José Antonio Páez

José Antonio Páez Herrera (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse anˈtonjo ˈpaes eˈreɾa]; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan politician and military officer who served as the president of Venezuela three times. The first as the 5th president from 1830 to 1835, the second as the 8th president from 1839 to 1843, and the third as the 15th president from 1861 to 1863. He fought against the Spanish Crown for Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. Páez later led Venezuela's independence from Gran Colombia.

Páez dominated the country's politics for most of the next three decades once the country had achieved independence from Gran Colombia, serving either as president or as the power behind puppet presidents. He is considered a prime example of a 19th-century South American caudillo, saddling the country with a legacy of authoritarian rule that lasted with only a few breaks until 1958. He lived in Buenos Aires and New York City during his years in exile and died in the latter in 1873.