Ministry of Defense (Venezuela)

Ministry of People's Power for Defense
Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa
Seal of the Ministry of People's Power for Defense
Flag

Ministry of Defense in Caracas.
Ministry overview
FormedApril 19, 1810 (1810-04-19) (as War and Navy Bureau)
JurisdictionGovernment of Venezuela
HeadquartersCaracas, Venezuela
10°27′38.9″N 66°53′58.4″W / 10.460806°N 66.899556°W / 10.460806; -66.899556 (Ministry of Defense)
Minister responsible

The Venezuelan Ministry of People's Power for Defense (Spanish: Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa), abbreviated M.P.P.D., is the federal-level organization responsible for maintaining the Venezuelan armed forces. Since March 2026, the ministry has been headed by General Gustavo González López. The ministry coordinates numerous counter-narcotics operations (e.g., Operation Sierra through the CUFAN organ), helps perform various civil support and social development programs, and oversees the conventional military capabilities of Venezuela.

History

  • 1810 Established as War and Navy Bureau
  • 1863 Ministry of War
  • 1874 Ministry of War and Navy
  • 1946 Became Ministry of National Defense
  • 1951 Name amended to Ministry of Defense
  • 2007 Renamed Ministry of People's Power for Defense by presidential decree

Lists of ministers of defense

Ministers of defense of the Republic of Venezuela
# Minister Period President
Beginning of term End of term
1 Commander Lino de Clemente 1810 1814 Cristóbal Mendoza
Francisco Espejo
Francisco de Miranda
Simón Bolívar
2 Tomás Montilla 1817 1821 Simón Bolívar
3 Major General Pedro Briceño Méndez 1821 1825 Simón Bolívar
4 Lieutenant General Carlos Soublette 1825 1828 Simón Bolívar
5 Genera lRafael Urdaneta 1828 1829 Simón Bolívar
6 Lieutenant General Carlos Soublette 1829 1835 José Antonio Páez
7 Francisco Conde 1835 1835 José María Vargas
8 Francisco Hernáiz 1836 1837 José María Vargas
Andrés Navarte
9 Guillermo Smith 1837 1839 Carlos Soublette
10 General Rafael Urdaneta 1839 1847 José Antonio Páez
Carlos Soublette
11 Francisco Mejía 1847 1858 José Tadeo Monagas
José Gregorio Monagas
José Tadeo Monagas
12 Domingo Hernández 1858 1861 Julián Castro
Manuel Felipe Tovar
13 Lieutenant General Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual 1863 1864 Juan Crisóstomo Falcón
14 Major General José Ruperto Monagas 1864 1870 Juan Crisóstomo Falcón
José Ruperto Monagas
15 José Ignacio Pulido 1870 1874 Antonio Guzmán Blanco
16 Major General Joaquín Crespo 1874 1877 Antonio Guzmán Blanco
17 Major General Ramón Guerra 1892 1894 Joaquín Crespo
18 José Ignacio Pulido 1899 1902 Cipriano Castro
19 Ramón Guerra 1902 1903 Cipriano Castro
20 José María García Gómez 1903 1903 Cipriano Castro
21 Manuel Salvador Araujo 1903 1904 Cipriano Castro
22 Joaquin Garrido 1904 1905 Cipriano Castro
23 José María García Gómez 1905 1906 Cipriano Castro
24 Brigadier Diego Bautista Ferrer (acting) 1906 1906 Cipriano Castro
25 Manuel Salvador Araujo 1906 1907 Cipriano Castro
26 Major General Diego Bautista Ferrer 1907 1908 Cipriano Castro
27 Major General Régulo Olivares 1908 1911 Juan Vicente Gómez[1]
28 Manuel Vicente Castro Zavala 1911 1912 Juan Vicente Gómez
29 Ismael Pereira Álvarez 1912 1913 Juan Vicente Gómez
30 Victorino Márquez Bustillos 1913 1914 Juan Vicente Gómez
31 Carlos Jiménez Rebolledo 1914 1929 Victorino Márquez Bustillos
Juan Vicente Gómez
32 Brigadier Tobías Utribe 1929 1931 Juan Bautista Pérez
33 Major General Eleazar López Contreras 1931 1935 Juan Vicente Gómez
34 Brigadier Antonio Chalboud Cardona 1935 1936 Eleazar López Contreras
35 Major General Isaias Medina Angarita 1936 1941 Eleazar López Contreras
36 Brigadier Antonio Chalboud Cardona 1941 1942 Isaias Medina Angarita
37 Major General Juan de Cios Celis Paredes 1942 1943 Isaias Medina Angarita
