Edgar C. Otálvora
Encyclopedia
Edgar C. Otálvora is a Venezuelan intellectual, journalist, and politician who has held government and diplomatic positions. He is an expert in international politics and economics, and has distinguished himself as an analyst of Latin American topics, with a focus on military, diplomatic, and political issues. He has been a columnist in Venezuelan newspapers, in addition to directing the newspaper El Nuevo Pais
in Caracas from 2006 to 2010. He is a professor at the Central University of Venezuela
. He has been a close collaborator of former Venezuelan president Ramón J. Velásquez. He has cultivated the biographical genre, being the first to write biographies of the 19th century Venezuelan presidents Raimundo Andueza Palacio and Juan Pablo Rojas Paul
, as well as the Colombian president Virgilio Barco Vargas
.
.
In 1989, he was named Executive Secretary of the Presidential Committee for Colombian-Venezuelan Border Issues (COPAF). In 1993 he began the role of General Director of the Ministry of the Secretariat of the Presidency, alongside Ramón J. Velásquez, who would be declared president by the National Congress after a case was opened against then-president Carlos Andrés Pérez
. From 1994 to 1999 he was Chief of the Political Departments of the Venezuelan embassies in Bogotá
and Brasilia
, as well as Consul General in Belém do Pará, Brazil
. He has been a consultant and advisor for Hewlett-Packard
NCA Latin America, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
.
in Caracas and, soon after, in the newspaper El Universal
as a critic in the Cultural Pages directed by Sofía Ímber. In the mid-1990s, he directed the magazine Venezuela en Colombia, edited in Bogotá
. Specializing in topics in Latin American politics, he wrote the column Mirando el Vecindario (Looking Around the Neighborhood) in the newspaper El Mundo (Venezuela)
from 2004 to 2006. Upon taking the role of director of the newspaper El Nuevo Pais, he began production of Informe Otálvora, appearing in numerous online publications in Latin America.
in Caracas from 2006 to 2010. He is a professor at the Central University of Venezuela
Central University of Venezuela
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...
. He has been a close collaborator of former Venezuelan president Ramón J. Velásquez. He has cultivated the biographical genre, being the first to write biographies of the 19th century Venezuelan presidents Raimundo Andueza Palacio and Juan Pablo Rojas Paul
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl was President of Venezuela from 1888 to 1890. He was the first civilian president who was elected by constitutional procedures in 50 years, and the only one who could finish his term properly, until 74 years later.Elected by Antonio Guzmán like his successor, Rojas tried to...
, as well as the Colombian president Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party and served as president of Colombia from August 7, 1986 until August 7, 1990....
.
Public career
He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Andes, Venezuela in 1982 and in 2003 was awarded a Master’s degree in History of the Americas. He has taught at the School of International Studies and the graduate History of the Americas program at the Central University of VenezuelaCentral University of Venezuela
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...
.
In 1989, he was named Executive Secretary of the Presidential Committee for Colombian-Venezuelan Border Issues (COPAF). In 1993 he began the role of General Director of the Ministry of the Secretariat of the Presidency, alongside Ramón J. Velásquez, who would be declared president by the National Congress after a case was opened against then-president Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
. From 1994 to 1999 he was Chief of the Political Departments of the Venezuelan embassies in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, as well as Consul General in Belém do Pará, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He has been a consultant and advisor for Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
NCA Latin America, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Friedrich Ebert Foundation
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation is a German political foundation associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany , yet independent of it...
.
Journalism career
His journalism career began in 1980 as a columnist for the Diario Frontera in Mérida. He was part of the writing team of the Revista AZUL of the University of the Andes . His opinion columns were first published in 1982 in the newspaper El NacionalEl Nacional
El Nacional is a Venezuelan publishing company under the name C.A. Editorial El Nacional, most widely known for its El Nacional newspaper. It, along with Últimas Noticias and El Universal, are the most widely read and circulated daily national newspapers in the country, and it has an average of...
in Caracas and, soon after, in the newspaper El Universal
El Universal (Caracas)
El Universal is a major Venezuelan newspaper, headquartered in Caracas with an average daily circulation of about 150,000. The online version carries news, politics, sports, economy and more....
