Chavez First Elected President of Venezuela 16 Years Ago

For the Venezuelan presidential election of 1998, held on December 6, Hugo Chavez, a career military officer who led a coup against then-president Carlos Andres Perez six years prior squared off against former Carabobo Governor, Henrique Salas Römer. 

This election was different in many ways, including the fact that both candidates represented newly formed parties, in a country solely represented by the parties who signed the Punto Fijo Pact in 1958.

At the beginning of campaign, Chavez well behind in the polls. However, the future socialist leader ran gained momentum with an anti-corruption and anti-poverty platform, condemning the two major parties (COPEI and Democratic Action) that had dominated Venezuelan politics for 40 years.

Despite endorsements from those major parties, Salas’ history and contacts were not enough to defeat Chavez, who won in a landslide with 56.2 percent of votes, the largest percentage of the popular vote by any candidate since 1983.

Chavez, an engaging speaker with a charismatic personality, he was elected his first term as President of Venezuela on a progressive, nationalist platform.

After taking office on February 2 1999, he instituted progressive reforms that achieved significant improvements in the country's education and health system, while also significantly reducing poverty through public fund generatiing from the nationalization of oil through the state petroleum company, PDVSA.

Chavez initiated the "Bolivarian Revolution," built on the ideas of equality from South American liberator Simon Bolivar, which not only looked to make social investments and build much needed infrastructure, but also spurred a social, cultural and political shift towards inclusion for all Venezuelans.

Later, Chavez would emerge not only as a popular regional leader initiating regional integration, but also a recognized World figure who pushed for an international community based on peace and cooperation.