WhenHugoChávezstormedtopowerinVenezuelain1998hepromisedtotransformthelivesofthepoor.Butnow20yearson,90percentoffamiliesinVenezuelasaytheydonothaveenoughtoeat-andtheUnitedNationspredictsthatoverfivemillionpeoplewillhavefledthecountrybytheendof2019.Chávezwasatthehelmofthecountrywiththelargestprovenoilreservesintheworld,andsetaboutspendingVenezuela’svastoilwealth.AroundtheworldhewashailedasanewhopeforSocialismbysomepoliticians.Aprecursortomanyoftoday’spopulistleaders,ChávezbypassedtraditionalmediaandspokedirectlytothepeoplethroughhisweeklyliveTVshow.Toldbymanyofthosewhoknewhim,thisisthestoryofincredibleshort-termachievementsinhealthandeducation,butalsoofthetragiclegacyofhisidealism,populismandruthlesspursuitofabsolutepower.Withpopulistmovementsincreasinglytakingpowerincountriesaroundtheworld,it’sastorythat'snowmorerelevantthanever.PartofBBCTwo’saward-winingThisWorldstrandccc