38 Carlos Meyer 1943 1943 Isaias Medina Angarita
39 Brigadier Manuel Morán 1943 1945 Isaias Medina Angarita
40 Major General Delfín Becerra 1945 1945 Isaias Medina Angarita
41 Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Delgado Chalbaud 1945 1948 Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Gallegos
42 Lieutenant Colonel Marcos Pérez Jiménez 1948 1953 Carlos Delgado Chalbaud
Germán Suárez Flamerich
Marcos Pérez Jiménez
43 Colonel Oscar Mazzei Carta 1953 1958 Marcos Pérez Jiménez
44 Major General Rómulo Fernández 1958 1958 Marcos Pérez Jiménez
45 Major General Marcos Pérez Jiménez (acting) 1958 1958 Marcos Pérez Jiménez
46 Major General Jesús Castro León 1958 1958 Rómulo Betancourt[2]
47 Brigadier Josué López Hernández 1958 1961 Rómulo Betancourt
48 Brigadier Antonio Briceño Linares 1961 1964 Rómulo Betancourt
49 Major General Ramón Florencio Gómez 1964 1969 Raúl Leoni
50 Major General Marín García Villasmil 1969 1971 Rafael Caldera
51 Major General Jesús Carbonel Izquierdo 1971 1972 Rafael Caldera
52 Gustavo Pardi Dávila 1972 1974 Rafael Caldera
53 Homero Leal Torres 1974 1976 Carlos Andrés Pérez
54 Francisco Álvarez Torres 1979 1977 Carlos Andrés Pérez
55 Francisco Paredes Bello 1977 1979 Carlos Andrés Pérez
Luis Herrera Campins
56 Luis Rangel Burgoing 1979 1980 Luis Herrera Campins
57 Tomás Abreu Rescaniere 1980 1981 Luis Herrera Campins
58 Bernardo Leal Puchi 1981 1982 Luis Herrera Campins
59 Vicente Narváez Churión 1982 1983 Luis Herrera Campins
60 Humberto Alcalde Álvarez 1983 1984 Luis Herrera Campins
Jaime Lusinchi
61 Andrés Brito Martínez 1984 1986 Jaime Lusinchi
62 José Cardozo Grimaldi 1986 1987 Jaime Lusinchi
63 Major General Eliodoro Guerrero 1987 1988 Jaime Lusinchi
64 Major General Italo del Valle Alliegro 1988 1989 Jaime Lusinchi
Carlos Andrés Pérez
65 Major General Filmo López Uzcátegui 1989 1990 Carlos Andrés Pérez
66 Héctor Jurado Toro 1990 1991 Carlos Andrés Pérez
67 Fernándo Ochoa Antich 1991 1992 Carlos Andrés Pérez
68 Iván Jiménez Sánchez 1992 1993 Carlos Andrés Pérez
Octavio Lepage
Ramón José Velásquez
69 Radamés Muñoz León 1993 1993 Ramón José Velásquez
70 Rafael Montero Ravette 1993 1995 Ramón José Velásquez
Rafael Caldera
71 Moisés Orozco Graterol 1995 1996 Rafael Caldera
72 Pedro Valencia Vivas 1996 1997 Rafael Caldera
73 Rear Admiral (upper half)
Tito Rincón		 1997 1999 Rafael Caldera
74 Major General Raúl Salazar 1999 1999 Hugo Chávez
75 Major General Ismael Hurtado 1999 2000 Hugo Chávez
76 Major General José Vicente Rangel 2000 2002 Hugo Chávez
77 Lieutenant General Lucas Rincón Romero 2002 2002 Hugo Chávez
78 Major General José Luis Prieto 2002 2004 Hugo Chávez
79 Lieutenant General Jorge Luis García Carneiro 2004 2005 Hugo Chávez
80 Vice Admiral Orlando Maniglia 2005 2006 Hugo Chávez
81 General Raúl Baduel 2006 2007 Hugo Chávez
82 General Gustavo Rangel Briceño 2007 2009 Hugo Chávez
83 Lieutenant General Ramón Carrizales 2009 2010 Hugo Chávez
84 General Carlos Mata Figueroa 2010 2012 Hugo Chávez
85 General Henry Rangel Silva 2012 2012 Hugo Chávez
86 Admiral Diego Molero 2012 5 July 2013 Hugo Chávez
Nicolás Maduro
87 Admiral Carmen Meléndez 5 July 2013 24 October 2014 Nicolás Maduro
88 General Vladimir Padrino López 24 October 2014 18 March 2026 Nicolás Maduro
Delcy Rodríguez
89 General Gustavo González López 18 March 2026 Incumbent Delcy Rodríguez

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gobierno de Juan Vicente Gómez 1908- 1935 (Venezuela)". Monografias (in Spanish). 16 December 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Sitio Web del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa. Caracas - Venezuela - Ex-Ministros". www.mindefensa.gov.ve. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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