Adán Chávez

Adán Chávez Frías (born April 11, 1953) is Venezuelan politician who has been Governor of Barinas state since 2008. Previously he was Ambassador to Cuba and then Minister of Education from 2007 to 2008. He is the elder brother of Hugo Chávez, who was President of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013, and of the Mayor of Sabaneta, Barinas, Anibal José Chávez Frías. He has been described as an ultra-leftist.
Adán studied at the University of the Andes. He was involved with pro-guerrilla groups before Hugo. After Hugo was elected as President, he appointed Adán as Ambassador to Cuba. In August 2006, Adán became Presidential Secretary, replacing Delcy Rodríguez, who reportedly disagreed with Hugo Chávez during his international tour. The Charlotte Observer reported that the author of several books on Chávez, Alberto Garrido, argued: "A much more hard-line phase [of Chávez rule] is beginning and Chávez needs a reliable and radical team around him." In January 2007, Hugo appointed Adán as Minister of Education. In 2008, he was elected as Governor of Barinas as the United Socialist Party of Venezuela candidate, replacing his father Hugo de los Reyes Chávez.