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Romulo Betancourt
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Romulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 28 September 1981), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Accion Democratica, Venezuela's dominant political party in the 20th century. He survived an assassination attempt ordered by Rafael Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic. Betancourt, one of Venezuela's most important political figures, led a tumultuous and highly controversial career in Latin American politics. Periods of exile brought Betancourt in contact with various Latin American countries as well as the United States, securing his legacy as one of the few real international leaders to emerge from twentieth-century Latin America. Scholars credit Betancourt as the Founding Father of modern democratic Venezuela. It is important to consider that Venezuela's democracy was achieved on a continent mostly governed by military dictatorships.
Romulo Betancourt was born in Guatire, a town near Caracas, son of Luis Betancourt Bello (from canary origins) and Venezuelan Virginia Bello Milano, being the middle brother between his older sister Teresa and younger sister Helena. Living along with his maternal grandmother Maria Milano Bello and his uncle Luis Bello Milano.
From 1914 to 1920 Betancourt began his formal education at a private school created by the community of Guatire and promoted by his own father. In 1921, he moved along with his family to Caracas for high school, graduating from the Liceo Caracas in 1926, same year in which his mother died. In 1927 he entered the law faculty of Central University of Venezuela, earning the first year notable qualifications, working at the legal desk and at the Bar Association of Caracas, having great interest in literature, writing short stories and trying to establish a literary magazine.
Related websites
Betancourts biography at Venezuelatuya.com
Biography at Efemeridesvenezolanas.com
Betancourt Foundation - Official Page
1Up Info about the Triumph of Democracy
President Kennedy's speech at la Morita
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Romulo Betancourt
