Hugo Rafael Chávez FrÃas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈuÉ£o rafaˈel ˈtʃaβes ˈfɾi.as]) (born July 28, 1954) is the President of Venezuela. As the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Chávez promotes a political doctrine of participatory democracy, socialism and Latin American and Caribbean cooperation. He is also a critic of neoliberalism, globalization, and United States foreign policy. A career military officer, Chávez founded the left-wing