as a critic in the Cultural Pages directed by Sofía Ímber. In the mid-1990s, he directed the magazine Venezuela en Colombia, edited in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. Specializing in topics in Latin American politics, he wrote the column Mirando el Vecindario (Looking Around the Neighborhood) in the newspaper El Mundo (Venezuela)
El Mundo (Venezuela)
El Mundo is a Venezuelan evening newspaper.It was launched on 3 February 1958 in Caracas, shortly after the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez on 23 January 1958. It was founded by Miguel Ángel Capriles Ayala, who had launched Ultimas Noticias in 1941...
from 2004 to 2006. Upon taking the role of director of the newspaper El Nuevo Pais, he began production of Informe Otálvora, appearing in numerous online publications in Latin America.
Books and Academic Articles
- CASTRO & CHAVEZ (English edition) (2011) ASINAsínAsín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
B005KT1IN4 - Un Barco Liberal (2011). (Biography of Virgilio Barco VargasVirgilio Barco VargasVirgilio Barco Vargas was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party and served as president of Colombia from August 7, 1986 until August 7, 1990....
) ASINAsínAsín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
B0050D1QAA - Cooperación, integración o fusión militar en Suramérica (Cooperation, integration or merging of the armed forces in South America) in "Venezuela en el contexto de la seguridad regional" (Caracas, ILDIS, 2007)
- Retos y perspectivas de la integración energética en América Latina.(Coauthor). Kart-Peter Schütt y Flavio Carucci (Coordinators). (Caracas, ILDIS - Fundación Friedriech Ebert, 2007)
- Raimundo Andueza Palacio. (Biography).(Caracas, Biblioteca Biográfica Venezolana-Diario El Nacional, 2006)
- Aproximación a la agenda de seguridad de Venezuela con Brasil. (Approach to the security of Venezuela with Brazil agenda) (Caracas, ILDIS - Fundación Friedriech Ebert, 2005)
- Juan Pablo Rojas PaúlJuan Pablo Rojas PaúlJuan Pablo Rojas Paúl was President of Venezuela from 1888 to 1890. He was the first civilian president who was elected by constitutional procedures in 50 years, and the only one who could finish his term properly, until 74 years later.Elected by Antonio Guzmán like his successor, Rojas tried to...
. (Biography).(Caracas, Biblioteca Biográfica Venezolana-Diario El Nacional, 2005) - La Crisis de la Corbeta Caldas. (The Crisis of the Corvette Caldas). (Caracas, Editorial Pomaire, 2003). Includes biographies of the former presidents Jaime Lusinchi and Virgilio Barco Vargas.
- RJV: La red de Liberales y Socialdemócratas. (RJV: Liberals and Social Democrats network) in "Ramón J. Velásquez. Estudios sobre una trayectoria al servicio de Venezuela". (Caracas, Universidad MetropolitanaUniversidad MetropolitanaThe Metropolitan University was founded in 1970 by a group of entrepreneurs led by Eugenio Mendoza Goiticoa in the terrains donated by the businessman Pius Schlageter, father of the venezuelan painter Eduardo Schlageter. It is located in the city of Caracas, Venezuela, near Petare.Today, the...
- Universidad de los Andes-Núcleo Táchira, 2003) - Frontera en Tiempos de Globalización: El proyecto ZIF. (Border in times of globalization: the ZIF project) (Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Vol. 9, No.1, enero-abril 2003)
- La Paz Ramónica. (The Ramónica peace. Diary of a transitional Government in Venezuela). (Caracas, Editorial Pomaire, 1994)
- Eustoquio. (Biography of :es:Eustoquio Gómez). (Caracas, Editorial Pomaire, 1993. Second Edition)
- La Frontera Occidental Venezolana: Un análisis tendencial (The border West of Venezuela: A trend analysis). In "La Frontera Occidental Venezolana. Propuestas de Política". (Coauthor). (Caracas, Comisión Presidencial para Asuntos Fronterizos Colombo-Venezolanos, 1992)
- El Estado venezolano en la era del Pacman: La política informática del Estado venezolano. (The Venezuelan State in the era of Pacman) In "27 Temas sobre Venezuela". (Caracas, Ediciones del Congreso de la República, 1988)