stated that he was recovering from an operation to remove a tumor with cancerous cells. In Nov 2012 he traveled to Cuba for more medical treatments. He announced Dec. 8 2012 that he would need to undergo a new operation after doctors in Cuba discovered malignant cancerous cells. The operation took place Dec. 11 2012.
On Dec. 20 2012, the country's vice president announced that Chavez had suffered from complications following the latest surgery. The month of January saw prominent headlines about the president's lung infection and respiratory failures.
On Feb. 18 2012, he returned to Venezuela after undergoing two months of treatment in Cuba. On March 5 2013, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, in a televised statement, announced that Chavez died in Caracas at 16: 25 Venezuela time.
Here is a look at the some moments before and after his death captured in photos.
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