Index V

Va'aletoa

Väänänen, Pentti (b. Feb. 12, 1945, Haapamäki, Finland - d. July 17, 2020, Helsinki, Finland), secretary-general of the Socialist International (1983-89).

Vacaroiu

Vacaroiu, Nicolae (Gh.) (b. Dec. 5, 1943, Bolgrad, Romania [now in Ukraine]), prime minister of Romania (1992-96). He was president of the Senate in 2000-08. In April-May 2007 he was acting president during the suspension of Pres. Traian Basescu.

Vacca, Giuseppe (b. July 6, 1810, Naples, Kingdom of Naples [now in Italy] - d. Aug. 6, 1876, Naples), justice minister of Italy (1864-65).

Vacchelli, Pietro (b. April 21, 1837, Cremona, Austria [now in Italy] - d. Feb. 3, 1913, Rome, Italy), treasury minister (1898-99) and finance minister (1905-06) of Italy.

Vacek, Miroslav (b. Aug. 29, 1935, Kolín, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic] - d. Dec. 31, 2022, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), defense minister of Czechoslovakia (1989-90). He was also chief of the General Staff (1987-89).

Vacher, Joseph Henri Alfred (b. Jan. 25, 1862, Arlanc, Puy-de-Dôme, France - d. 19...), governor of Martinique (1913-14).

Vachov, Dimitur (Kostov) (b. Jan. 30 [Jan. 18, O.S.], 1855, Lovech, Ottoman Empire [now in Bulgaria] - d. Dec. 4, 1922, Sofia, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. He was chairman of the National Assembly (1899, 1913-19) and education minister (1899-1900).

Vacietis, Martins (b. Jan. 2, 1873, Ledurga parish, Russia [now in Latvia] - d. March 19, 1945, Riga, Latvian S.S.R.), war minister of Latvia (1929-31).

Václavík, Milán (b. March 31, 1928, Predmier, Czechoslovakia [now in Slovakia] - d. Jan. 2, 2007, Tábor, Czech Republic), defense minister of Czechoslovakia (1985-89).

Vader, Artur (Pavlovich) (b. Feb. 16, 1920, Gorbovo, Belorussia [now in Vitsebsk voblasts, Belarus] - d. May 25, 1978, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian S.S.R. (1970-78). He was also a deputy premier (1963-64).

Vadier, Joseph Zébédée Olivier (b. Sept. 21, 1881 - d. June 10, 1963), governor of French Guinea (1932-36).

Vadillo (Ortega), Basilio (b. July 14, 1885, Zapotitlán [now Zapotitlán de Vadillo], Jalisco, Mexico - d. July 25, 1935, Montevideo, Uruguay), governor of Jalisco (1921-22). He was also Mexican minister to Norway and Denmark (1923-24), the Soviet Union (1924-28), and Uruguay (1932-35) and president of the National Revolutionary Party (1930).

Vadillo (y Hernández-Ibarrondo), José Manuel de (b. Jan. 22, 1773, Cádiz, Spain - d. Jan. 8, 1858, Cádiz), acting first secretary of state (1823) and interior minister (1837) of Spain. He was also minister of overseas administration (1822-23).

Vadiveloo Govindasamy, Tan Sri (b. 1932? - d. Oct. 19, 2024, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Malaysian politician. He was president of the Dewan Negara (1992-95). He was awarded the titles Dato' (1989) and Tan Sri (1994).

Vaea

Vaea (of Houma), Baron, original name Sia'osi Tu'ihala Alipate Tupou (b. May 15, 1921 - d. June 7, 2009, Houma, Tongatapu, Tonga), prime minister of Tonga (1991-2000); nephew of Salote Tupou III; cousin of Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. He served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1942 to 1945. He entered the civil service in 1945 and was aide-de-camp to Queen Salote Tupou III prior to being appointed governor of Ha'apai (1960-68). From 1969 to 1972, he was Tonga's high commissioner to the U.K.; in 1970 he was appointed baron. He returned home in 1973 to become the first minister of labour, commerce, and industries, and in 1975 was also appointed minister of agriculture and forestry. He also acted as deputy prime minister on numerous occasions, and as minister of education, civil aviation, tourism, marine and ports, and of finance. In 1991, despite applying for retirement, he was appointed prime minister, replacing Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake who resigned because of ill health.

Vafiadis, Markos (b. Jan. 28, 1906, Theodosia, Ottoman Empire [now Tosya, Turkey] - d. Feb. 22, 1992, Athens, Greece), Greek insurgent. He came to Greece in 1923 in the great population exchange after the unsuccessful Greek campaign against the Turks. He joined the Communist Party (KKE) in 1929 and was imprisoned or sent to internal exile on several occasions for seditious activities, provoking strikes, agitation, and similar charges. He headed ELAS, the armed force of the EAM (National Liberation Front), in western Macedonia during the German occupation in World War II. After the war he rose to commander (under the title General Markos) of the Communist-led Democratic Army, which began a guerrilla campaign against the royalist government in 1946. In December 1947 he proclaimed a provisional Greek government in the north with himself as prime minister, but it was never internationally recognized. Due to the material support received from Yugoslavia, he disagreed with demands from Moscow that the KKE line up against Titoism and was ousted from his command (August 1948) and sent to Albania, though orders were still issued in his name. In 1949 he was officially removed from his posts and sent to Moscow. When U.S.-backed royalist troops crushed the rebels that year, after Tito closed the border, his position seemed to have been justified. He was nevertheless purged from the exiled KKE in 1950. After the Stalinist secretary-general Nikos Zachariadis was himself purged in 1956, Vafiadis was rehabilitated and served on the Politburo (1957-58). He was stripped of his membership again in 1964 but, after a split in 1968, was restored in 1969 to the "Eurocommunist" KKE-Interior. He returned to Greece in March 1983 after a general amnesty was declared, and in 1989 and 1990 he was elected to parliament on the ticket of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement.

Vagapov, Sabir (Akhmedyanovich) (b. May 10 [April 27, O.S.], 1904, Duvan-Mechetlino, Ufa province [now in Bashkortostan republic], Russia - d. Aug. 13, 1993, Ufa, Russia), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (1940-46) and first secretary of the Communist Party committee (1946-53) of the Bashkir A.S.S.R.

Vaghela

Vaghela, Shankersinh (Laxmansinh) (b. July 21, 1940, Vasan [now in Gandhinagar district, Gujarat], India), chief minister of Gujarat (1996-97). He was also Indian minister of textiles (2004-09).

Vagi, Legu (b. Feb. 28, 1950), foreign minister of Papua New Guinea (1985-86). He was also minister of transport (1986-87) and police (1987).

Vagianis, Konstantinos, Turkish Kostaki Vayanis Efendi (b. 1846, Nevsehir, Ottoman Empire [now in Turkey] - d. 1919), governor of Samos (1899-1900). He was also Ottoman minister of commerce (1918-19).

Vagn-Hansen, Cai A(ndreas) (b. Oct. 14, 1911, Copenhagen, Denmark - d. Nov. 23, 1990), prefect (1945-48) and high commissioner (1948-54) of the Faeroe Islands.

Vagnetti, Marino (b. Feb. 11, 1924), captain-regent of San Marino (1971-72, 1989).

Vagnorius

Vagnorius, Gediminas (b. June 10, 1957, Plunge district, Lithuanian S.S.R.), prime minister of Lithuania (1991-92, 1996-99). He first took office in January 1991 amid a bloody Soviet crackdown aimed at crushing the Baltic state's independence movement. He launched market reforms which brought the country to the forefront of emerging European economies. But his rapid privatization program alienated many, and he was a target of criticism as living standards plummeted amid the severe economic depression that followed the Soviet collapse. He lost a general election to the (former Communist) Democratic Labour Party in 1992, and won back the post in a general election in 1996. He resigned in 1999. Pres. Valdas Adamkus had long been critical of Vagnorius's style. In a speech the week before, he said he could no longer trust the premier, citing in particular his handling of a series of privatizations. Parliament countered by approving a non-binding resolution of support for the embattled premier. But Vagnorius said afterwards that he felt it was best to step aside amid "a situation of senseless political tensions and intrigues."

Vagov, Aleksey (Vlasovich) (b. 1905 - d. 1971), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Kirgiz S.S.R. (1938-45). He was also first secretary of the party committee of Vinnitsa city (1950-52).

Vagris, Janis, Russian Yan (Yanovich) Vagris (b. Oct. 17, 1930, Naudite, Latvia - d. Jan. 6, 2023), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1985-88) and first secretary of the Communist Party (1988-90) of the Latvian S.S.R. He was also first secretary of the party committees of Liepaja city (1967-73) and Riga city (1978-85).

Vagts, Erich (Johannes) (b. Feb. 9, 1896, Cuxhaven, Hamburg [now in Niedersachsen], Germany - d. Feb. 20, 1980, Bremen, West Germany), governing mayor of Bremen (1945).

Vaher, Ken-Marti (b. Sept. 5, 1974, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), justice minister (2003-05) and interior minister (2011-14) of Estonia.

Vähi

Vähi, Tiit (b. Jan. 10, 1947, Rebasemõisa, Valga county, Estonian S.S.R.), prime minister of Estonia (1992, 1995-97). He was also minister of transport and communications (1990-92).

Vahidi, Ahmad (b. June 27, 1958, Shiraz, Fars, Iran), defense minister (2009-13) and interior minister (2021-24) of Iran.

Vaida-Voevod, Alexandru (Dionisie) (b. 1872, Olpret, Transylvania, Hungary [now Bobalna, Romania] - d. March 19, 1950, Sibiu, Romania), prime minister of Romania (1919-20, 1932, 1933). In 1906 he was elected to the Hungarian parliament, where he was foremost among the leaders of the Transylvanian political movement. In October 1918 he presented a resolution to parliament announcing the Transylvanian Romanians' right to self-determination, and in December, after Hungary's surrender in World War I, he became a member of the Directing Council which administered Transylvania until union with Romania was proclaimed in January 1919. He then became minister for Transylvania in the Romanian cabinet and took part in the post-World War I peace conference at Paris. His National Party was successful in the November elections, and he was named prime minister in a coalition government, also serving as foreign minister. His chief act was negotiation of the union of Bessarabia with Romania, and its recognition by the Allied powers in 1920. He also had Romanian troops intervene in Hungary to oust the Communist regime of Béla Kun. His proposal of a radical land-reform measure prompted King Ferdinand to dissolve his government in March 1920. In 1928-30 he served as minister of the interior, and in 1932 he again was prime minister, concurrently holding the interior and then the foreign affairs portfolio. His last premiership (1933) was marked by widespread labour unrest and growing fascist activity. After his dismissal, he became more virulently nationalist himself and in 1935 he broke away from the National Peasant Party to form the semifascist Romanian Front. Later he joined King Carol's National Renaissance Front and became its president.

D. Vaillant

Vaillant, Daniel (b. July 19, 1949, Lormes, Nièvre, France), interior minister of France (2000-02). A member of the Socialist Party, he first won a seat in the National Assembly in 1988, lost it in a 1993 Socialist rout but bounced back a year later after his conservative opponent was disqualified for exceeding the limit on campaign expenses. Vaillant gained expertise on immigration and law and order issues as mayor (1995-2001, 2003-14) of Paris's 18th district - a hotbed of crime, prostitution, and drug use.

Vaillant, Jean Baptiste Philibert, comte (b. Dec. 6, 1790, Dijon, France - d. June 4, 1872, Dijon), war minister of France (1854-59). He was also minister of the Emperor's House (1860-70) and of fine arts (1863-70). He was made a count by the pope in 1850, confirmed in France in 1859.

Vainiute, Milda (b. Dec. 20, 1962, Zirnajai, Lithuanian S.S.R. - d. Sept. 12/13, 2024), justice minister of Lithuania (2016-18).

Vaino, Anton (Eduardovich) (b. Feb. 17, 1972, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), Russian minister - head of the Government Apparatus (2011-12) and head of the Administration of the President (2016- ); grandson of Karl Vaino.

Vaino, Karl (Genrikhovich) (b. May 28, 1923, Tomsk, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. Feb. 12, 2022), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Estonian S.S.R. (1978-88).

Vaipulu, Samiu (Kuita) (b. Dec. 24, 1952), justice minister (2009-11, 2021- ), deputy prime minister (2011-14, 2022- ), and acting prime minister (2024- ) of Tonga. He was also minister of infrastructure (2012-14) and trade and economic development (2019-21).

