Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel anˈtonjo kalˈdeɾa roˈðɾiɣes]; 24 January 1916 – 24 December 2009),[1] twice elected President of Venezuela, served for two five-year terms (1969–1974 and 1994–1999), becoming the longest serving democratically elected leader to govern the country in the twentieth century.[2]
Rafael Caldera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of Venezuela | |
| In office 2 February 1994 – 2 February 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Ramón José Velásquez |
| Succeeded by | Hugo Chávez |
| In office 11 March 1969 – 12 March 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Raúl Leoni |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Andrés Pérez |
| Senator for Life | |
| In office 12 March 1974 – 2 February 1994 | |
| In office 2 February 1999 – 20 December 1999 | |
| President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of Venezuela | |
| In office 1959–1962 | |
| Solicitor General of Venezuela | |
| In office 26 October 1945 – 13 April 1946 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rafael Antonio Caldrea Rodríguez 24 January 1916 San Felipe, Yaracuy, Venezuela |
| Died | 24 December 2009 (aged 93) Caracas, Venezuela |
| Political party | COPEI (1946–1993) National Convergence (1993–2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Alicia Pietri Montemayor |
| Alma mater | Central University of Venezuela |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Widely acknowledged as one of the founders of Venezuela’s democratic system,[3] the main architect of the 1961 Constitution, and a pioneer of the Christian Democratic movement in Latin America, Caldera helped forge an unprecedented period of civilian democratic rule in a country beleaguered by a history of political violence and military caudillos.[4]
His leadership established Venezuela’s reputation as one of the more stable democracies in Latin America during the second half of the twentieth century.[5]
After graduating with a degree in law and political science from Central University of Venezuela in 1939, Caldera embarked on a 70-year long career that combined political, intellectual and academic activities.
Rafael Caldera Media
The child Rafael Caldera, dressed as a sailor, 1920.
Caldera at nineteen years, 1935.
Rafael Caldera during the High School graduation awards, Colegio San Ignacio, Caracas, 16 October 1931. (Handwritten text): "For my adored mom and dad, a keepsake of my school with total devotion".
Caldera during his engagement to Alicia. Also in the photo: his father, Rafael Caldera Izaguirre, his sister Rosa Elena, and his aunt and uncle (who became his adoptive parents) Maria Eva Rodríguez and Tomás Liscano, at Miracielos, Caracas, 1940.
In the auditorium of the Central University of Venezuela, upon graduating as a lawyer and doctor of Political Science in 1939.
1941. The youngest representative to be appointed to the National Congress, Rafael Caldera was twenty-five years old.
Rafael Caldera during the 1947 Presidential campaign. Arriving at San Cristóbal, Táchira.
Caldera and Mariano Picón Salas during the talk show La Hora Nacional. RCTV, 1958.
Rafael Caldera in his first term, 1969
References
- ↑ Profile of Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez - Encyclopedia Britannica
- ↑ Rafael Caldera - Cognitio
- ↑ John D. Martz, “Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador,” in Jan Knippers Black, ed. Latin America, Its Problems and Its Promise, 2nd ed. (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1991), 439
- ↑ Rafael Caldera: President of Venezuela who helped forge an era of democracy and political stability in his country - Independent
- ↑ 02 Feb 1994 - 02 Feb 1999 - Rafael Caldera Rodríguez - Global Security
Other websites
- (in Spanish) Rafael Caldera Archived 2005-10-29 at Archive.today — Official biography.
- (in Spanish) Rafael Caldera Archived 2006-06-16 at the Wayback Machine — Biography from National Convergence webpage.
- (in Spanish) Speeches and Biography
- (in Spanish) Extended bio by CIDOB Foundation Archived 2013-02-17 at the Wayback Machine