With Chávez celebrating his electoral victory in the tightest race he's ever had to face, it looks like the world will have another six years of Chavismo. He's the man who called George W. Bush "the devil himself" at the 2006 U.N. General Assembly session, joked with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about launching missiles at Washington, and sat for a famously flattering profile written by none other than Sean Penn.
To his detractors, Hugo Chávez is a clownish authoritarian, willfully pursuing policies bound to turn Venezuela an economic basket case (and giving away a house or two to his supporters along the way). But Chávez has always had a loyal following -- and not just in his own country -- who appreciate his willingness to stand up to the Washington consensus in his own colorful fashion, and who see him as a consistent champion of the poor and downtrodden. With that in mind, here's a brief look at the history of Chávez and his Bolivarian Revolution.
Above, Chávez waves a Venezuelan flag while speaking to supporters after receiving news of his reelection in Caracas on Oct. 7. According to the National Electoral Council, Chávez was reelected with 54.42 percent of the votes, beating opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, who obtained 44.97 percent.
JUAN BARRETO/AFP/GettyImages