Vaïsse, Claude Marius (b. Aug. 8, 1799, Marseille, France - d. Aug. 29, 1864, Lyon, France), interior minister of France (1851). He was also prefect of the départements of Pyrénées-Orientales (1841-47), Doubs (1849), Nord (1849-51), and Rhône (1853-64).

Vaissière, (Auguste Adolphe Joseph Marie) Raoul de la, French resident commissioner of the New Hebrides (1923-25).

Vaitekunas, Romasis (b. Aug. 4, 1943, Joniskelis, Lithuania), interior minister of Lithuania (1992-96).

Vaithilingam

Vaitiekunas

Vaithilingam, V. (b. 1950), chief minister of Pondicherry/Puducherry (1991-96, 2008-11); son of V. Venkatasubba Reddiar.

Vaitiekunas, Petras (b. March 26, 1953, Liudvinavas, Marijampole district, Lithuanian S.S.R.), foreign minister of Lithuania (2006-08). He was also ambassador to Latvia (1999-2004), Belarus (2005-06), and Ukraine (2010-15).

Vaitoianu, Arthur (b. April 14, 1864, Ismail, Romania [now Izmail, Odessa oblast, Ukraine] - d. June 17, 1956, Bucharest, Romania), interior minister (1918, 1919, 1922-23), war minister (1918-19), acting foreign minister (1919), and prime minister (1919) of Romania. He was also minister of communications (1923-26).

Vaivaikava, Vitolio (d. October 2002, Nouméa, New Caledonia), prime minister of `Uvea (1993-96).

Vajgl

Vajiralongkorn

Vajiravudh

Vajgl, Ivo (b. March 3, 1943, Maribor, Yugoslavia [now in Slovenia]), foreign minister of Slovenia (2004). He was also ambassador to Austria (1998-2002) and Germany (2002-04).

Vajiralongkorn, in full Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also called Rama X (b. July 28, 1952, Bangkok, Thailand), king of Thailand (2016- ). He was crowned in 2019.

Vajiravudh, also called Rama VI (b. Jan. 1, 1881, Bangkok, Siam [now Thailand] - d. Nov. 26, 1925, Bangkok), king of Siam (1910-25).

Vajnar, Vratislav (b. Sept. 17, 1930, Strasice, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic] - d. June 2023), interior minister of Czechoslovakia (1983-88).

Vajpayee

Vajpayee, Atal Bihari, Bihari also spelled Behari (b. Dec. 25, 1924, Gwalior [now in Madhya Pradesh], India - d. Aug. 16, 2018, New Delhi, India), prime minister of India (1996, 1998-2004). Before independence, he was briefly jailed in 1942 for anti-British activities. He was first elected to parliament in 1957 as a member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, a forerunner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and quickly made a reputation as a keen debater. During Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's state of emergency (1975-77), he was jailed along with thousands of opposition members. As foreign minister (1977-79), he won recognition for trying to improve relations with Pakistan, which India had fought in three wars since 1947. In 1980 he helped found the BJP, in which he stood out as a moderate among hardliners. When Hindu zealots smashed the historic Muslim mosque at Ayodhya in 1992, setting off bloody riots, he was one of the few Hindu leaders to condemn it. The BJP preached Hinduism as India's driving force - a position most Muslims found repugnant - and advocated testing a nuclear weapon and building a nuclear arsenal. He was sworn in as prime minister in 1996 but served only 13 days, failing to win the necessary support from other parties. In 1998 the BJP won a record number of seats but still had to form an alliance with regional parties, many of them opposed to Hindu nationalism. In May 1998 India exploded five nuclear bombs. Though the tests were widely condemned in the West, Vajpayee struck a defiant tone, declaring that "India has the sanction of her own past glory and future vision to become strong." But he also went to great lengths to establish friendly relations with Pakistan, despite periods of serious tension. His National Democratic Alliance coalition won elections again in 1999 but was defeated in 2004.

Vakhayev, Ramazan (Visayevich), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Chechen-Ingush A.S.S.R. (1971-76).

Vakhnin, Nikolay (Dmitriyevich) (b. Dec. 18 [Dec. 5, O.S.], 1910, Noshul volost, Vologda province [now in Komi republic], Russia - d. June 1, 1966, Syktyvkar, Komi A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Komi A.S.S.R. (1951-63). He was also justice minister (1948-50).

Vakhrukov, Sergey (Alekseyevich) (b. June 20, 1958, Rybinsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Yaroslavl oblast (2007-12).

Vakhrushev, Vasily (Vasilyevich) (b. Feb. 28 [Feb. 15, O.S.], 1902, Tula, Russia - d. Jan. 13, 1947, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1938-40). He was also Russian people's commissar of local industry (1937-38) and a deputy premier (1938-39) and Soviet people's commissar/minister of coal industry (1939-46) and coal industry in the eastern regions (1946-47).

Vakic, Ilija (b. July 30, 1932, Kosovska Mitrovica, Yugoslavia [now in Kosovo] - d. Nov. 21, 2023), chairman of the Executive Council of Kosovo (1967-74). He was also president of the Federal Economic Chamber of Yugoslavia (1974-80), president of the Assembly of Kosovo (1981-82), and chairman of the Federal Committee for Veterans' and Invalids' Issues (1986-88).

Vakil, Mehdi, Iranian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1959-71) and ambassador to the Vatican (1971-77).

Val, Viktor (Vilgelmovich), German Viktor Karl Konrad Wilhelm von Wahl (b. July 17, 1840, Ropkoy, Livonia, Russia [now in Latvia] - d. Feb. 7, 1915, Petrograd [now St. Petersburg], Russia), governor of Grodno (acting, 1878-79), Kharkov (1879-80), Vitebsk (1880-84), Podolia (1884-85), Volyn (1885-89), Kursk (1889-92), and Vilna (1901-02) and gradonachalnik (city governor) of St. Petersburg (1892-95).

Vala

Valadares

R.L. Valcárcel

Vala, Vajubhai (Rudabhai) (b. Jan. 23, 1937, Rajkot [now in Gujarat], India), governor of Karnataka (2014-21). He was also mayor of Rajkot (1983-88, 1991-93).

Valadão, Ary Ribeiro (b. Nov. 14, 1918, Anicuns, Goiás, Brazil - d. Aug. 9, 2021, Goiânia, Goiás), governor of Goiás (1979-83).

Valadares, Antônio Carlos (b. April 6, 1943, Simão Dias, Sergipe, Brazil), governor of Sergipe (1987-91).

Valakivi (Álvarez), Jakke (Raimo Milagro) (b. 1963?, Peru), defense minister of Peru (2015-16).

Valbuena (Muñoz), Magdely (Beatriz) (b. Sept. 13, 1954, Villa del Rosario, Zulia, Venezuela), acting governor of Zulia (2017).

Valcárcel (Salazar), Mariano Nicolás (b. Sept. 10, 1852, Arequipa, Peru - d. Dec. 1, 1921, Lima, Peru), prime minister (1883, 1890-91) and foreign minister (1883) of Peru. He was also minister of interior, police, and public works (1890-91) and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1889, 1891, 1893).

Valcárcel Siso, Ramón Luis (b. Nov. 16, 1954, Murcia, Spain), president of Murcia (1995-2014).

Vâlcov, Darius (Bogdan) (b. March 25, 1977, Slatina, Olt county, Romania), finance minister of Romania (2014-15).

Valdec de Lessart, Claude Antoine (baptized Nov. 25, 1741 - d. [killed] Sept. 9, 1792, Versailles, France), controller-general of finances (1790-91), interior minister (1791), and foreign minister (1791-92) of France. He was also interim minister of marine and colonies (1791).

Valderrama (Sáenz de la Peña), Adolfo (b. 1834, La Serena, Chile - d. Nov. 30, 1902, Santiago, Chile), justice (and education) minister of Chile (1886-87). He was also president of the Senate (1888-89).

Valderrama (Sáenz de la Peña), Melquíades (b. Jan. 7, 1838, La Serena, Chile - d. Dec. 30, 1895, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Chile (1880-81); brother of Adolfo Valderrama.

Valdes, Basilio (Jose) (b. July 10, 1892, Manila, Philippines - d. Jan. 26, 1970, Manila), defense secretary of the Philippines (1941-45). He was also chief of the staff of the armed forces (1939-45) and secretary of communications (1941-45), public works and labour (1941-44), and health and public welfare (1945).

Valdés, Gustavo (Adolfo) (b. Oct. 15, 1968, Ituzaingó, Corrientes, Argentina), governor of Corrientes (2017- ).

J.G. Valdés

Ó. Valdés

Valdés (Soublette), Juan Gabriel (b. June 1947, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Chile (1999-2000); son of Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux. He was also ambassador to Spain (1990-94), Argentina (2003-04), and the United States (2014-18) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2000-03). He was appointed ambassador to the U.S. again in 2022.

Valdés (Dancuart), Óscar (Eduardo) (b. April 3, 1949, San Isidro district, Lima department [now region], Peru), interior minister (2011) and prime minister (2011-12) of Peru.

Valdés (Arce), Ramón Maximiliano (de la Concepción) (b. Oct. 13, 1867, Penonomé, Colombia [now in Panama] - d. June 3, 1918, Panama City, Panama), president of Panama (1916-18). He was also minister to the United States (1912-13).

Valdés (Pulido), Rodrigo (b. Nov. 22, 1966), finance minister of Chile (2015-17). He was president of the state-owned Banco del Estado de Chile (2014-15).

Valdés Acuña, Abel (Eduardo) (b. Jan. 15, 1906, Santiago, Chile - d. April 12, 1984), interior minister of Chile (1958). He was also minister of agriculture (1958).

Valdés Bustamante, Ricardo (b. 1880, Bogotá, Colombia - d. July 2, 1951, Santiago, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1922-23); son of Francisco Valdés Vergara.

Valdés Carrera, José Miguel (b. March 14, 1837, Santiago, Chile - d. Nov. 5, 1898, Paris, France), war and navy minister (1889 and [acting] 1890) and finance minister (1891) of Chile. He was also minister of industry and public works (1889-90).

Valdés Cuevas, Antonio (b. 1851, Santiago, Chile - d. Aug. 18, 1920, aboard ship in French waters), interior minister of Chile (1897-98).

Valdés Cuevas, José Florencio (b. 1857, Santiago, Chile - d. Feb. 22, 1932, Hualañé, Chile), interior minister of Chile (1919-20); brother of Antonio Valdés Cuevas. He was also minister of industry and public works (1899-1900).

Valdés Menéndez, Ramiro (b. April 28, 1932, Artemisa, Cuba), interior minister of Cuba (1961-68, 1979-85). He has also been a vice premier (1972-94, 2009- ) and minister of information science and communication (2006-11).

Valdés Mesa, Salvador (Antonio) (b. June 13, 1945), a vice president of the Council of State (2013-18), first vice president of the Council of State and Council of Ministers (2018-19), and vice president (2019- ) of Cuba. He has also been minister of labour and social security (1995-99) and first secretary of the Communist Party committee of Camagüey province (1999-2006).

Valdés Otero, Estanislao (b. Aug. 18, 1931, Montevideo, Uruguay), foreign minister of Uruguay (1981-82). He was also minister of agriculture and fishing (1977-78).

Valdés Subercaseaux, Gabriel (b. July 3, 1919, Santiago, Chile - d. Sept. 7, 2011, Santiago), foreign minister of Chile (1964-70). He was also president of the Senate (1990-96) and ambassador to Italy (2006-08).

Valdés Valdés, Víctor Ismael (b. April 20, 1859, Santiago, Chile - d. Jan. 4, 1949, Santiago), war and marine minister of Chile (1889, 1895). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1904-05) and Senate (1909).

Valdés Vergara, Francisco (b. Oct. 4, 1854, Santiago, Chile - d. May 15, 1916, Valparaíso, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1891-92). He was also chargé d'affaires in Colombia (1879-81).

Valdetaro, Manoel de Jesus Valdetaro, visconde de (b. 1807, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Aug. 16, 1897, Rio de Janeiro), president of Rio de Janeiro (1848). He was also president of the Supreme Court of Brazil (1882-86). He was made viscount in 1886.

Valdeterrazo, Antonio González y González, marqués de (b. Jan. 5, 1792, Valencia de Mombuey [now in Badajoz province], Spain - d. Nov. 30, 1876, Madrid, Spain), prime minister (1840, 1841-42) and foreign minister (1841-42) of Spain. He was also president of the Estamento de Procuradores (1836) and the Congress of Deputies (1836-37), justice minister (1838, 1840), and ambassador to the United Kingdom (1841, 1854-56, 1862-63). He was created marqués de Valdeterrazo in 1864.

