Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L), accompanied by his wife Marisabel Rodriguez de Chavez, waves to supporters as he arrives February 4, 1999, to preside over a parade in his honor. Chavez was sworn in February 2.
- [BERTRAND PARRES/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (C) poses with Venezuelan Major League Baseball players (L-R) Kelvim Escobar of the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets players Melvin Mora, Roger Cedeno and Edgardo Alfonso June 9, 1999 before the Mets game against the Blue Jays at Shea Stadium in Flushing, NY. Chavez threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the beginning of the game.
- [MATT CAMPBELL/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) and New York Stock Exchange Chairman Richard Grasso (C) wave to the gallery before the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange June 10, 1999. Venezuelan Minister of Planning Jorge Giordani (L) also took part in the closing bell ceremonies.
- [HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP/Getty Images]

Visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 13, 1999.
- [YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images]

Cuban President Fidel Castro (L) talks with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) during their visit to the unknown soldier monument in Campo Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela, October 29, 2000. Castro was on a 5-day official visit to Venezuela.
- [ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (C), Iranian President Muhammad Khatami (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (R) posing for an official photo, September 28, 2000, in Caracas, Venezuela. President Chavez met with the heads of state and oil ministers who attended the OPEC summit which concluded September 28.
- [ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images]

US President George W. Bush (C) sits at the head of the table while meeting with the leaders of the Andean Nations of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela at the start of the 2001 Summit of the Americas on April 20, 2001. From left to right are Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Peruvian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Javier Perez de Cuellar, Bush, Panamanian President Mireya Elisa Moscoso, Colombian President Andres Pastrana and Ecuador President Gustavo Noboa Benjaro. The meeting of 34 democratic leaders from North and South American countries in Quebec City, Canada, was to primarily discuss Free Trade issues between the nations.
- [TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images]

President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez (R) is greeted inside No. 10 Downing Street by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, October 23, 2001. President Chavez was in the UK on a three-day visit.
- [GERRY PENNY/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, wearing the national colors, leads a march towards the Assembly in Caracas on January 23, 2002. The march commemorated the 44th anniversary of the end of Venezuela's last dictatorship under Marcos Pérez Jiménez (1952-58) and the advent of the democratic process.
- [JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reviews the troops in Caracas, Venezeual on May 14, 2002.
- [PRESIDENCIA-MIRAFLORES/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) is greeted by London Mayor Ken Livingstone (L) at City Hall May 15, 2006 in London, England. Chavez was on a two-day trip to the United Kingdom at the time.
- [Scott Barbour/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak at a press conference on July 27, 2006 in Moscow, Russia. The Venezuelan President hailed Russia for defying a U.S. arms blockade by agreeing to sell fighter aircraft to his country. Chavez said agreements would be signed to build plants in Venezuela to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition.
- [Pressphotos/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez attends a signing ceremony (left) with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People on August 24, 2006 in Beijing, China. Chavez was on a 5-day visit to China aimed at bolstering bilateral ties and clinching economic deals on fibre optic telephony and energy.
- [Pool/AFP/Getty Images]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez addresses the United Nations General Assembly September 20, 2006 at the UN in New York City. The annual conference at the U.N. headquarters came at a time when the world community was considering sanctions on Iran.
- [Spencer Platt/AFP/Getty Images]

President Hugo Chavez speaks at a press conference in Miraflores Palace November 30, 2006 in Caracas, Venezuela. Chavez faced off against challenger Manuel Rosales in the presidential election December 3.
- [Mario Tama/AFP/Getty Images]

President Hugo Chavez (C) waves to the crowd after delivering his victory speech at Miraflores Palace following the presidential elections December 3, 2006 in Caracas, Venezuela.
- [Mario Tama/AFP/Getty Images]

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, talks to the press as he arrives at the Santa Clara airport October 14, 2007 in Santa Clara, Cuba.
- [Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photo/AFP/Getty Images]

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani (R) looks for a place next to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (2nd from L) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) as Saudi King Abdullah (2nd from R) and Iraq's President Jalal Talabani (R) look on, a the opening session of the third OPEC Summit on November 17, 2007 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- [Salah Malkawi/AFP/Getty Images]

King Juan Carlos of Spain (R) receives Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) on July 25, 2008 at the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
- [Carlos Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images]

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) accompanies Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) to view an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People on September 24, 2008 in Beijing, China.
- [Guang Niu/AFP/Getty Images]

In this handout image provided by the Palestinian Press Office (PPO), Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) in the Venezuelan capital on November 27, 2009 in Caracas, Venezuela. The leaders met to discuss opening an embassy and stationing an ambassador from Venezuela in Palestine.
- [Handout/AFP/Getty Images]

Nicaraguan supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pray for the health of Chavez in Managua on February 29, 2012.
- [ELMER MARTINEZ/AFP/Getty Images]