José Antonio Páez

President of Venezuela

13 June 1790 Curpa, Portuguesa, Captaincy General of Venezuela

6 May 1873(1873-05-06) (82) New York City, New York, U.S.

13 January 1830 – 20 January 1835

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Páez and the second or maternal family name is Herrera. José Antonio Páez Herrera (Spanish pronunciation:  ; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan leader who fought against the Spanish Crown for Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He later led Venezuela's independence from Gran Colombia. He dominated the country's politics for most of the next two decades once the country had achieved independence from Gran Colombia, serving either as president of Venezuela (1830–1835; 1839–1843; 1861–1863) or as the power behind puppet presidents. He is considered a prime example of a 19th-century South American caudillo, and imbued the country with a legacy of authoritarian rule that lasted, with few exceptions, until 1958. He lived in Buenos Aires and New York City during his years in exile and died in the latter in 1873.