Hugo Chávez first took power in Venezuela after winning the presidential election on 6 December 1998 and was officially sworn in as president on 2 February 1999.

Key dates

  • Election victory: Chávez was elected president of Venezuela on 6 December 1998, marking the political breakthrough of his “Bolivarian” project at the ballot box.
  • Inauguration (takes office): He formally assumed the presidency on 2 February 1999, which is the date he officially took power as head of state.
  • Length of rule: Chávez remained president from 1999 until his death in 2013, reshaping Venezuela’s political system during this period.

Quick Scoop: why it mattered

  • His rise ended decades of traditional two-party dominance in Venezuela and opened an era of populist, oil-funded “Bolivarian Revolution.”
  • Early on, he pushed through a new constitution in 1999 that expanded presidential powers and restructured state institutions, consolidating his authority.

Mini context and forum-style note

  • In many political and forum discussions, people use 1999 as the shorthand for “when Chávez took power,” since that’s when he actually assumed office and began governing, even though the electoral turning point was December 1998.
  • Debates online often contrast initial popular hope in 1998–1999 with the later economic crisis and political polarization that deepened under his rule and after his death.

TL;DR: Chávez won the presidency on 6 December 1998 and took power when he was sworn in as president on 2 February 1999.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.