predecessor successor |name birth_place imagesize profession party office birth_date order term_start spouse image article_title term_end alma_mater
pablo pérez Álvarez lolita aniyar de castro manuel rosales francisco arias cárdenas san cristóbal , táchira state venezuela 200px army officer politician united today '' -rrb- socialist party of venezuela -lrb- 2007 - '' governor of zulia of zulia deputy to the national assembly governor 20 november 1950 20px 20px 20 december 2012 1 january 2010 january 1996 margarita padrón de arias francisco arias cárdenas.jpg francisco arias cárdenas
 20 december 2012 august 2000 military academy of venezuela
francisco arias cárdenas

francisco javier arias cárdenas -lrb- born 20 november 1950 -rrb- is a venezuelan politician and career military officer , and the current governor of zulia state .
he participated in hugo chávez 's unsuccessful february 1992 coup attempt , being pardoned in 1994 by rafael caldera , along with the other conspirators .
he was elected governor of zulia state in 1995 for the radical cause , and challenged hugo chávez for the presidency in 2000 .
he subsequently served as venezuelan ambassador to the un , and deputy to the national assembly after the 2010 parliamentary elections .