Valdez, Raul Monteiro, governor of Amapá (1961-62).

Valdez Carrillo, Jorge Luis (b. Jan. 12, 1951, Lima, Peru - d. Jan. 26, 2020, Santiago, Chile), Peruvian diplomat. He was ambassador to South Africa (1994-96) and Chile (2016-20) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2000-01).

Valdez Hilario, Rafael Adriano (b. 1920? - d. Aug. 15, 2013), armed forces minister of the Dominican Republic (1978-80). He was also army chief of staff (1970-71) and ambassador to Haiti (1973-78, 1980-83) and Chile (1983-86).

Valdez Oviedo, (Carlos) Augusto (b. May 10, 1907, Arequipa, Peru - d. ...), finance minister of Peru (1962-63).

Valdivia Morriberón, Ángel (Mariano) (b. Oct. 4, 1915, Lima, Peru - d. 1982, Lima), finance minister of Peru (1968-69).

C. Valdivia

Valdivia Torres, Carolina (b. 1978 - d. Nov. 11, 2024), acting foreign minister of Chile (2022).

Valdivieso (y Prada), Francisco (b. Jan. 10, 1773, Lima, Peru - d. 1829, Lima), foreign and interior minister of Peru (1822-23). He was also president of the General Constituent Congress (1827).

Valdivieso (y Valdivieso), José Félix (b. May 19, 1784, Loja, New Granada [now in Ecuador] - d. June 8, 1856, Quito, Ecuador), foreign and interior minister (1830-33) and supreme chief in rebellion (1834-35) of Ecuador. He was also intendant of Quito department (1824-26).

Valdivieso (Montano), Luis (Miguel) (b. 1951), finance minister of Peru (2008-09). He was also ambassador to the United States (2009-11).

Valdivieso Blanco, Jorge (b. April 29, 1867, Santiago, Chile - d. Oct. 24, 1943, Santiago), war and marine minister of Chile (1918).

Valdivieso Eguiguren, Rogelio (b. July 4, 1928, Loja, Ecuador - d. May 29, 2011), foreign minister of Ecuador (1968-70). He was also ambassador to Bolivia (1960-61), Brazil (1976-81), and Argentina (1982-84).

Valdivieso Sarmiento, Alfonso (b. Oct. 2, 1949, Bucaramanga, Colombia), Colombian politician; cousin of Luis Carlos Galán. He was minister of education (1990-91), ambassador to Israel (1992-93), prosecutor-general (1994-97), and permanent representative to the United Nations (1998-2003).

Valdmanis, Alfreds (Arturs Aleksandrs) (b. Sept. 11, 1908, Ziemupe parish, Russia [now in Vergale parish, Latvia] - d. [car accident] Aug. 11, 1970, near Edmonton, Alta.), finance minister of Latvia (1938-39). In exile, he became director-general of economic development of Newfoundland (1950-53) but was arrested in 1954 on corruption charges, convicted, and sentenced to four years in prison.

Valdovinos Valdovinos, Carlos (b. 1889 - d. 1966), defense minister (1941) and acting interior minister (1941) of Chile.

Vale, Ciro de Freitas (b. Aug. 16, 1896, São Paulo, Brazil - d. Nov. 7, 1969, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Brazilian diplomat; cousin of Oswaldo Aranha. He was minister to Bolivia (1936-37), Cuba (1937-38), and Romania (1938), ambassador to Germany (1939-42), Canada (1944-46), Argentina (1947-48), and Chile (1952-55), and permanent representative to the United Nations (1955-60).

Valean, Adina (Ioana) (b. Feb. 16, 1968, Tintea, Prahova county, Romania), Romanian politician. She has been EU commissioner for transport (2019- ).

Valée, Sylvain Charles, comte (b. Dec. 17, 1773, Brienne-le-Château [now in Aube département], France - d. Aug. 15, 1846, Paris, France), governor-general of Algeria (1837-41).

Válek, Vlastimil (b. May 17, 1960, Brno, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), Czech politician. He has been a deputy prime minister and minister of health (2021- ).

Valença, Afonso Miguel de Portugal e Castro, (11º) conde de Vimioso, (4º) marquês de (b. May 8, 1748 - d. Dec. 22, 1802), governor-general of Bahia (1779-83).

Valença, Estevão Ribeiro de Rezende, barão, conde e marquês de (b. July 20, 1777, Prados, Minas Gerais, Brazil - d. Sept. 8, 1856, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), principal minister of Brazil (1824-25). He was also justice minister (1827) and president of the Senate (1841). He was made baron in 1825, count in 1826, and marquess in 1848.

Valença, José Bernardino de Portugal e Castro, (12º) conde de Vimioso, (5º) marquês de (b. May 20, 1780, Campo Grande, Portugal - d. Feb. 26, 1840, Lisbon, Portugal), war minister (1826-27) and prime minister and foreign minister (1836) of Portugal; son of Afonso Miguel de Portugal e Castro, conde de Vimioso, marquês de Valença.

Valencia (Castillo), Guillermo (b. Oct. 20, 1873, Popayán, Colombia - d. July 8, 1943, Popayán), Colombian politician. Also known as a poet, he was governor of Cauca (1905), war minister (1915), and a presidential candidate (1918, 1930).

G.L. Valencia

Valencia (Muñoz), Guillermo León (b. April 27, 1909, Popayán, Colombia - d. Nov. 4, 1971, New York City), foreign minister (1953) and president (1962-66) of Colombia; son of Guillermo Valencia. He was also ambassador to Spain (1950-53).

J. Valencia

Valencia (Amores), José (Samuel) (b. Feb. 18, 1961), foreign minister of Ecuador (2018-20). He was also ambassador to South Africa (2010-17), Namibia (2012-17), and Mozambique (2014-17).

Valencia (Vivas), Pedro (Nicolás), defense minister of Venezuela (1996-97).

Valencia, Ramón María Narváez (Campos), duque de (b. Aug. 5, 1800, Loja, Spain - d. April 23, 1868, Madrid, Spain), prime minister (1844-46, 1846, 1847-49, 1849-51, 1856-57, 1864-65, 1866-68), foreign minister (1844, 1846, 1847), and war minister (1844-46, 1846, 1847, 1866-68) of Spain. In 1847 he was made duque de Valencia.

Valencia Cossio, Fabio (b. March 23, 1948, Medellín, Colombia), interior and justice minister of Colombia (2008-10); brother of Ramiro Valencia Cossio. He was also president of the Senate (1998-99) and ambassador to Italy (2001-05) and Greece (2003-05).

Valencia Cossio, Ramiro (b. Aug. 23, 1945, Medellín, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was governor of Antioquia (1994-95), ambassador to New Zealand (1995-96), and minister of mines and energy (2001).

Valencia Ibáñez, Edmundo (b. March 8, 1925, La Paz, Bolivia - d. Dec. 28, 2018, Overland Park, Kan.), Bolivian politician. He was minister of economy (1969-70) and ambassador to the United States (1971-74) and Canada (1972-74, 1977-80).

Valencia Rodríguez, Luis (b. March 5, 1926, Quito, Ecuador - d. Aug. 18, 2022, Quito), foreign minister of Ecuador (1965-66, 1981-84). He was also ambassador to Bolivia (1969-71), Brazil (1971-74), Peru (1974-78, 2005-07), Venezuela (1978-79), and Argentina (1988-91) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-99).

Valencia Tovar, Álvaro (b. March 4, 1923, Bogotá, Colombia - d. July 6, 2014, Bogotá), Colombian politician. He was army commander (1974-75) and a minor presidential candidate (1978).

Valencia Zavala, Absalón (b. July 20, 1877, Los Andes, Chile - d. Sept. 24, 1950, Santiago, Chile), finance and justice minister of Chile (1932). He was also minister of industry, public works, and railways (1914, 1922-23) and justice and education (1914-15) and mayor of Santiago (1935-36).

Valentic

Valentini

Valentic, Nikica (b. Nov. 24, 1950, Gospic, Croatia - d. May 3, 2023), prime minister of Croatia (1993-95).

Valentin, Louis Ernest (b. Dec. 26, 1812, Paris, France - d. Dec. 21, 1885, Montauban, Tarn-et-Garonne, France), prefect of police of Paris (1871).

Valentin-Smith, (Marie Louis) Victor (b. Jan. 12, 1883, Trévoux, Ain, France - d. March 24, 1965), governor of Gabon (1941-42).

Valentini, Pasquale (b. July 19, 1953, San Marino), finance minister (2010-12) and foreign minister (2012-16) of San Marino. He was also minister of tourism (2012-13).

Valentiny, Ágoston (b. Oct. 6, 1888, Kalocsa, Hungary - d. Aug. 21, 1958, Budapest, Hungary), justice minister of Hungary (1944-45; government of Béla Miklós de Dálnok). He was also mayor of Szeged (1944).

Valenzuela (Jáuregui), Pedro José (b. July 29, 1797, Nueva Guatemala, Guatemala - d. ...), acting supreme chief of state of Guatemala (1838).

Valenzuela (Sarmiento), Teodoro (Ignacio Mariano) (b. July 18, 1828, Buga, Valle del Cauca, Colombia - d. May 9, 1898, Bogotá, Colombia), foreign and interior minister of Colombia (1864-65).

Valenzuela (Ramos) de Puelles, María Carlota (b. April 21, 1947, Cusco, Peru), justice minister of Peru (1999).

Valenzuela Riveros, Régulo (b. Sept. 22, 1861, Santa Cruz, Colchagua province, Chile - d. March 18, 1932, Santiago, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1920).

Valer

Valer Pinto, Héctor (b. Feb. 4, 1959, Apurímac, Peru), prime minister of Peru (2022).

Valera (Olano), (Juan) Wenceslao (b. 1853, Cajamarca, Peru - d. Aug. 8, 1938, Lima, Peru), foreign minister of Peru (1912-13). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1896-97) and minister of justice, worship, education, and charity (1915-17).

Valera Aparicio, Fernando (b. Feb. 20, 1899, Madroñera, Cáceres province, Spain - d. Feb. 13, 1982, Paris, France), finance minister (1947-51), justice minister (1947-49), foreign minister (1951-77), and prime minister (1971-77) of the Spanish Republic in exile. One of the founders of the Spanish Radical Socialist Party in the early 1930s, he was director-general of communications in the elected government overthrown by army forces under Gen. Francisco Franco and fled to France at the end of the 1936-39 civil war. He held several ministerial posts in the exile government from 1947 and assumed its presidency in 1971 after Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz resigned. Spain's dictatorship ended with Franco's death on Nov. 20, 1975, and the government-in-exile was dissolved following democratic elections in 1977. He refused to return home, however, saying he would not go back until the legally established republic of the 1930s was reinstituted. He and other members of the exile government did agree to give the Spanish state the archives of the Republic.

Valere, Marina (Annette) (b. Nov. 11, 1944, Trinidad and Tobago), Trinidad and Tobago diplomat. She was ambassador to the United States and Mexico (2003-08) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2008-10).

Valero, Luciano, interior minister of Venezuela (1982-84). He was also governor of Barinas (1959-64, 1969-74) and the Distrito Federal (1981-82) and minister of agriculture and livestock (1979-81).

Valero Briceño, Jorge (b. Nov. 8, 1946, Valera, Trujillo, Venezuela), Venezuelan diplomat. He was ambassador to South Korea (2001-03) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2008-13).

Vales, Václav (b. April 7, 1922, Smecno, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic] - d. June 25, 2013), a deputy premier of Czechoslovakia (1969, 1990-91). He was also minister of chemical industry (1965-68) and external trade (1968).

Validov, Akhmetzaki (Akhmetshakhanovich), later known as Zeki Velidi Togan (b. Dec. 10 [Nov. 28, O.S.], 1890, Kuzyanovo, Ufa province [now in Bashkortostan republic], Russia - d. July 26, 1970, Istanbul, Turkey), chairman of the Provisional Military-Revolutionary Committee of the Bashkir A.S.S.R. (1919, 1920).

Valière, François-Xavier (Joseph Michel Victorien) (b. Sept. 30, 1826, Eymoutiers, Haute-Vienne, France - d. Dec. 20, 1882, Paris, France), governor of Senegal (1869-76).

Valionis

Valionis, Antanas (b. Sept. 21, 1950, Zabieliskiu village, Kedainiai region, Lithuanian S.S.R.), foreign minister of Lithuania (2000-06). He was also ambassador to Poland (1994-2000), Romania and Bulgaria (1996-2000), and Latvia (2008-11).

