Nicolás Maduro Moros was born into a working-class family in the El Valle neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela. His father, Nicolás Maduro García, was a trade union leader, and his mother was Teresa de Jesús Moros; he has three sisters, including María Teresa. After high school, in 1986 he spent a year in Cuba receiving ideological training, his only post-secondary formal education. Returning to Venezuela, he worked as a bus driver for the Caracas metro system and quickly ascended to leadership in the transit workers' union. Maduro's political ascent began with support for Hugo Chávez's 1992 coup attempt. Elected to Venezuela's National Assembly in 1998, he chaired the Foreign Relations Committee before being appointed Foreign Minister in 2006, a role he held until 2012, strengthening alliances with Cuba, Iran, and others. Chávez designated him Vice President in 2012 and successor. He has served as President of Venezuela since 2013, facing severe economic turmoil, including hyperinflation, shortages, and sanctions from the U.S., which accuses him of narco-trafficking, corruption, election fraud, and has led regime change efforts targeting him, including bounties for information leading to his arrest. He remains a polarizing figure.