Elena Frías de Chávez is the mother of Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

n president Hugo Chávez

Hugo Chávez

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

 and is the former First Lady of the state of Barinas

Barinas (state)

Barinas State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barinas. Current President Hugo Chávez was born in this state...

. She grew up in the village of San Hipólito, close to the capital city of Barinas

Barinas, Barinas

Barinas is a city in west central Venezuela. According to an estimate in 2009, its population is 251,535. It is the capital of the Barinas Municipality and the State of Barinas...

, and met her husband, Hugo de los Reyes Chávez

Hugo de los Reyes Chávez

Hugo de los Reyes Chávez was a regional director of education and subsequently rose to prominence as a member of the Social Christian Party COPEI. He was governor of Barinas in Venezuela...

, when she was 16 and he was 19 and working as a rural schoolteacher. She has raised 6 sons, including Hugo, her second born.