Valiukas, Petras (b. 1948 - d. 1993), interior minister of Lithuania (1991-92).

Väljas, Vaino, Russian in full Vaino Iosipovich Vyalyas (b. March 28, 1931, Külaküla, Emmaste parish [now in Hiiumaa parish], Estonia - d. Jan. 16, 2024), first secretary (1988-90) and chairman (1990-91) of the Communist Party of the Estonian S.S.R. He was also first secretary of the party committee of Tallinn city (1961-71), chairman of the Supreme Soviet (1963-67), and Soviet ambassador to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago (1980-86) and Nicaragua (1986-88).

Válková

Vall

Válková, Helena (b. Jan. 7, 1951, Chlumec nad Cidlinou, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), justice minister of the Czech Republic (2014-15).

Vall, Ely Ould Mohamed, Arabic A`li walad Muhammad Fal (b. Jan. 1, 1953 - d. May 5, 2017, Zouérate, Mauritania), chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy of Mauritania (2005-07).

Valla, Gerd-Liv (b. Jan. 25, 1948, Korgen, Nordland, Norway), justice minister of Norway (1997). She was also leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (2001-07).

Valla, Kristin Hille (b. Dec. 31, 1944, Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane [now in Vestland], Norway), governor of Oppland (2001-15). She was also Norwegian environment minister (1989-90).

Valladão, Manoel Presciliano de Oliveira (b. Jan. 4, 1849, Vila Nova [now Neópolis], Sergipe, Brazil - d. Nov. 10, 1921, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Sergipe (1894-96, 1914-18).

Valladares, Henrique (Dias) (b. 1852, Piauí province [now state], Brazil - d. Nov. 8, 1903, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), prefect of Distrito Federal (1893-95).

Valladares Molina, Acisclo (Domingo Antonio Pedro Francisco Luis Rodrigo Manuel José de Jesús) (b. Sept. 17, 1946, Guatemala City, Guatemala), Guatemalan politician; son of Luis Valladares y Aycinena. He was attorney general (1991), a minor presidential candidate (1995, 1999), and ambassador to the Vatican (2000-04, 2008-09) and the United Kingdom (2010-20).

Valladares Soto, Ramón (b. Aug. 30, 1917, Güinope, El Paraíso department, Honduras - d. June 9, 2009, Tegucigalpa, Honduras), interior and justice minister of Honduras (1959-63). He was also ambassador to the Netherlands (1990-92), Italy (1994-96), and El Salvador (1996-98).

Valladares y Aycinena, Luis (b. Feb. 10, 1904, Guatemala City, Guatemala - d. Sept. 27, 1983, Guatemala City), Guatemalan politician. One of the ideologists of the right-wing coup of 1954, he became president of the Supreme Court (1958-60) and ambassador to Spain (1964-66) and the Vatican (1966-83).

A. Vallarino

Vallarino (Clement), Alberto (b. April 2, 1951, Panama City, Panama), Panamanian politician. An executive vice-president of one of Central America's most important banks, Vallarino broke with Panama's main opposition in December 1998 after losing in the Arnulfista Party primaries to Mireya Moscoso. Vallarino was the only candidate in the 1999 presidential election to have presented a detailed plan of government. His proposals included the removal of income tax for those who make less than $700 per month, increasing minimum wages by 15%, and creating 250,000 new jobs in the country in the next five years, among others. He was backed by Panama's Christian Democrat Party (PDC), which was crippled in the country's 1994 general elections when it went from holding 30 seats in the national assembly to just one. The Harvard-educated Vallarino was met with scorn by Panama's enormous lower and middle classes, who disdained his wealthy background. He came in third in the election. In 2009-11 he was economy and finance minister under Pres. Ricardo Martinelli.

Vallarino (Arjona), Eduardo, byname Eddy Vallarino (b. Jan. 16, 1938 - d. March 20, 2019, Dominican Republic), Panamanian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1990), ambassador to the United States (1990-91), and a minor presidential candidate (1994).

Vallarta (Ogazón), Ignacio L(uis) (b. Aug. 25, 1830, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - d. Dec. 31, 1893, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Jalisco (1861 [acting], 1861-62 [acting], 1871-75) and interior minister (1868) and foreign minister (1876-78) of Mexico. He was also president of the Supreme Court (1878-82).

Vallavieille, Pierre Louis Marie Michel Achille (b. June 29, 1824, Draguignan, Var, France - d. May 14, 1881, Toulon, Var), French administrator. He was prefect of the départements of Hautes-Pyrénées (1865-68), Vienne (1868-69), Isère (1869-73), Hérault (1873-76), Savoie (1876-77), and Rhône (1877).

Vallé, Ernest (b. Sept. 19, 1845, Avize, Marne, France - d. Jan. 24, 1920, Paris, France), justice minister of France (1902-05). He was also president of the Radical Party (1909-10).

Valle, Eurico de Freitas (b. May 20, 1888, Belém, Pará, Brazil - d. Aug. 14, 1976, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor of Pará (1929-30).

Valle, Inger Louise (Andvig) (b. Nov. 28, 1921, Kristiania [now Oslo], Norway - d. May 21, 2006), justice minister of Norway (1973-79). She was also minister of family and consumer affairs (1971-72), consumer affairs and administration (1972), and local government and labour (1979-80).

Valle, José Maria do, Junior (b. May 29, 1835, Desterro [now Florianópolis], Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. March 29, 1914, São Paulo, Brazil), acting president of Espírito Santo (1868).

Valle, Severo Amorim do (b. Dec. 7, 1802, São Salvador da Bahia [now Salvador], Brazil - d. Aug. 18, 1884, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil), acting president of Santa Catarina (1848-49, 1849-50).

Valle Riestra (González Olaechea), Javier (Maximiliano Alfredo Hipólito) (b. Jan. 5, 1932, Lima, Peru - d. July 6, 2024), prime minister of Peru (1998).

Valleix, Claude (b. May 22, 1945, Clermont-Ferrand, France), prefect of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (2002-05). He was also prefect of the départements of Haute-Marne (2005-07) and Ardèche (2007-09).

Vallejo Arbeláez, Joaquín (b. Oct. 2, 1912, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia - d. Dec. 31, 2005, Medellín, Colombia), finance minister (1965-66) and interior minister (1970) of Colombia. He was also minister of development (1957) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1969-70).

Vallejo Arcos, Andrés (b. Sept. 4, 1942, Quito, Ecuador), interior minister of Ecuador (1988-90). He was also president of the National Congress (1986-87), mayor of metropolitan Quito (2009), and ambassador to Spain (2022-24).

Vallejo Figueroa, Fausto (b. May 17, 1949, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico), governor of Michoacán (2012-14). He was also mayor of Morelia (1994-95, 2002-04, 2008-11).

Vallenilla Lanz (Planchart), Laureano (José) (b. Aug. 6, 1912, Caracas, Venezuela - d. Aug. 31, 1973, Sankt Moritz, Switzerland), interior minister of Venezuela (1952-58).

Vallon, Aristide (Louis Antoine Maximin) (b. July 26, 1826, Le Conquet, Finistère, France - d. March 11, 1897, Paris, France), governor of Senegal (1882).

Valls

Valls (Galfetti), Manuel (Carlos) (b. Aug. 13, 1962, Barcelona, Spain), interior minister (2012-14) and prime minister (2014-16) of France. He became a French citizen in 1982. In 2017 he ran for the Socialist Party presidential nomination, coming second to Benoît Hamon in the first round and losing to him in the runoff.

Valmar, Leopoldo Augusto de Cueto (López de Ortega), marqués de (b. July 16, 1815, Cartagena, Spain - d. Jan. 21, 1901, Madrid, Spain), acting foreign and overseas minister of Spain (1857). He was also minister to Denmark (1847-49) and the United States (1854-55). He was created marqués in 1877.

Valmary, Alfred (Victor Joseph Gabriel) (b. Dec. 6, 1901 - d. March 28, 1970), interim commissioner of Laos (1948-49).

Vals, Francis (b. Jan. 9, 1910, Leucate, Aude, France - d. June 27, 1974, Luxembourg, Luxembourg), president of the Regional Council of Languedoc-Roussillon (1974).

Valsecchi, Athos (b. Nov. 26, 1919, Gravedona, Como province, Italy - d. July 21, 1985, Rome, Italy), finance minister of Italy (1972-73). He was also minister of agriculture and forestry (1968-69), posts and telecommunications (1969-70), and health (1972).

Valters, Mikelis (b. May 7 [April 25, O.S.], 1874, Libava, Courland, Russia [now Liepaja, Latvia] - d. March 27, 1968, Nice, France), interior minister of Latvia (1918-19). He was also minister to Italy (1921-24), Spain and Portugal (1921-27), France (1924-27), Poland and Hungary (1934-38), and Belgium and Luxembourg (1938-40).

Valtonen

Valtonen, Elina (Maria), surname during former marriage (until 2021) Lepomäki (b. Oct. 23, 1981, Helsinki, Finland), foreign minister of Finland (2023- ).

Valtýsson, Jörundur (b. Dec. 23, 1974), Icelandic diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2019-24).

Valuyev, Graf (Count) Pyotr (Aleksandrovich) (b. Oct. 4 [Sept. 22, O.S.], 1815, Moscow, Russia - d. Feb. 8 [Jan. 27, O.S.], 1890, St. Petersburg, Russia), chairman of the Committee of Ministers of Russia (1880-81). He was also governor of Courland (1853-58), interior minister (1861-68), and minister of state properties (1872-80). He became a count on March 2, 1880.

Valve, Väinö (Lahja Rikhard), original surname (until 1916) Vähätupa (b. Dec. 28, 1895, Villmanstrand [now Lappeenranta], Finland - d. March 11, 1995, Helsinki, Finland), defense minister of Finland (1944-45). He was also commander of the navy (1927-46).

Valverde (Pérez), José Desiderio (often erroneously shown as José Desiderio Valverde Mallol) (b. c. 1822, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic - d. Jan. 5, 1904, Santiago de los Caballeros), president of the Dominican Republic (1858).

Valverde (Letamendi), (José) Miguel (Nicolás) (b. Dec. 6, 1852, Guayaquil, Ecuador - d. April 19, 1920, Rome, Italy), foreign minister of Ecuador (1903-05). He was also minister of interior and police (1901-03) and minister to Brazil (1905-06).

Valvis, Dimitrios (Ioannou) (b. 1814, Missolonghi, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] - d. Nov. 30?, 1892, Athens, Greece), prime minister and justice minister of Greece (1886); brother of Zinovios Valvis. He was also president of the Supreme Court (1872-85).

Valvis, Zinovios (Ioannou), original name Zafirios (Ioannou) Valvis (b. 1800, Missolonghi, Greece, Ottoman Empire - d. 1886, Missolonghi, Greece), prime minister of Greece (1863, 1864). He was also justice minister (1844-46, 1849-50, 1863), finance minister (1845-46, 1849-50, 1864), and president of the Vouli (1863).

Vályi, Péter (b. Dec. 25, 1919, Szombathely, Hungary - d. Sept. 18, 1973, Miskolc, Hungary), finance minister (1967-71) and a deputy premier (1971-73) of Hungary. He died three days after stumbling into a pit containing red-hot ingots in the course of a visit to a foundry in Miskolc.

Valys, Albertas (b. April 1, 1953, Mazeikiai, Lithuanian S.S.R.), justice minister of Lithuania (1996).

Van Acker

Van Acker, Achille (Honoré), byname Achiel Van Acker (b. April 8, 1898, Brugge, Belgium - d. July 9, 1975, Brugge), prime minister of Belgium (1945-46, 1946, 1954-58). He was also minister of labour and social security (1944-45, 1946), health (1944-45), coal (1945-46, 1946), and communications (1947-49) and chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1961-74).

Van Bibber, Geraldine, née Kelly (b. July 3, 1951, Dawson, Yukon Territory [now Yukon]), commissioner of Yukon (2005-10).

van Bohemen, Gerard, New Zealand diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-17).

