Ramón José Velásquez
| Ramón José Velásquez | |
|---|---|
Ramón J. Velásquez during his 93rd birthday, 28 November 2009
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| President of Venezuela | |
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In office 5 June 1993 – 2 February 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Octavio Lepage (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Caldera |
| Minister of Communications of Venezuela | |
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In office 1969–1971 |
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| Secretary of the Presidency of Venezuela | |
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In office 1959–1963 |
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| Succeeded by | Manuel Mantilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 November 1916 San Juan de Colón, Táchira, Venezuela |
| Died | 24 June 2014 (aged 97) Caracas, Venezuela |
| Spouse(s) | Ligia Betancourt Mariño (d.2008) |
| Alma mater | Central University of Venezuela |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
Ramón José Velásquez Mujica (28 November 1916 – 24 June 2014) was a Venezuelan political figure. He served as President of Venezuela between 1993 and 1994. He was an important historian, journalist, lawyer and politician.
Velásquez was born in Táchira state, on 28 November 1916. His parents were Ramon Velasquez Ordoñez, a journalist and proofreader for a newspaper and educator Regina Mujica. For his initial studies he was home schooled by his parents in his hometown. He completed his primary education in San Cristóbal Simón Bolívar. In 1935 he traveled to Caracas to finish high school at the Liceo Andres Bello. Velasquez undertook his higher education at the Central University of Venezuela, from which he received a Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences in 1942 and a Law degree in 1943.
Velásquez became a reporter for Últimas Noticias in 1941. Velásquez was the president of El Nacional on two occasions (1964-1968/1979-1981).
As a historian, he had previously subscribed to the usual negative opinions of the Venezuelan dictator Juan Vicente Gómez, but re-examined them in Confidencias imaginarias de Juan Vicente Gómez (1979). (When he became President, he presided over a ceremony renaming Juan Vicente Gómez International Airport in Gómez' honour.) He authored numerous books on Venezuela's political history, being generally considered in his lifetime as Venezuela's foremost Historian. He was President of the National Academy of History.
During the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, Velásquez was jailed for a year for his role at the compilation of the Libro negro de la dictadura (Black book of dictatorship). The files of this book helped expose the crimes of the dictatorial period.
In 1958, as Venezuela transitioned to democracy, Velásquez was elected to the Venezuelan Senate for the state of Tachira, and later to the Venezuelan Chamber of Deputies for the state of Miranda.
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