Heydar Aliyev , the third and former president of Azerbaijan (1993-2003) lived ( May 10, 1923 - December 12, 2003 ), took the leadership of his oil-rich country for three decades, but he was not loved by everyone but he was for most of the population the only leader they knew and many They admire and respect him and call him the "father". Aliyev has often been accused of being responsible for corruption that has enriched his allies from oil revenues while half the population lives below the poverty line. His country is a big strategy, especially for the West. It has large oil reserves in the Caspian Sea, exploited by Western companies, and Washington considers it a friendly buffer zone between Russia in the north and Iran in the south.