Van Buren

Van Buren, Martin (b. Dec. 5, 1782, Kinderhook, N.Y. - d. July 24, 1862, Kinderhook), president of the United States (1837-41). He served in the New York Senate in 1812-20 and was state attorney general in 1815-19. After his election to the U.S. Senate in 1821, he created the Albany Regency, a political organization set up to govern the state during his absence in Washington. After the election of John Quincy Adams as president in 1824, Van Buren aided in the formation of a new political amalgam that resulted in the Democratic Party. Made up of factions of the Jeffersonian Republican party led by Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and John C. Calhoun, it espoused the principles of Thomas Jefferson and capitalized on Jackson's popularity. In 1828 he successfully ran for governor of New York and resigned his Senate seat, but within months he left the governorship to become President Jackson's secretary of state. In 1831 he was appointed minister to Great Britain. Nominated for the vice presidency in 1832 by the first national convention of the Democratic Party, he was elected with Jackson on a ticket opposing the established bank system. He became Jackson's choice to succeed him, was unanimously nominated for the presidency in 1835, and won the 1836 election against a splintered Whig opposition. He maintained Jacksonian policies that magnified an economic downturn. Enforcing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, he caused the "Trail of Tears" that resulted in the death of one quarter of the Cherokee nation. In 1840 he was unanimously renominated by the Democrats but was overwhelmingly defeated by the Whig candidate William Henry Harrison. In 1844 he failed to win the Democratic nomination. In 1848 he was nominated by the anti-slavery Democrats ("Barnburners") and then by the Free-Soilers, with whom the Barnburners and "conscience" Whigs united, but he finished third in the election.

Van Cauwelaert, Frans (Jan) (b. Jan. 10, 1880, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek [now part of Roosdaal, Flemish Brabant], Belgium - d. May 17, 1961, Antwerp, Belgium), Belgian politician. He was mayor of Antwerp (1921-32), minister of industry, middle classes, internal trade, and posts and telegraphs (1934), agriculture and economic affairs (1934), and agriculture, middle classes, and public works (1934-35), and chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1939-54).

Van de Weyer, (Jean) Sylvain (b. Jan. 19, 1802, Louvain, France [now in Belgium] - d. May 23, 1874, London, England), member of the Provisional Government (1830-31), foreign minister (1831), and cabinet chief and interior minister (1845-46) of Belgium. He was also minister to the United Kingdom (1831-35, 1836-45, 1846-67).

Van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge, Andreas Johannes Ludovicus baron (b. July 7, 1787, Ghent, Austrian Netherlands [now Belgium] - d. Jan. 12, 1855, Heeswijk, Netherlands), governor of Noord-Brabant (1830-42). He was made baron in 1830.

Van den Bossche, Freya (b. March 26, 1975, Ghent, Belgium), a deputy prime minister of Belgium (2005-07); daughter of Luc Van den Bossche. She was also minister of environment, consumer protection, and sustainable development (2003-04), employment (2004-05), and budget (2005-07).

Van den Bossche, Luc (b. Sept. 16, 1947, Aalst, Belgium), interior minister and a deputy prime minister of Belgium (1998-99). He was also minister of public health and pensions (1999) and civil service and modernization of public administration (1999-2003).

Van den Heuvel, Jules (Norbert Marie) (b. Nov. 16, 1854, Ghent, Belgium - d. Oct. 22, 1926, Ghent), justice minister of Belgium (1899-1907). He was also minister to the Holy See (1915-18).

Van der Bellen

Van der Bellen, Alexander (b. Jan. 18, 1944, Vienna, Germany [now in Austria]), president of Austria (2017- ). He was speaker of The Greens in 1997-2008.

van der Byl, Pieter (Kenyon Fleming Voltelyn) (b. Nov. 11, 1923, Cape Town, South Africa - d. Nov. 15, 1999, Fairfield farm, near Caledon, Western Cape, South Africa), Rhodesian politician. After growing up in South Africa, he joined an elite British Army cavalry regiment, where he acquired patrician airs and a clipped British accent. During World War II, he fought in Italy, and once told a television interviewer: "Italy was a splendid country to conquer." After the war, he went to Rhodesia, where he joined parliament in 1962. In 1965 he signed Prime Minister Ian Smith's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, an attempt to block efforts by Britain and the United Nations to foster nonracial rule in Rhodesia. That triggered a civil war by black rebels, who installed a Marxist government in 1980 and renamed the country Zimbabwe under black rule. Earlier, as rebel strength grew, van der Byl was asked by British journalists how Rhodesia's embattled 287,000 whites would react when black guerrillas fought their way through to the capital. "Well, we'll shoot them," he said contemptuously. In the interim, van der Byl served as the country's minister of information, immigration, and tourism (1968-74, 1977-78), foreign affairs (1974-79; from 1978 jointly with Elliot Gabellah), defence (1974-76), public service (1976-77), and transport, power, and posts (1979). Van der Byl returned to South Africa in 1982, but he traveled frequently to the new Zimbabwe to continue service in parliament, until the black government kicked out white members in 1987.

van der Merwe, Cornelius Visser, byname Nak van der Merwe (b. June 19, 1920, Fauresmith, Orange Free State [now Free State], South Africa - d. April 26, 1985), administrator of the Orange Free State (1979-80) and chairman of the Ministers' Council of the House of Assembly of South Africa (1984-85). He was also South African minister of water affairs, forestry, and environment (1980-82) and health and welfare (1982-85).

van der Walt, Barend Johannes (b. June 28, 1914, Steynsburg, South Africa), administrator of South West Africa (1971-77). He was also South African ambassador to Canada (1968-70) and Portugal (1970-71).

van der Wath, Johannes Gert Hendrik (b. Nov. 4, 1903, Ladybrand, Orange River Colony [now in Free State, South Africa] - d. April 17, 1986), administrator of South West Africa (1968-71).

Van-Dúnem, Afonso (Domingos Pedro), byname M'Binda (b. Sept. 7, 1941, Luanda, Angola - d. Nov. 14, 2014, Luanda), foreign minister of Angola (1985-89). He was also provincial commissioner of Luanda (1977-78) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1991-2000).

Van-Dúnem, Cândido Pereira dos Santos, defense minister of Angola (2010-14). He was also minister of ex-combatants and veterans (2014-17).

Van-Dúnem, Fernando José de França Dias (b. Aug. 24, 1934, Luanda, Angola - d. June 12, 2024, Lisbon, Portugal), prime minister of Angola (1991-92, 1996-99). He was also ambassador to Belgium and the Netherlands (1979-82) and Portugal and Spain (1982-85), minister of justice (1986-90) and planning (1990-91), and speaker of the National Assembly (1992-96).

Van Dunem, Francisca (b. Nov. 5, 1955, Luanda, Angola), justice minister (2015-22) and interior minister (2021-22) of Portugal.

Van-Dúnem, Osvaldo (de Jesus) Serra (b. Aug. 8, 1950, Luanda, Angola - d. Feb. 4, 2006, São Paulo, Brazil), interior minister of Angola (2002-06). He was also provincial commissioner of Huambo (1989-91), minister of youth and sports (1991-92), chief of the military staff of the president (1992-95), and ambassador to Brazil (1995-99) and Portugal (2000-02).

Van-Dúnem, Pedro de Castro (dos Santos), byname Loy (b. Feb. 9, 1942, in present Bengo province, Angola - d. Sept. 23, 1997, Luanda, Angola), foreign minister of Angola (1989-92). He fought as a guerrilla for the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola against Portuguese rule. After Angola gained independence in 1975, he began a political career that also included holding the positions of third deputy prime minister (1976-78) and minister for coordination of the provinces (1979-80), energy (1980-89), petroleum (1981-89), and public works and town planning (1996-97).

Van Dyke, Nicholas (b. Sept. 25, 1738, New Castle county, Delaware - d. Feb. 19, 1789, New Castle county), president of Delaware (1783-86).

van Erven, Luiz (b. Nov. 19, 1857, Cantagalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. July 15, 1927, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting prefect of Distrito Federal (1898).

Van Glabbeke, (Gustave) Adolphe (Maximilien Ernest) (b. Aug. 8, 1904, Ostend, Belgium - d. July 5, 1959, Zanzibar [now part of Tanzania]), interior minister of Belgium (1945-46). He was also minister of justice (1946), public health (1949-50), and public works and reconstruction (1954-55) and mayor of Ostend (1953-59).

Van Houtte

Van Houtte, Jean (Marie Joseph, [from 1970:] baron) (b. March 17, 1907, Ghent, Belgium - d. May 23, 1991), finance minister (1950-52, 1958-61) and prime minister (1952-54) of Belgium.

van Klaveren

van Klaveren (Stork), Alberto, byname of Albert Leo van Klaveren Stork (b. Oct. 27, 1948, Amsterdam, Netherlands), foreign minister of Chile (2023- ). He was also ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (2004-06).

Van Langenhove, Fernand (b. June 30, 1889, Mouscron, Belgium - d. 1983), Belgian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1946-57).

Van Lierop, Robert F. (b. March 17, 1939), Vanuatu diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1989-94) and chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (1991-94).

Van Ness, Cornelius P(eter) (b. Jan. 26, 1782, Kinderhook, N.Y. - d. Dec. 15, 1852, Philadelphia, Pa.), governor of Vermont (1823-26); brother of John P. Van Ness. He was also U.S. minister to Spain (1829-36).

Van Ness, James P(eter) (b. 1808, Burlington, Vt. - d. Dec. 28, 1872, San Luis Obispo, Calif.), mayor of San Francisco (1855-56); son of Cornelius P. Van Ness.

Van Ness, John P(eter) (b. Nov. 4, 1769, Claverly [now Ghent], New York - d. March 7, 1846, Washington, D.C.), mayor of Washington, D.C. (1830-34).

van Niekerk, Gerrit Jacobus (b. July 6, 1849, Poortje, Fauresmith district, Orange River Sovereignty [now Free State, South Africa] - d. Oct. 23, 1896, Pretoria, South-African Republic [now in Gauteng, South Africa]), administrator of Stellaland (1883-85).

van Niekerk, Sybrand (Gerhardus Johannes) (b. May 11, 1914, Vryburg district, Cape province [now in North West], South Africa - d. Nov. 16, 2011, Pretoria, South Africa), administrator of Transvaal (1966-79). In 1982 he was a founder member of the Conservative Party.

van Niekerk, Willie, byname of Willem Abraham van Niekerk (b. June 29, 1937, Pretoria, South Africa - d. Aug. 8, 2009), administrator-general of South West Africa (1983-85).

Van Overtveldt, Johan (b. Aug. 24, 1955, Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium), finance minister of Belgium (2014-18).

Van Parys, Tony (Jozef Maurits Maria) (b. June 21, 1951, Ghent, Belgium), justice minister of Belgium (1998-99).

Van Peteghem, Vincent (b. Oct. 28, 1980, Ghent, Belgium), finance minister and a deputy prime minister of Belgium (2020- ).

Van Quickenborne, Vincent (Paul Marie) (b. Aug. 1, 1973, Ghent, Belgium), a deputy prime minister of Belgium (2011-12, 2020-23). He has also been minister of enterprise and simplification (2008-11), pensions (2011-12), and justice and North Sea (2020-23) and mayor of Kortrijk (2013- ).

van Rhijn, Albertus Johannes Roux (b. July 7, 1890, Vanrhynsdorp, Namaqualand, Cape Colony [now in Western Cape province, South Africa] - d. Dec. 30, 1971), administrator of South West Africa (1951-53). He was also South African minister of health (1953-54), mines (1953-58), and economic affairs (1954-58) and high commissioner to the United Kingdom (1958-60).

Van Rompuy

van Schalkwyk

Van Rompuy, Herman (Achille), graaf/comte (b. Oct. 31, 1947, Etterbeek [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), prime minister of Belgium (2008-09) and president of the European Council (2009-14). He was also minister of budget and a deputy prime minister (1993-99) and chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (2007-08). He received the title of count in 2015.

Van Sant, Samuel R(innah) (b. May 11, 1844, Rock Island, Ill. - d. Oct. 3, 1936, Minneapolis, Minn.), governor of Minnesota (1901-05).

van Schalkwyk, Marthinus (Christoffel Johannes) (b. Nov. 10, 1959, Pietersburg [now Polokwane, Limpopo province], South Africa), premier of Western Cape (2002-04). He was also South African minister of environmental affairs (2004-09) and tourism (2004-14).

Van Straubenzee, Sir Charles Thomas (b. Feb. 17, 1812, Malta - d. Aug. 10, 1892, Bath, England), governor of Malta (1872-78); knighted 1858.

