The real story behind the "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees" meme. The story of the Venezuelan Revolution

**Warning: this is a sad story. I'm not trying to turn you into an anti-Ortega. Just tell the truth.**<br><br><br><br>This story is about how a man, who was a national hero, died on 8th October 1999. The man is Hugo Chávez, a man who fought against corruption and poverty, but was killed. <br><br><br><br>Hugo was a national hero, who had a vision of a better future for Venezuela. He wanted to change Venezuela for the better and wanted everyone to be equal, but the corrupt elite would not let him. Hugo became a politician in 1992 and promised to reform Venezuela. He said "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees". <br><br><br><br>But the elite didn't like his message. The elite was made up of rich politicians who had been ruling Venezuela since 1958. They wanted to keep all the power to themselves and the country's wealth to themselves. Hugo was arrested for a failed coup in 1992. But he was released from prison 2 years later. He then ran for president in 1998 and became the President of Venezuela. The people of Venezuela chose Hugo and voted for him. The elite couldn't believe this. How could a man who was just released from prison become President? <br><br><br>He won again in 2000 and became president again. The elite were worried, but Hugo didn't do anything wrong. He promised the people that their voices would be heard and he would represent them. He promised to give free healthcare to all Venezuelans and to educate all the children. But he needed to win another time in order to do everything. But he needed the people's help. In 2002, millions of people took to the streets and protested. The people wanted to save Hugo. They were defending their hero. But there was another coup. Hugo was arrested again in 2002. But this time he fought back. He won back the power he lost. Millions of people went out again and saved him. The elite tried again in 2003 to stop Hugo, but they failed again. Hugo was still President. <br><br><br><br>This was a big victory for the elite. They had lost 3 times. But the elite would never stop. On 8th October 1999, the elite decided to stop Hugo once and for all. They poisoned him and he died. Hugo was a national hero and he fought against corruption and poverty, but was killed. He died defending democracy. He died on his feet. He wanted to be remembered as a man who stood for what was right and fought for justice, not a man who betrayed his country. Hugo is a hero.