Sebastián Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816) The so-called “precursor” to Simón Bolívar, Francisco de Miranda was a Venezuelan patriot who made significant contribution to the cause of Spanish independence. He was born into a wealthy Creole family in modern-day Caracas, and joined the Spanish army in 1772. He fought against the British in Florida and in Morocco, earning high marks for his heroism and bravery. However, he made powerful enemies within the Spanish army and sought refuge in London in 1783. En route, he passed through the United States and made the acquaintance of American dignitaries including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Paine. Infused with the ideals of the American Revolution and the Enlightenment in Europe, he vowed in 1805 to free his homeland from Spanish rule. He led a chaotic invasion in 1806; however, his creole compatriots—including Bolívar—continued the fight, eventually declaring independence in 1811.
Simón Bolivar
Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) Born in Caracas, Venezuela on July 24th, 1783, Bolívar came from a family with extensive plantation holdings, copper mines, and urban property, and close relations to a European lineage. A young Bolívar received tutoring from some of the most enlightened minds in Spanish America who introduced Bolívar to the ideals of enlightenment thinkers like French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau. As Bolívar traveled in Europe at the turn of the century and became more aware of the detriment of Spanish rule, he began to formulate ideas of opposition. By 1805, he vowed to free his homeland—a feat he would accomplish in present day Venezuela by 1819, Peru by 1823, and Bolivia by 1825. By this time, however, Bolivar became increasingly disillusioned by the fact that his dreams for political unity had not yet been realized, and publicly lamented that “America is ungovernable.” Bolivar died on December 17th, 1830 after losing a long battle with tuberculosis. His untimely death at 47 and his resentment towards the failure of Gran Colombia notwithstanding, Bolívar’s legacy as a liberator and republican remains potent in the present, and his spirit continues to be invoked by politicians and intellectuals throughout Modern Latin America.
Rómulo Bentacourt
Rómulo Betancourt (1908-1981) Born in 1908, Betancourt was President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948, and again from 1959 to 1964. Known as the “Father of Venezuelan Democracy,” his first presidency ushered in an era of Democratic politics in Venezuela that earned him the close acquaintance of President Kennedy. However, his principled stance against dictatorships in the region made him the target of assassination by Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, while his moderate reforms lost him the domestic support of the Communist party and radical elements within his AD party. He was sent into exile three times. During his term, Betancourt nationalized Venezuela’s extensive oil assets and allowed Venezuela to join OPEC.
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) Hugo Chávez, was born in 1954 in the small town of Sabaneta. He entered the military academy at seventeen where he served until his political debut—first as an opposition to the president, then later as president himself. Since his ascension to the presidency in 1998, he clashed openly with the United States government, famously calling George W. Bush “el Diablo” before the UN and publicly expressing support and solidarity for deposed Libyan leader Mohammar Gaddafi. He consolidated political power in the executive, and is frequently labeled a dictator despite the presence of nominally democratic elections (in the 2006 round of presidential elections, Chávez won with a resounding 65 percent of the votes.) He retained wide popular support in Venezuela as he purged branches of government that had become corrupt, nationalized oil production, and provided vast social programs. His unexpected death in 2013 led to a hotly contested special election between centrist and reform-minded Henrique Capriles and Chávez’s handpicked successor Nicolas Maduro, in which Maduro triumphed amidst allegations of election fraud.