Venezuela, a country on the northern coast of the South American continent, has been the motherland to many individuals who made a mark in their respective fields, on the basis of their sheer talent and strong determination. Some of these famous people from Venezuela are as follows:
Simon Bolivar
Simon Bolivar, also known as El Libertador, was a revolutionary and a military leader of South America, who eventually went on to become a political leader. Bolivar was born on July 24, 1783, in Caracas, Venezuela. He played an important role in the liberation of a large part of South America from Spanish rule in the 19th century. On his visit to Europe, Bolivar got the opportunity to witness the coronation of Napoleon. This incident sparked the idea of revolution in his mind, so on returning home, he joined the Venezuelan revolution. He was barely in his 20s then. His victory spree came to an abrupt halt, when his forces were defeated by the Royalist army in 1815, and he was exiled to Jamaica. Subsequently, a strong counterattack ensured Bolivar a victory over the Spanish army, following which he established Greater Columbia (comprising Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador). Eventually, a victory in Peru in 1824, led to the end of Spanish rule in the continent, making Bolivar a powerful force in Latin America. His dream of uniting South America though, was never realized, because of political instability triggered by the various separatist movements. Bolivar died due to tuberculosis, a few months after he resigned as the president of Greater Columbia.
Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chavez, a political leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (USPV), is the current president of Venezuela. He was born on July 28, 1954, in Sabaneta, Barinas state, Venezuela. A former military officer, he founded the left-wing Fifth Republic Movement, a socialist political party, after his attempted coup to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez failed in 1992. After spending two years in prison, he was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera. Being a good orator helped Chavez in his political aspirations and he was elected as the president of Venezuela for the first time in 1998. His reforms, popularly known as the 'Bolivarian Revolution', helped him to create his own image, that of a populist leader and champion of the poor. He was re-elected as president for successive terms in 2000 and 2006. A firm advocate of Third World Solidarity, Chavez is a staunch supporter of Fidel Castro, and an ardent critic of former United States President George W. Bush. It is only due to the sheer charisma of this leader, that he is known as the modern-day Simon Bolivar in Venezuela.
Oscar D'León
Oscar D'León, also known by his Spanish nickname El Sonero del Mundo, is a Venezuelan musician whose claim to fame was his salsa music. Oscar was born on July 11, 1943, in Caracas, Venezuela. He took interest in bass guitar at a very early age. While working as an auto mechanic, he would alternate as a bass guitar player for the local conjuntos or ensemble. He was the founder of La Golden Star orchestra and a music group called Los Psicodélicos. In 1972, he formed La Dimension Latina along with musicians Jose Rodriguez, Cesar Monge and Jose Antonio Rojas. In 1976, after quitting La Dimension Latina, Oscar formed La Salsa Mayor. Oscar has made sure that his legacy will be taken forward by his children, who are well-versed in music. Some of his famous salsa dance numbers include songs like Préstame Tu Piel, Deja Que Te Quiera and Esperando Por Ella. He has worked with stars like Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and Luis Enrique. He was the first Latino to have a contract with BBC.
Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio is a former professional baseball player, who played for teams like Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox. He was born on April 29, 1934, in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 17, 1956, playing for Chicago White Sox. Aparicio won the Rookie of the Year and The Sporting News Rookie of the Year awards in his debut year itself. His 2583 games played at shortstop was a record for that position until May 2008. He features in The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time, a book authored by Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig in 1981. In 1984, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, thus becoming the first South American to make it to the list. In 2006, a bronze statue of Luis Aparicio was unveiled at the U.S. Cellular Field to honor this great baseball star.
Simon Bolivar
Simon Bolivar, also known as El Libertador, was a revolutionary and a military leader of South America, who eventually went on to become a political leader. Bolivar was born on July 24, 1783, in Caracas, Venezuela. He played an important role in the liberation of a large part of South America from Spanish rule in the 19th century. On his visit to Europe, Bolivar got the opportunity to witness the coronation of Napoleon. This incident sparked the idea of revolution in his mind, so on returning home, he joined the Venezuelan revolution. He was barely in his 20s then. His victory spree came to an abrupt halt, when his forces were defeated by the Royalist army in 1815, and he was exiled to Jamaica. Subsequently, a strong counterattack ensured Bolivar a victory over the Spanish army, following which he established Greater Columbia (comprising Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador). Eventually, a victory in Peru in 1824, led to the end of Spanish rule in the continent, making Bolivar a powerful force in Latin America. His dream of uniting South America though, was never realized, because of political instability triggered by the various separatist movements. Bolivar died due to tuberculosis, a few months after he resigned as the president of Greater Columbia.
Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chavez, a political leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (USPV), is the current president of Venezuela. He was born on July 28, 1954, in Sabaneta, Barinas state, Venezuela. A former military officer, he founded the left-wing Fifth Republic Movement, a socialist political party, after his attempted coup to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez failed in 1992. After spending two years in prison, he was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera. Being a good orator helped Chavez in his political aspirations and he was elected as the president of Venezuela for the first time in 1998. His reforms, popularly known as the 'Bolivarian Revolution', helped him to create his own image, that of a populist leader and champion of the poor. He was re-elected as president for successive terms in 2000 and 2006. A firm advocate of Third World Solidarity, Chavez is a staunch supporter of Fidel Castro, and an ardent critic of former United States President George W. Bush. It is only due to the sheer charisma of this leader, that he is known as the modern-day Simon Bolivar in Venezuela.
Oscar D'León
Oscar D'León, also known by his Spanish nickname El Sonero del Mundo, is a Venezuelan musician whose claim to fame was his salsa music. Oscar was born on July 11, 1943, in Caracas, Venezuela. He took interest in bass guitar at a very early age. While working as an auto mechanic, he would alternate as a bass guitar player for the local conjuntos or ensemble. He was the founder of La Golden Star orchestra and a music group called Los Psicodélicos. In 1972, he formed La Dimension Latina along with musicians Jose Rodriguez, Cesar Monge and Jose Antonio Rojas. In 1976, after quitting La Dimension Latina, Oscar formed La Salsa Mayor. Oscar has made sure that his legacy will be taken forward by his children, who are well-versed in music. Some of his famous salsa dance numbers include songs like Préstame Tu Piel, Deja Que Te Quiera and Esperando Por Ella. He has worked with stars like Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and Luis Enrique. He was the first Latino to have a contract with BBC.
Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio is a former professional baseball player, who played for teams like Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox. He was born on April 29, 1934, in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 17, 1956, playing for Chicago White Sox. Aparicio won the Rookie of the Year and The Sporting News Rookie of the Year awards in his debut year itself. His 2583 games played at shortstop was a record for that position until May 2008. He features in The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time, a book authored by Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig in 1981. In 1984, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, thus becoming the first South American to make it to the list. In 2006, a bronze statue of Luis Aparicio was unveiled at the U.S. Cellular Field to honor this great baseball star.
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