Van Tien Dung

Van Tien Dung (b. May 2, 1917, Co Nhue village, near Hanoi, Vietnam - d. March 17, 2002, Hanoi), Vietnamese general. He joined the Communist Party in 1937. Part of an elite handful of revolutionaries who masterminded Vietnam's war of independence against France, he was named Hanoi's military chief of staff in 1953 and went on to fight against American forces during the Vietnam War. He headed the final Communist offensive against U.S.-backed South Vietnam in the spring of 1975. The war came to an end on April 30 of that year as North Vietnamese tanks rolled through the gates of the presidential palace in Saigon, South Vietnam's capital. His military reputation in Vietnam stands second only to battlefield legend Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, who along with Ho Chi Minh and Pham Van Dong were considered the architects of the nation's Communist revolution. Dung replaced Giap as defense minister in 1980 and was an advocate of a large standing army. Criticized from within the army for his autocratic style and rumours of family corruption, he was replaced in 1987 during a cabinet shuffle.

Van Tigchelt, Paul (b. Nov. 13, 1973, Turnhout, Antwerp province, Belgium), minister of justice and North Sea and a deputy prime minister of Belgium (2023- ).

Van Volxem, Guillaume Hippolyte (b. Feb. 13, 1791, Brussels, Austrian Netherlands [now Belgium] - d. April 17, 1868, Brussels), justice minister of Belgium (1841-42). He was also mayor of Brussels (1838-41).

Van Wagoner, Murray D(elos) (b. March 18, 1898, near Kingston, Mich. - d. June 12, 1986, Farmington Hills, Mich.), governor of Michigan (1941-43).

Van Zandt, Charles C(ollins) (b. Aug. 10, 1830, Newport, R.I. - d. June 4, 1894, Brookline, Mass.), governor of Rhode Island (1877-80).

van Zyl, Gideon Brand (b. June 3, 1873, Sea Point [now part of Cape Town], South Africa - d. Nov. 1, 1956, Cape Town), administrator of Cape province (1942-45) and governor-general of South Africa (1946-51).

Vanackere

Vanackere, Steven (b. Feb. 4, 1964, Wevelgem, Belgium), foreign minister (2009-11) and finance minister (2011-13) of Belgium. He was also minister of the civil service, public enterprise, and institutional reform (2008-09) and a deputy prime minister (2008-13).

C. Vance

Vance, Cyrus (Roberts) (b. March 27, 1917, Clarksburg, W.Va. - d. Jan. 12, 2002, New York City), U.S. secretary of state (1977-80). His government career began in 1957 when he served as special counsel to a Senate subcommittee. When John F. Kennedy became president in 1961 he appointed Vance general counsel to the Defense Department where he later became secretary of the Army and deputy secretary of defense, resigning in 1967. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson sent him as a troubleshooter to investigate Canal Zone riots in Panama in 1964, to the Dominican Republic during the 1965 civil war, and to Detroit to study civil disturbances in 1967. As Jimmy Carter's secretary of state, Vance was a major architect of a foreign policy that produced historic achievements but was widely perceived as muddled and inconsistent. Persistent disagreements reached a climax over the abortive attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran. On April 28, 1980, Vance became only the second secretary of state in U.S. history to resign over a clear policy issue. However, he could point to several historic successes, headed by the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. Other foreign policy initiatives, such as the normalization of relations with China, were deeply divisive and pitted Vance against conservatives. In 1991 he became a troubleshooter for the United Nations and negotiated a ceasefire between Serbs and Croats in Croatia that led to the stationing of 15,000 peacekeepers to the newly independent republic. He lobbied unsuccessfully to prevent early recognition of Croatia without first solving political conflicts. He predicted Bosnia would have no choice but to follow because Serbs, angered at being cut off from Yugoslavia, would take up arms. Vance could not later secure peace in Bosnia and he resigned in 1993.

Vance, J(ames) D(avid), original name James Donald Bowman, later James David Hamel (b. Aug. 2, 1984, Middletown, Ohio), U.S. politician. He first came to notice as the author of the book Hillbilly Elegy (2016), a sympathetic description of the class of people who were forming the core political base of Donald Trump. Nevertheless, he criticized Trump at the time in no uncertain terms, calling him "cultural heroin" and that "he's noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place," and wondering whether he was merely "a cynical asshole like Nixon" or rather "America's Hitler." In the following years, however, he himself went down the far-right rabbit hole and developed essentially anti-democratic views. With Trump's endorsement and $10 million from reactionary billionaire Peter Thiel, he was elected U.S. senator from Ohio in 2022. In 2024 he was picked by Trump as his vice presidential candidate for his third presidential run.

Vance, Joseph (b. March 21, 1786, Catfish, near Washington, Pa. - d. Aug. 24, 1852, near Urbana, Ohio), governor of Ohio (1836-38).

Vance, Zebulon B(aird) (b. May 13, 1830, near Asheville, N.C. - d. April 14, 1894, Washington, D.C.), governor of North Carolina (1862-65, 1877-79). He was also a U.S. representative (1858-61) and senator (1879-94) from North Carolina.

Vande Lanotte, Johan (Cyrille Corneel) (b. July 6, 1955, Poperinge, Belgium), interior minister (1994-98) and a deputy prime minister (1995-98, 1999-2005, 2011-14) of Belgium. He was also minister of civil service (1994-95), budget (1999-2005), social integration and social economy (1999-2003), public enterprises (2003-05), and economy, consumer affairs, and the North Sea (2011-14) and mayor of Ostend (2015-18).

Vandekerckhove, Robert (Gérard) (b. June 30, 1917, Ingelmunster, West Flanders, Belgium - d. Feb. 23, 1980, Mechelen, Antwerp, Belgium), Belgian politician. He was minister of institutional reform (1974-77) and chairman of the Senate (1977-80).

Vanden Boeynants

Vanden Boeynants, Paul (Émile François Henri) ("VDB") (b. May 22, 1919, Forest municipality, Brussels, Belgium - d. Jan. 9, 2001, Aalst, Belgium), Belgian politician. He developed an interest in politics and entered parliament in 1949. As Brussels alderman for city properties, he oversaw the drastic renewal of the stylish capital. Whole neighborhoods were razed to make way for drab modernist blocks, giving Brussels a reputation for destructive city renewal. Vanden Boeynants became the bane of preservationists and environmentalists, and allegations were rife that his friends in the construction industry profited from his decisions. In 1958-61 he was minister for the middle classes. He used his dealmaking skills to dominate Belgian politics for much of the 1960s and 1970s. He was prime minister in 1966-68 and 1978-79, both periods when tension peaked between Belgium's Dutch-speakers and Francophones. The Christian Democrat held brittle coalitions together by postponing and sidestepping divisive political issues. He was defense minister in 1972-79 and held his parliament seat until 1985. He remained a champion and a symbol for the small businessman. But his stature took a crippling blow in 1986 when he was convicted of tax fraud in connection with his business activities and given a three-year suspended sentence, with the judge calling him an "inveterate swindler." He later tried to become mayor of Brussels, but despite widespread support in the 1988 municipal polls, was told by the government his fraud conviction made him unfit for office. The feisty politician was abducted in 1989 for a month and released only after his family paid a hefty ransom. He was a great advocate of Belgian unity and was perhaps the last truly "Belgian" politician.

Vandenberg, Charles Alexis (b. Jan. 20, 1858, Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France - d. 1942), governor of Lebanon (1924-25).

H.S. Vandenberg

Vandenberg, Hoyt S(anford) (b. Jan. 24, 1899, Milwaukee, Wis. - d. April 2, 1954, Washington, D.C.), U.S. director of central intelligence (1946-47). He was graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1923 and from the Air Service Flying School and its Advanced Flying School in 1924. After several years of flight training and teaching, he entered the Air Corps Tactical School in 1934, and the Command and General Staff School in 1935. He taught at the Air Corps Tactical School from 1936 to 1938, when he entered the Army War College. Early in 1942 he was operations and training officer of the air staff in Washington, D.C. Later that year he helped organize the U.S. air forces in North Africa, becoming chief of staff of the 12th air force, and later of the northwest African strategic air force. In August 1943 he became deputy chief of staff at air force headquarters and headed an air mission to the U.S.S.R. In April 1944 he was designated deputy commander in chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force and commander of its U.S. air component, assuming command of the 9th air force in August. His postwar positions included assistant chief of air staff (1945); director of intelligence on the War Department general staff (January-June 1946); director of what was then the Central Intelligence Group (1946-47); deputy commander and chief of air staff of the army air forces (June 1947); air force vice chief of staff with the rank of general (Oct. 1, 1947); and chief of staff of the U.S. air force (April 30, 1948). After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 he presided over the Air Force buildup for the war and took part in the decision to invade Inch'on in September 1950 and the decision to remove Gen. Douglas MacArthur from command in the spring of 1951. He retired in 1953.

F. Vandenbroucke

G. Vandenbroucke

Vandenbroucke, Frank (Ignace Georgette) (b. Oct. 21, 1955, Louvain, Belgium), foreign minister of Belgium (1994-95). He has also been a deputy prime minister (1994-95, 2020- ) and minister of social affairs and pensions (1999-2003) and employment and pensions (2003-04).

Vandenbroucke, Gérard (b. Jan. 29, 1948, Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France - d. Feb. 14, 2019, Limoges), president of the Regional Council of Limousin (2014-15).

Vandenpeereboom, Alphonse (Louis François Xavier) (b. June 7, 1812, Ypres, France [now in Belgium] - d. Oct. 10, 1884, Saint-Gilles [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), interior minister of Belgium (1861-68); cousin of Ernest Vandenpeereboom.

Vandenpeereboom, Ernest (Louis de Gonzague) (b. July 12, 1807, Courtrai, France [now in Belgium] - d. Nov. 11, 1875, Ypres, Belgium), Belgian politician. He was chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1863-67).

Vandenpeereboom, Jules (Henri Pierre François Xavier) (b. March 18, 1843, Courtrai [Kortrijk], Belgium - d. March 6, 1917, Anderlecht [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), war minister (1896-99) and cabinet chief (1899) of Belgium; nephew of Ernest Vandenpeereboom and Alphonse Vandenpeereboom. He was also minister of railways, posts, and telegraphs (1884-99).

Vandeput, Steven (b. March 30, 1967, Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium), defense minister (also in charge of civil service) of Belgium (2014-18). He has also been mayor of Hasselt (2019- ).

Vandeputte, Robert (Marie Antoine Cyrille) (b. Feb. 26, 1908, Antwerp, Belgium - d. Nov. 18, 1997, Brussels, Belgium), finance minister of Belgium (1981). He was also governor of the National Bank (1971-75).

Vander Zalm

Vander Zalm, William N(ick), originally Wilhelmus Nicolaas Theodore Marie Vander Zalm, byname Bill Vander Zalm (b. May 29, 1934, Noordwijkerhout, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands), premier of British Columbia (1986-91). His family immigrated to Canada in 1947. He was first elected alderman in Surrey, B.C., in 1965, and in 1969 he became that city's youngest mayor. As a member of the Liberal Party, he ran unsuccessfully in the 1968 federal election. In 1972 he was an unsuccessful candidate for leader of the provincial Liberals. In 1974 he joined the Social Credit (Socred) Party, and the following year he was elected to the provincial legislature in the Socred sweep. Between 1978 and 1983 he held a number of cabinet posts. Throughout his political career, he was noted for his blunt statements. In 1982, for instance, he called his fellow cabinet ministers "gutless" when the legislature defeated a land-use bill he had worked on for two years. Women asking for job training were told they would make better homemakers than plumbers, and welfare recipients were told to pick up a shovel. When he received complaints about this latter remark, he responded by selling silver shovel pins and auctioning off shovels at Socred fund-raisers. On July 30, 1986, he defeated members of the hierarchy to become leader of the provincial Social Credit Party. Seven days later he was sworn in as the 27th premier of the province. Having resigned from provincial politics in 1983, he did not hold a seat in the provincial legislature. This was remedied, however, in the general election of Oct. 22, 1986. His party was returned to power, and he was elected to represent the riding of Richmond. In 1987 he became the first Canadian premier to act as host on a regularly scheduled open-line radio talk show. An impatient politician with a dislike of bureaucracy, he promised "an open and up-front" style of government.

Vanderbilt, William H(enry) (b. Nov. 24, 1901, New York City - d. April 14, 1981, South Williamstown, Mass.), governor of Rhode Island (1939-41).

Vanderhoof, John (David) (b. May 27, 1922, Rocky Ford, Colo. - d. Sept. 19, 2013), governor of Colorado (1973-75).

Vanderhorst, Arnoldus (b. March 21, 1748, Christ Church parish, South Carolina - d. Jan. 29, 1815, Charleston, S.C.), governor of South Carolina (1794-96).

