1914 — 2001
The life and work of a man who transformed the face of Venezuela.
Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez was born on February 25, 1914, in Michelena, Táchira state, in the Andean region of Venezuela. Son of Juan Pérez Bustamante and Adela Jiménez, he grew up in a modest household. From a young age he showed discipline and determination, qualities that led him to enroll at the Venezuelan Military Academy in Caracas in 1931, where he graduated with honors as a sub-lieutenant of engineering in 1934.
After graduating, he rose rapidly through the ranks of the Venezuelan Army. He received additional training at Peru's Superior War College. In 1945 he participated in the civic-military coup of October 18 that overthrew President Isaías Medina Angarita. Later, on November 24, 1948, he led alongside other officers the coup d'état that ended the government of Rómulo Gallegos, establishing a Military Junta of Government in which he served as a principal member.
Following the elections of 1952, Pérez Jiménez assumed the presidency on December 2 of that year with the title of Constitutional President. His government adopted the doctrine of the "New National Ideal," an accelerated modernization program that sought to transform the physical environment and improve the living conditions of the Venezuelan people. During his tenure, Venezuela experienced a period of economic stability driven by oil revenues, which were channeled into ambitious infrastructure projects.
His government undertook a construction program unprecedented in Venezuelan history. Among the most emblematic works are: the Caracas–La Guaira Highway, connecting the capital to the central coast; the Ávila Cable Car and the Hotel Humboldt atop El Ávila mountain; the Centro Simón Bolívar Towers (Torres del Silencio); the Central Regional Highway; the Military Circle; the Los Caracas Vacation City; the Paseo Los Próceres; the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas; and numerous hospitals, schools, and public works throughout the national territory.
On January 23, 1958, a civic-military movement brought his government to an end. Pérez Jiménez went into exile, first to the Dominican Republic and then to the United States, where he resided in Miami. In 1963 he was extradited to Venezuela, where he remained imprisoned until 1968. He subsequently settled in Madrid, Spain, where he lived the rest of his years. Despite the distance, he maintained ties with Venezuelan political life, being elected senator in the 1968 elections.
Marcos Pérez Jiménez passed away on September 20, 2001, in Alcobendas, Madrid, at the age of 87. His legacy remains deeply linked to the physical transformation of Venezuela. The infrastructure works built during his government continue in use more than six decades later, and are considered by many as a testament to a vision of progress and modernization for the country. His figure continues to inspire reflection on a defining period in Venezuela's contemporary history.
Michelena, 1914 — Alcobendas, 2001