By Jane Nambi

Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. He died aged 58.

Born in 1954 28th July in Sabaneta, Barinas state, Hugo Chavez was the son of schoolteachers. He graduated from Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in 1975. He became involved in the revolutionary movements within the armed forces in 1977 but later on in 1981, he returns to the military academy but this time round, as a teacher.

In 1992 at 38 years, Chavez led a coup in a bid to overthrow government of President Carlos Andres Perez. The coup failed and he wa jailed for two years. In 1994, he relaunched his party as the Movement of the Fifth Republic and at the age of 45 in 1999, he took office as the president of the country after winning the 1998 presidential elections.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and started receiving treatment. At this time, his public appearances started to deteriorate. In October 2012, he was re-election for another term but in December of the same year, 2012, he was flown to Cuba for a fourth cancer surgery. This was the last time he was seen in the public eye till his death on 5th March 2013.

Venezuela announced a seven-day mourning for the whole country to mourn Chavez.

Chavez is survived by four daughters, Rosa Virginia, María Gabriela, and Hugo Rafael and Rosinés and grand children.