Vanderpoorten, Arthur (Pieter Frans) (b. Feb. 17, 1884, Puurs, Belgium - d. April 3, 1945, Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Germany), interior minister of Belgium (1940). He was also minister of public works (1939-40).

Vanderpoorten, Herman (Frans Geeraard) (b. Aug. 25, 1922, Lier, Belgium - d. Sept. 3, 1984, Lier), interior minister (1966-68) and justice minister (1973-77, 1980) of Belgium; son of Arthur Vanderpoorten. He was also a deputy prime minister and minister of institutional reform (1980).

Vanderstichelen, Jules (Edmond) (b. Sept. 18, 1822, Ghent, Netherlands [now in Belgium] - d. July 19, 1880, Brussels, Belgium), foreign minister of Belgium (1868-70). He was also minister of public works (1859-68) and governor of the Bank of Belgium (1878-80).

Vandervelde, Émile (Guillaume) (b. Jan. 25, 1866, Ixelles [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium - d. Dec. 27, 1938, Ixelles), Belgian statesman. He joined the Belgian Workers' Party in 1889 and soon became its acknowledged leader. He first entered parliament in 1894 as member for Charleroi but after 1900 was returned continuously from Brussels. In the Chamber of Representatives he achieved both influence and prestige and played a prominent part in the struggle to attain universal suffrage (finally granted in 1919), a struggle that resulted in more than one national general strike. Considered to be the most powerful socialist orator in the French language since Jean Jaurès, he played a conspicuous role in all the international Socialist congresses after the beginning of the 20th century. In August 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, he was summoned to join the government as minister of state, later becoming a member of the cabinet. At the time of peace negotiations and the signing of the Versailles Treaty, he used his influence to obtain the insertion of labour clauses, relating especially to the eight-hour day. As minister of justice (1918-21) in the Liberal-Catholic-Socialist cabinet formed after the war, he effected great humanitarian and scientific reforms in the prison system (1919). After the successes of the Workers' Party in the 1925 elections, he entered the Socialist-Catholic coalition cabinet as foreign minister and played an important part in negotiating the Pact of Locarno among Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Italy. He was subjected to criticism because of his genuine internationalism and anti-militarism, the latter being the immediate cause of the fall of the Henri Jaspar cabinet in 1927. He later was minister without portfolio (1935-36) and minister of public health (1936-37).

Vandeurzen, Jo(han Maria Gerardus) (b. June 2, 1958, Heusden, Belgium), justice minister (2007-08) and a deputy prime minister (2008) of Belgium. He was also chairman of Christian Democratic and Flemish (2004-07).

Vandiver, Ernest, in full Samuel Ernest Vandiver, Jr. (b. July 3, 1918, Canon, Ga. - d. Feb. 21, 2005, Lavonia, Ga.), governor of Georgia (1959-63); nephew-in-law of Richard B. Russell. An old-style Southern Democrat with a deep drawl and gentlemanly manner, he rose to national attention in 1958 when he vowed that "no, not one" black child would sit in a classroom with whites if he were elected governor. His anti-integration pledge, which came just four years after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school segregation in its landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, helped him win the Democratic primary and the keys to the governor's mansion. Many whites in Georgia, Alabama, and other Southern states supported segregationists in the 1950s and 1960s as a protest against the federal government's efforts to extend equal rights to blacks. Vandiver had hoped to focus his administration on weeding out alleged corruption in government, but he was forced into the emotional civil rights debate when federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools, including the historic University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. Despite pressure from white parents to close the schools rather than bow to the courts, Vandiver decided it was futile for Georgia to fight the federal government on the issue. He convinced lawmakers to repeal anti-desegregation legislation. Many credit Vandiver's reversal for sparing the Southern state the racial turbulence and violence that engulfed neighbouring Alabama and Mississippi in the early 1960s. But Vandiver said that allowing the schools to be integrated was "political suicide." He again ran for governor in 1966, but was forced to withdraw from the race due to a heart attack. In 1972 he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.

Vanhanen

Vanhová

Vanhanen, Matti (Taneli) (b. Nov. 4, 1955, Jyväskylä, Finland), defense minister (2003), prime minister (2003-10), deputy prime minister (2020), and finance minister (2020-21) of Finland. He was also a presidential candidate (2006, 2018) and speaker of parliament (2019-20, 2022-23).

Vanhengel, Guy (b. June 10, 1958, Brussels, Belgium), Belgian politician. He was a deputy prime minister and minister of budget (2009-11).

Vanhová, Jana (b. Jan. 1, 1955, Rakovník, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), governor of Ústecký kraj (2008-12).

Vanié Bi Tra, Albert (b. 1936, Vouéboufla, Ivory Coast [now Côte d'Ivoire] - d. Aug. 17, 2005, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire), Ivorian politician. He was minister of labour (1970-90), social affairs (1970-76), and Ivorianization of personnel (1977-89).

Vanier

Vanier, Georges Philias (b. April 23, 1888, Montreal, Que. - d. March 5, 1967, Ottawa, Ont.), governor general of Canada (1959-67). He was also minister (1939-40) and ambassador (1944-53) to France and minister to the governments of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Poland, Norway, and Yugoslavia in exile (1942-44).

Vanin, Mikhail (Valentinovich) (b. Aug. 1, 1960, Kubinka, Moscow oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), Russian official. He was chairman of the State Customs Committee (1999-2004) and ambassador to Slovenia (2004-09), Denmark (2012-18), and Latvia (2021-23).

Vankeirsbilck, Erik (b. Jan. 11, 1935, Ingelmunster, West Flanders, Belgium - d. Aug. 16, 2017, Kortrijk, West Flanders), Belgian politician. He was chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1988).

Vannas, Meta, until c. 1975 Meta Jangolenko (Russian in full Meta Villemovna Yangolenko) (b. Nov. 9, 1924, Hiiumaa, Estonia - d. Nov. 25, 2002), acting chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian S.S.R. (1978). She was deputy chairman in 1967-69 and from July 4, 1975, to Feb. 24, 1985. She was also mayor of Narva (1960-69) and minister of consumer services (1969-75).

Vannerus, Henri (b. July 29, 1833, Diekirch, Luxembourg - d. May 16, 1921, Luxembourg, Luxembourg), justice minister of Luxembourg (1864-66, 1867-74).

Vanni d'Archirafi, Raniero (b. June 7, 1931, Geneva, Switzerland), Italian diplomat/politician. He was ambassador to Spain (1984-87, 1995-98) and West Germany (1987-89) and EU commissioner for internal market and financial services (1993-95).

Vannovsky, Pyotr (Semyonovich) (b. Dec. 6 [Nov. 24, O.S.], 1822, Kiev, Russia [now in Ukraine] - d. March 1 [Feb. 16, O.S.], 1904, St. Petersburg, Russia), war minister of Russia (1881-98). He was also education minister (1901-02).

Vanoni, Ezio (b. Aug. 3, 1903, Morbegno, Sondrio province, Italy - d. Feb. 16, 1956, Rome, Italy), finance minister (1948-54) and treasury minister (1951-52, 1956) of Italy. He was also minister of foreign trade (1947) and budget (1954-56).

Vanossi, Jorge (Reinaldo Agustín) (b. 1939, Buenos Aires, Argentina), justice minister of Argentina (2002).

Vansittart, George Henry (b. July 16, 1768 - d. Feb. 4, 1824), governor of Saint Lucia (1802); nephew of Henry Vansittart.

Vansittart, Henry (b. June 3, 1732, London, England - d. [presumed shipwreck] af. Dec. 27, 1769), governor of Bengal (1760-64).

Vaquina

Vaquina, Alberto (Clementino António) (b. July 4, 1961, Timaquela village, Nampula province, Mozambique), prime minister of Mozambique (2012-15). He was governor of Sofala (2005-10) and Tete (2010-12) provinces.

Vara del Rey (y Rubio), Joaquín (b. 1840, Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain - d. [killed in battle] July 1, 1898, El Caney, Cuba), governor of the Mariana Islands (1890-91).

Varadkar

Varadkar, Leo (Eric) (b. Jan. 18, 1979, Dublin, Ireland), prime minister of Ireland (2017-20, 2022-24). He was also minister of transport, tourism, and sport (2011-14), health (2014-16), and social protection (2016-17) and deputy prime minister and minister of enterprise, trade, and employment (2020-22). Succeeding Enda Kenny as leader of Fine Gael in 2017, he became the country's youngest and first openly gay prime minister as well as the first with an ethnic-minority background (he is half Indian).

Varantsou, Henadz (Mikalayevich) (b. 1948, Vileyka, Minsk oblast, Belorussian S.S.R.), justice minister of Belarus (1997-2001).

Varas de la Barra, Antonio (b. June 13, 1817, Cauquenes, Chile - d. June 3, 1886, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister (1850-56, 1860-61), interior minister (1850-56, 1860-61, 1879), and acting war and marine minister (1856) of Chile. He was also rector of the National Institute (1842-45), minister of justice, worship, and education (1845-46), and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1862-64) and the Senate (1881-86).

Vardaman, James K(imble) (b. July 26, 1861, Jackson county, Texas - d. June 25, 1930, Birmingham, Ala.), governor of Mississippi (1904-08).

Vardanyan

Vardanyan, Ruben (Karlenovich) (b. May 25, 1968, Yerevan, Armenian S.S.R.), minister of state of Artsakh (2022-23).

Varè, Daniele (Benedetto) (b. Jan. 12, 1880, Rome, Italy - d. Feb. 27, 1956, Rome), Italian diplomat; son of Giovanni Battista Varè. He was minister to Luxembourg (1926-27), China (1927-31), and Denmark (1931-32).

Varè, Giovanni Battista (Francesco) (b. Sept. 12, 1817, Venice, Austria [now in Italy] - d. April 19, 1884, Rome, Italy), justice minister of Italy (1879).

Varek, Toomas (b. June 6, 1948, Rakvere, Estonian S.S.R.), interior minister of Estonia (2003). He was also speaker of the Riigikogu (2006-07).

Varela (Bernadou), Benigno Ignacio (Marcelino) (b. June 21, 1917, Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. Feb. 29, 1996, Buenos Aires), member of the Revolutionary Junta of Argentina (1966).

Varela (Vidaurre), Enrique (b. 1856 - d. [assassinated] Feb. 4, 1914, Lima, Peru), war and navy minister (1912-13, 1913-14) and prime minister (1912-13, 1913-14) of Peru.

Varela, José Augusto (b. Nov. 28, 1896, Ceará-Mirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil - d. June 14, 1976, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte), governor of Rio Grande do Norte (1947-51). He was also mayor of Natal (1943-45).

J.C. Varela

Varela (Rodríguez), Juan Carlos (b. Dec. 12, 1963, Panama City, Panama), vice president and foreign minister (2009-11) and president (2014-19) of Panama.

Varela (Olivera), Pedro (José) (b. Feb. 22, 1837, Florida, Uruguay - d. 1906, Montevideo, Uruguay), president of Uruguay (1868 [acting], 1875-76).

Varela Acevedo, Jacobo (b. Dec. 25, 1876, Montevideo, Uruguay - d. 1962), foreign minister of Uruguay (1907). He was also minister to Mexico (1919-21) and the United States (1920-34).

J.E. Varela

Varela Iglesias, José Enrique (b. April 17, 1891, San Fernando, Spain - d. March 24, 1951, Tétouan, Morocco), army minister of Spain (1939-42) and Spanish high commissioner of Morocco (1945-51).

Varella, Eleutherio Frazão Muniz (b. Feb. 23, 1849, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Feb. 26, 1919, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting president of Maranhão (1890).

Varenne, Alexandre (Claude) (b. Oct. 3, 1870, Clermont-Ferrand, France - d. Feb. 16, 1947, Paris, France), governor-general of French Indochina (1925-28). He was also a French minister of state (1946).

Varenne, Antoine d'Arcy, marquis de la (b. 16... - d. 1732), governor of Martinique (1717).

Vareykis, Iosif (Mikhailovich), Lithuanian Juozas Vareikis (b. Oct. 18 [Oct. 6, O.S.], 1894, Vareikiai, Kovno province, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. [executed] July 28, 1938), executive secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkestan A.S.S.R. (1924). He was also people's commissar of social welfare of the Donets Kryvyi Rih Soviet Republic (1918), chairman of the party committee of Simbirsk province (1918-20), chairman of the Executive Committee (1920, 1920-21) and the Revolutionary Committee (1920) of Vitebsk province, executive secretary of the party committee of Kiev (1923-24) and Saratov (1926-28) provinces, and first secretary of the party committees of Tsentralno-Chernozyomnaya (1928-34) and Voronezh (1934-35) oblasti and Stalingrad (1935-36) and Dalnevostochny (1937) kraya.

