Hugo Chávez's Venezuela by the Numbers

Hugo Chávez died Tuesday afternoon after a battle with cancer; he was 58. After winning his first election in 1998 he served as president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death—he was briefly removed during a failed coup attempt in 2002. Venezuelans and the international community will debate his legacy for years to come. He all but silenced the opposition, nationalised industries, and appropriated foreign property for the state.

Despite these failings he was elected four times by the Venezuelan public. From the perspective of the voting masses, however, they saw the profits from the drastic increase in oil exports partially invested in social works programmes that helped reduce Venezuela's poverty rates.

These are just a few sets of data that attempt to show that while the diminutive Mr. Chávez's personality was monolithic, his legacy and place in history shall surely be more cause for division. His eventual successor will face significant economic challenges amongst others.