Francisco Arias Cárdenas
| Francisco Arias Cárdenas | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Governor of Zulia | |
|
Assumed office 20 December 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Pablo Pérez Álvarez |
| Deputy to the National Assembly | |
|
In office 1 January 2010 – 20 December 2012 |
|
| Governor of Zulia | |
|
In office January 1996 – August 2000 |
|
| Preceded by | Lolita Aniyar de Castro |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Rosales |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 November 1950 San Cristóbal, Táchira State  Venezuela
|
| Political party |
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (2007-today) |
| Spouse(s) | Margarita Padrón de Arias |
| Alma mater | Military Academy of Venezuela |
| Profession |
Army officer Politician |
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (2007-today)
MVR (2006–2007)
Unión (2001–2004)
Francisco Javier Arias Cárdenas (born 20 November 1950) is a Venezuelan politician and career military officer, and the current governor of Zulia state. He participated in Hugo Chávez's unsuccessful February 1992 coup attempt, being pardoned in 1994 by Rafael Caldera, along with the other conspirators. He was elected Governor of Zulia state in 1995 for the Radical Cause, and challenged Hugo Chávez for the presidency in 2000. He subsequently served as Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN, and deputy to the National Assembly after the 2010 parliamentary elections.
Born at San Cristóbal in Táchira, Arias graduated from the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in Caracas, the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida, and the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, Colombia.
Arias joined Hugo Chávez's clandestine organization, the MBR-200, in 1985, and with Chávez went on to lead a coup attempt against the government of Carlos Andrés Pérez on 4 February 1992. Arias was in charge of the battalion that took over the city of Maracaibo. Despite the success of Arias' battalion, the coup failed when Chávez surrendered to the government. Arias was detained and imprisoned until 1994, when he was pardoned by Rafael Caldera.
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