Article posted: 3/5/2013 9:25 PM

Chavez waged battle for his socialist ideals

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On Jan. 23, 2005, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez helds up a U.S. dollar bill and challenged U.S. President George W. Bush to bet which of them would remain in power longer at a rally in Caracas. Chavez died on Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer.

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In this Aug. 12, 2001, photo, Cuban President Fidel Castro, left, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wave to a crowd while touring Canaima National Park in eastern Venezuela in a canoe. Castro and Chavez celebrated the Cuban leader's 75th birthday a day early with a tour of Venezuelan sights, including Angel Falls.

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In this Jan. 23, 2002, photo, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez waves to supporters during a government march commemorating the anniversary of Venezuelan democracy in Caracas.

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President Hugo Chavez was a former paratroop commander and self-styled “subversive” who waged continual battle for his socialist ideals. He bedeviled the United States and outsmarted his rivals time and again, while using Venezuela’s vast oil wealth to his political advantage.