Short profile of Hugo Chavez ahead of the 10th anniversary of his death. Chavez was a left-wing political figure in Latin America who founded the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement and led two coups before being elected president of Venezuela on 2 February 1999. During his 14 years in office, he took advantage of Venezuela's natural resources - mostly oil - to finance his social policies. He did not finish his last term, and died of cancer on 5 March 2013, leaving the presidency of Venezuela in the hands of Nicolas Maduro. SHORT PROFILE OF HUGO CHAVEZ