Venezuelan Statesman. He served as President of Venezuela from 1948 to 1950. Born in Caracas into a military family, he was raised in Paris from age four while his father, General Ramon Delgado Chalbaud, spent 14 years in prison for opposing the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gomez. In 1929 he joined his father and an army of Venezuelan exiles in attempting to seize the port city of Cumana, the first step of a planned overthrow of the Gomez regime; the invasion failed and the General was killed in action. Back in France, Delgado Chalbaud studied civil and military engineering. The death of Gomez in 1935 made a return to his homeland possible, and after completing his studies he joined the Venezuelan Army as a Captain in 1939. Within a few years he was commanding an engineering battalion and was head of research at the Caracas Military Academy. He participated in the 1945 military coup that brought Romulo Gallegos to the Presidency; as a reward he was appointed head of the Ministry of War and Navy, which he reorganized as the Ministry of Defense and used to build his own power base. In 1948 he led a second coup and became head of state as Chairman of a three-man Military Junta. Much of his presidency was mired in a political rivalry with fellow Junta leader Marcos Perez Jimenez. On November 13, 1950, Delgado Chalbaud was kidnapped and assassinated in Caracas. The prime suspect was killed soon after his arrest and both deaths are shrouded in mystery. Many have speculated that Perez Jimenez masterminded the affair in his ultimately successful quest to become dictator of Venezuela.
Venezuelan Statesman. He served as President of Venezuela from 1948 to 1950. Born in Caracas into a military family, he was raised in Paris from age four while his father, General Ramon Delgado Chalbaud, spent 14 years in prison for opposing the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gomez. In 1929 he joined his father and an army of Venezuelan exiles in attempting to seize the port city of Cumana, the first step of a planned overthrow of the Gomez regime; the invasion failed and the General was killed in action. Back in France, Delgado Chalbaud studied civil and military engineering. The death of Gomez in 1935 made a return to his homeland possible, and after completing his studies he joined the Venezuelan Army as a Captain in 1939. Within a few years he was commanding an engineering battalion and was head of research at the Caracas Military Academy. He participated in the 1945 military coup that brought Romulo Gallegos to the Presidency; as a reward he was appointed head of the Ministry of War and Navy, which he reorganized as the Ministry of Defense and used to build his own power base. In 1948 he led a second coup and became head of state as Chairman of a three-man Military Junta. Much of his presidency was mired in a political rivalry with fellow Junta leader Marcos Perez Jimenez. On November 13, 1950, Delgado Chalbaud was kidnapped and assassinated in Caracas. The prime suspect was killed soon after his arrest and both deaths are shrouded in mystery. Many have speculated that Perez Jimenez masterminded the affair in his ultimately successful quest to become dictator of Venezuela.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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