Rafael Caldera
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Rafael Caldera Rodriguez (born 24 January, 1916) was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.
Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party. He first ran for president unsuccessfully in 1946 and tried again every time it was possible until finally succeeding in 1968, winning by a relatively scant 50,000 votes against a recently divided Acción Democrática party. During his first presidency, Caldera was able to pacify the country by granting an amnesty that allowed guerrilla fighters, who had been in clandestinity for almost a decade, to reincorporate to society and participate in politics.
Rafael Caldera's final run for the presidency (94-99) was achieved after splitting from COPEI and becoming the leader of a coalition of disparate independent parties, which barely eked out a win in 1993. During his second presidential period, he pardoned Hugo Chávez, who would eventually succeed him in 1999. Caldera is a leading student of 19th-Century humanist and educator Andrés Bello and has authored multiple books on politics, literature and Christian Democracy.
He is married to Alicia Pietri Montemayor, with whom he has 6 children, Mireya, Juan José, Rafael Tomás, Alicia Helena, Cecilia and Andrés Antonio Caldera Pietri.
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