Juan Manuel Sucre Figarella
Encyclopedia
Juan Manuel Sucre Figarella (1925-1996), was a Venezuelan Army
Brigadier General
who served as Chief of Staff
of the Venezuelan army in the 1970s during the administration of President Rafael Caldera
. He is a member of the Sucre family
and a direct descendant of the War of Independence hero Antonio José de Sucre
.
state in Venezuela
in 1925 he was orphaned at a young age and left to do a lot of the upbringing of his younger siblings Leopoldo
, Ines Matilde, Antonio, Jose Francisco and Guillermo
. All the siblings would go on to achieve great things in their lifetimes, in the field of politics, arts and medicine.
's peacemaking forces (the famous Blue Helmets) in India
in the 1960s during conflicts with Pakistan
.
General Sucre's military career reached a high point when President Caldera named him Jefe de la Casa Militar (Chief of the Military House) which placed General Sucre at the head of all presidential security needs and procedures. Their relationship was a very close one and they remained very close friends for the rest of their lives, bringing together both families as their wives, Alicia Pietri de Caldera and Gisela Garcia de Sucre, also became great friends. During his time as Chief, Sucre had to deal with sporadic but important guerilla movements all over the nation that threatened the stability of the emerging democratic movement.
In February 1974, the last year of Caldera's presidency, Sucre was named Chief of Staff of the Army, the highest office in the Venezuelan Army. He remained in the post till April 1975. As Carlos Andrés Pérez
, a member of Caldera's COPEI
's main rival, Accion Democratica, took the office of President, he replaced Sucre Figarella with Manuel Bereciartu.
, in the 1940s, and fathered eight children. He was a devout Catholic and a member of the Salesian Order of the Roman Catholic Church. He died due to pancreas cancer on August 26th, 1996.
President Caldera would perhaps best sum up his life with his phrase uttered to Sucre Figarella in the 1970s when he said, "General Sucre, you are the General Sucre of the 20th Century", meaning that he was the natural heir to the great Venezuelan hero - and his relative - General Antonio José de Sucre
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
Brigadier General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
who served as Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the Venezuelan army in the 1970s during the administration of President Rafael Caldera
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez 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 is a member of the Sucre family
Sucre family
The Sucre Family is a prominent political family of Venezuela.-Origin:The family was founded in Venezuela, by Carlos Francisco de Sucre Garrido y Pardo, a Flanders-born noble, son of Charles Adrien de Sucre y d'Yves, Marquess of Preux, of Flemish origin, and of María Buenaventura Carolina Isabel...
and a direct descendant of the War of Independence hero Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá , known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , was a Venezuelan independence leader. Sucre was one of Simón Bolívar's closest friends, generals and statesmen.-Ancestry:...
.
Family and Early Life
Born in Tumeremo, BolívarBolívar (state)
Bolívar State , is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital city is Ciudad Bolívar. Bolívar State covers a total surface area of 238,000 km² and in June 30, 2010 had an estimated population of 1,620,359....
state in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in 1925 he was orphaned at a young age and left to do a lot of the upbringing of his younger siblings Leopoldo
Leopoldo Sucre Figarella
Leopoldo Sucre Figarella , was a Venezuelan politician and engineer. A member of the Sucre family Sucre Figarella served as Governor, Minister and Senator during his long and eventful political career. He was nicknamed "The Builder" and "The Czar of Guayana".-Early career:He was born in Tumeremo in...
, Ines Matilde, Antonio, Jose Francisco and Guillermo
Guillermo Sucre
Guillermo Sucre Figarella , is a Venezuelan poet and literary critic born in Tumeremo in the state of Bolivar. He is also a member of the notable Sucre family like his uncle Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre and his older brothers General Juan Manuel Sucre Figarella and Senator Leopoldo Sucre...
. All the siblings would go on to achieve great things in their lifetimes, in the field of politics, arts and medicine.
Military Career
General Sucre graduated from the Academia Militar de Venezuela and went on to complete high military degrees in different areas in Brazil's Escola Superior de Guerra and in the United States. General Sucre went on to serve as a part of the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
's peacemaking forces (the famous Blue Helmets) in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the 1960s during conflicts with Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
General Sucre's military career reached a high point when President Caldera named him Jefe de la Casa Militar (Chief of the Military House) which placed General Sucre at the head of all presidential security needs and procedures. Their relationship was a very close one and they remained very close friends for the rest of their lives, bringing together both families as their wives, Alicia Pietri de Caldera and Gisela Garcia de Sucre, also became great friends. During his time as Chief, Sucre had to deal with sporadic but important guerilla movements all over the nation that threatened the stability of the emerging democratic movement.
In February 1974, the last year of Caldera's presidency, Sucre was named Chief of Staff of the Army, the highest office in the Venezuelan Army. He remained in the post till April 1975. As 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...
, a member of Caldera's COPEI
COPEI
Copei – Social Christian Party of Venezuela is a third way political party in Venezuela. The name stands for Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente...
's main rival, Accion Democratica, took the office of President, he replaced Sucre Figarella with Manuel Bereciartu.
Post-Military Life
After achieving the highest office in his career, General Sucre decided to retire soon after his replacement was put in place. He served as President of Seguros Horizontes, a branch of the Army in charge of providing insurance to officers and others. Later he would serve as President of the supermarket chain Cada and as Vice President of Operations and Security for Banco del Orinoco until the time of his death in 1996.Personal life
Sucre married Gisela García Gruber, a first cousin of diplomat Juan Garcia GruberJuan Garcia Gruber
Juan Manuel García Grüber was a Venezuelan economist, financier, writer and Juan Manuel García Grüber was a [[Venezuela]]n economist, financier, writer and...
, in the 1940s, and fathered eight children. He was a devout Catholic and a member of the Salesian Order of the Roman Catholic Church. He died due to pancreas cancer on August 26th, 1996.
President Caldera would perhaps best sum up his life with his phrase uttered to Sucre Figarella in the 1970s when he said, "General Sucre, you are the General Sucre of the 20th Century", meaning that he was the natural heir to the great Venezuelan hero - and his relative - General Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá , known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , was a Venezuelan independence leader. Sucre was one of Simón Bolívar's closest friends, generals and statesmen.-Ancestry:...