Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez dies

Venezuela's charismatic and controversial president Hugo Chavez has died.

He swept to power in 1998, promising to stamp out corruption and improve the lot of his country's poor.

But as the economy slumped, he was criticised for his autocratic style and his government's harsh suppression of any opposition.

He succeeded in changing Venezuela's constitution to allow him to run for re-election in 2012 - a vote he won, despite battling cancer.

James Robbins looks back at his life.