"Ugly" Chavez among Venezuela's sexiest men: poll

CARACAS (Reuters) - Hugo Chavez calls himself ugly and his looks earned him the nickname "Goofy" in the military, but the president's image is changing -- he is now considered one of Venezuela's sexiest men.

A poll said on Thursday the fifth-most desired man is Chavez, whose large nose, protruding lips, forehead mole and gap in his front teeth are easy fodder for caricature artists in a South American nation obsessed with beauty,

The poll was commissioned by Fedecamaras, Venezuela's principal business group that was for years openly hostile to Chavez and even helped install one of its leaders as de facto president during a brief 2002 coup against him.

The poll data came from a broader survey of consumer habits and preferences conducted by Venezuelan research group Keystone that consulted 14,123 people in 3,170 homes and included interviews with businesses and telephone surveys.

Chavez, leader of a self-described socialist revolution, is wildly popular among the nation's majority poor. He is also well known for his sometimes vulgar innuendo and flirtation with female supporters -- on live television.

Venezuelans are highly conscious of their appearance, with nips-and-tucks and breast implants common in a nation of beach goers where the annual beauty pageant traditionally draws more viewers than any other TV event.

Those that beat out Chavez for top stud included entertainer Winston Vallenilla of an opposition TV station that the leftist leader shut down earlier this year.

(Reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero; Writing by Brian Ellsworth)