predecessor successor birth_name birth_place death_date death_place party article_title office birth_date order term_start signature image spouse term_end name
isaías medina angarita edgar sanabria rómulo gallegos raúl leoni rómulo ernesto betancourt bello guatire , miranda state , venezuela 28 september 1981 new york city , united states acción democrática rómulo betancourt
 senator for life 22 february 1908 president of venezuela 19 october 1945 february 13 , 1959 1964 firma betancourt.png rb 1975.jpg carmen -rrb- renée hartmann viso -lrb- 1920-1991 -rrb- valverde -lrb- div . -rrb- -lrb- d. 1977 17 february 1948 march 13 , 1964 1981 rómulo betancourt
rómulo betancourt

rómulo ernesto betancourt bello -lrb- 22 february 1908 -- 28 september 1981 ; -rrb- , 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 acción democrática , venezuela 's dominant political party in the 20th century .
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 20th-century latin america .
scholars credit betancourt as the founding father of modern democratic venezuela .
rómulo betancourt was a very close friend of the governor of puerto rico , luis muñoz marín , visiting the island often and frequently exchanging political views with him , viewing him as a political advisor on democracy .
although they disagreed on certain issues they remained faithful friends .
on one occasion in 1963 , he refused to attend the inauguration of juan bosch as president of the dominican republic if bosch did not extend an invitation to muñoz marín , who had provided a safe haven for bosch and various members of his political party in puerto rico .
betancourt attended the funeral of his friend in 1980 .