Varfis, Grigoris (b. Jan. 2, 1927, Athens, Greece - d. Sept. 10, 2017), Greek politician. He was European commissioner for regional policy and relations with the European Parliament (1985) and structural instruments and consumer protection (1986-89).

Varga, Béla (b. Feb. 18, 1903, Börcs village, Hungary - d. Oct. 13, 1995, Budapest, Hungary), member of the High National Council of Hungary (1945-46).

Varga, Jenö, surname until 1903 Weisz, Russian Yevgeny (Samuilovich) Varga (b. Nov. 6, 1879, Nagytétény [now part of Budapest], Hungary - d. Oct. 8, 1964, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), finance commissar of Hungary (1919). He later became a Soviet economist.

Judit Varga

Antonio Vargas

Varga, Judit (b. Sept. 10, 1980, Miskolc, Hungary), justice minister of Hungary (2019-23).

Varga, Mihály (b. Jan. 26, 1965, Karcag, Hungary), finance minister (2001-02, 2013-  [2013-18 economy]) and a deputy prime minister (2018-22) of Hungary.

Vargas (Lyng), Alfonso (b. Dec. 16, 1951, Valparaíso, Chile), acting defense minister of Chile (2011).

Vargas (Huatatoca), Antonio (b. Dec. 1, 1958, Puyo, eastern Ecuador), member of the Council of State of Ecuador (2000). He was a minor presidential candidate in 2002.

G. Vargas

Vargas, Getúlio (Dornelles) (b. April 19, 1882¹, São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - d. Aug. 24, 1954, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Brazil (1930-45, 1951-54). He entered politics in 1908 and in 1922 was elected to the National Congress, in which he served four years. In 1926 he became finance minister, retaining the post until his election as president of Rio Grande do Sul in 1928. From the latter position, he campaigned for the presidency of Brazil in 1930. Defeated in the March election, he claimed fraud and led a revolution in October which overthrew the oligarchical republic. He held power as provisional president from November, and was elected president by the constituent assembly in July 1934. The electorate was quadrupled and granted the secret ballot, women were enfranchised, national unity was heightened, and extensive educational and social reforms were introduced. But on Nov. 10, 1937, he presided over a coup d'état that ended the constitutional government and set up the authoritarian New State (Estado Novo). This in turn was overthrown by coup d'état on Oct. 29, 1945, in a wave of democratic sentiment sweeping the country after World War II. Still, he retained wide popular support. In December 1945 he was elected both as senator and congressman from several states and he chose the position as senator from Rio Grande do Sul. However, he kept a low profile until staging a comeback in 1950, when he was elected president as the candidate of the Brazilian Labour Party. Unable to deal effectively with economic problems, he resorted increasingly to nationalistic appeals to hold popular support. Faced with overpowering opposition from the armed forces, he shot himself rather than be removed from office again.
¹ Year of birth was altered to 1883 to meet age limit for admission to military academy; this falsification was only publicly disclosed on the occasion of his centenary.

Vargas (Martínez), Héctor José (b. July 3, 1891, Chiquinquirá, Boyacá, Colombia - d. June 1957), finance minister of Colombia (1938). He was also minister to Panama (1936-38) and governor of Boyacá (1939).

Vargas, Jesus (Miranda) (b. March 22, 1905, Manila, Philippines - d. March 25, 1994, Manila), defense secretary of the Philippines (1957-59) and secretary-general of SEATO (1965-72). He was also chief of staff of the army (1953-56).

Vargas (y Celis), Jorge B(artolomé) (b. Aug. 24, 1890, Bago, Negros Occidental province, Philippines - d. Feb. 22, 1980, Makati, Philippines), president of the Executive Commission of the Philippine Council of State under Japanese occupation (1942-43). He was also secretary to the president (1935-42), acting defense secretary (1941), mayor of Manila (1941-42), ambassador to Japan (1943-45), and chairman of the National Planning Commission (1950-54).

Vargas (Lezaca), Marceliano (b. 18... - d. Aug. 23, 1924, Bogotá, Colombia), interior minister of Colombia (1908-09); son-in-law of José Manuel Marroquín. He was also governor of Boyacá (1895) and Cundinamarca (1899) and minister to France (1905-07).

Vargas (Cárdenas), Mario Ricardo (b. May 29, 1913, Táriba, Táchira, Venezuela - d. Dec. 24, 1949, Washington, D.C.), interior minister of Venezuela (1946-48). He was also minister of communications (1945-46) and a member of the Revolutionary Junta (1946).

Vargas (Benalcázar), Telmo (Oswaldo) (b. Oct. 9, 1912, San José de Minas, Ecuador - d. Aug. 9, 2013, Quito, Ecuador), chief of staff of the armed forces of Ecuador (1966). General Vargas was a leader in ousting the ruling military junta in 1966 and restoring civilian rule, handing over power to Clemente Yerovi Indaburu as interim president. Yerovi then named Rear Adm. Carlos Montenegro to replace Vargas as chief of staff.

Vargas Belmonte, Aristóbulo (b. Aug. 24, 1891, Jujuy, Argentina - d. 1961), federal interventor in Mendoza (1943-46) and Córdoba (1947-49).

Vargas Caballero, Luis (Ernesto) (b. Feb. 10, 1916, Tacna, Chile [now in Peru] - d. Dec. 23, 2002), justice minister of Peru (1968-69). He was also minister of housing (1969-72) and navy (1973-74).

Vargas Fernández, Alfredo (b. May 24, 1911, Heredia, Costa Rica - d. March 25, 2002, Heredia), foreign minister of Costa Rica (1958-62).

Vargas Fontecilla, Francisco (Antonio) (b. April 27, 1824, Santiago, Chile - d. Dec. 10, 1883, Santiago), foreign and interior minister of Chile (1867-68). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1867, 1868-70) and minister of justice, worship, and education (1870).

Vargas Gavilano, Amílcar (b. April 5, 1920, Lima, Peru), economy and finance minister of Peru (1974-75).

Vargas Gómez, Eudoro (b. Jan. 3, 1878, Mercedes, Corrientes province, Argentina - d. Jan. 30, 1946, Corrientes province), federal interventor in Mendoza (1920-22). He was also agriculture minister of Argentina (1922).

Vargas Lleras, Germán (b. Feb. 19, 1962, Bogotá, Colombia), interior minister (2010-12) and vice president (2014-17) of Colombia; grandson of Carlos Lleras Restrepo. He was also president of the Senate (2003-04) and minister of justice (2010-11) and housing, city, and territory (2012-13). He was a presidential candidate in 2010 and 2018.

Vargas Llosa

Vargas Llosa, (Jorge) Mario (Pedro), marqués de Vargas Llosa (b. March 28, 1936, Arequipa, Peru), Peruvian presidential candidate (1990). One of Latin America's most famous novelists, he was elected the first Latin American president of International PEN (Association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists) in 1976. Once a supporter of Cuba, Vargas Llosa since the 1970s had sought to portray himself as a centrist - defending democracy from the extremes of both right and left. In 1987 he stepped into the political limelight with his opposition to the government's attempt to nationalize private banks. Speaking for the conservatives, he accused Pres. Alan García of endangering democracy by attempting to "concentrate too much power in the hands of the government." Prior to that he had been chairman of a special governmental investigation into the murders of eight journalists in Peru's ongoing guerrilla war. Citing the "moral obligation" of a Latin American writer to be "involved in civic activities" and not simply to make pronouncements from the safety of the sidelines, Vargas Llosa said in 1988 that he would be willing to run for president. Expressing a determination to prevent the election of a Marxist president, he agreed to run as a candidate of the right-wing Democratic Front, a coalition of his own Liberty Movement and the centre-right Popular Action and Popular Christian parties. But he unexpectedly lost the 1990 election in a runoff against Alberto Fujimori. He was a strong critic of Fujimori's 1992 self-coup. In 1993 he was granted Spanish citizenship and in 1994 he was elected a member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Language. In 2010 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was made a Spanish marquess in 2011.

Vargas Lugo, Bartolomé (b. 1890, Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico - d. June 19, 1972, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Hidalgo (1929-33).

M. Vargas

Vargas Maldonado, Miguel (Octavio) (b. Sept. 26, 1950, Ciudad Trujillo [now Santo Domingo], Dominican Republic), foreign minister of the Dominican Republic (2016-20). He was also minister of public works and communications (2000-04). He was a presidential candidate in 2008.

Vargas Pazzos, Frank (Enrique) (b. July 15, 1934, Chone, Ecuador), interior minister of Ecuador (1996-97). He was also chief of staff of the armed forces and commander of the air force (1984-86) and a presidential candidate (1988, 1992, 1996).

Vargas Prada (Peirano), Pedro (Luis) (b. Sept. 27, 1912, Lima, Peru - d. April 15, 1997, Lima), Peruvian junta member (1962). He was also minister of aviation (1962-63).

Vargas Prieto, Óscar (b. 1917, Moquegua, Peru - d. 1989), member of the Revolutionary Junta (1975) and prime minister and war minister (1975-76) of Peru. He was also controller-general (1971-72, 1976).

Várhelyi, Olivér (b. March 22, 1972, Szeged, Hungary), Hungarian official. He has been EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement (2019-24) and health and animal welfare (2024- ).

Variakojis, Jonas (b. May 20, 1892, Rinkuskiai, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. Oct. 31, 1963, St. Charles, Ill.), defense minister of Lithuania (1929-30).

Várkonyi, Péter (b. April 3, 1931, Budapest, Hungary - d. Oct. 15, 2008), foreign minister of Hungary (1983-89). He was also ambassador to the United States (1989-90).

Varlamov, Pyotr (Ivanovich) (b. 1899, Zubovka, Astrakhan province, Russia - d. December 1942, near Stalingrad, Russian S.F.S.R. [now Volgograd, Russia]), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Karakalpak autonomous oblast (1927-30).

Varmann, Kolbjørn (Sigurd Verner) (b. Dec. 23, 1904, Nordfjordeid, Norway - d. Aug. 13, 1980), governor of Finnmark (1963-74). He was also Norwegian minister of transport and communications (1955-60).

Varnier, Maurice (b. Jan. 15, 1851, Valence, Drôme, France - d. 19...), acting governor-general of Algeria (1903).

Varón Cotrino, Germán (b. July 6, 1964, Bogotá, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was president of the Chamber of Representatives (2008-09).

Varón Valencia, Abraham (Vicente) (b. Nov. 11, 1920, Honda, Tolima, Colombia - d. June 24, 2005, Bogotá, Colombia), defense minister of Colombia (1974-78). He was also commander of the army (1969-70) and the armed forces (1970-74) and ambassador to Chile (1978-81).

Varona

Varona y Loredo, Manuel Antonio de, byname Tony Varona (b. Nov. 25, 1908, Camagüey, Cuba - d. Oct. 29, 1992, Miami, Fla.), premier of Cuba (1948-50). He was president of the Senate in 1950-52.

Varoprakar, Prince Devawongse (b. Nov. 27, 1858, Bangkok, Siam [now Thailand] - d. June 28, 1923, Bangkok), foreign minister of Siam (1885-1923); son of King Mongkut; half-brother of King Chulalongkorn.

Varoufakis, Gianis¹ (Georgiou), in English commonly Yanis Varoufakis (b. March 24, 1961, Athens, Greece), finance minister of Greece (2015). From January 2004 to December 2006, he served as an economic advisor to opposition leader Georgios Papandreou. After the latter was elected prime minister in 2009, he became a fierce critic of the Papandreou government because of its acceptance of an international bailout. He burst onto the Greek political scene in 2010, warning of impending destruction and urging the government to opt for a default. Although he had no intention of entering politics, he felt he had a "moral responsibility" to accept the invitation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, of the left-wing Syriza party, to become finance minister in 2015. Since taking office in January, he was in the global limelight, partly because of the cliff-hanging debt crisis of his country, but no less because of his maverick style, particularly his acerbic opposition against austerity, which he once characterized as "fiscal waterboarding." He played a key role in convincing the nation to vote "No" in a referendum in July on the terms of a bailout. It was mainly symbolic, however, and he resigned immediately afterwards at Tsipras's request in order to help future debt negotiations proceed more smoothly. In 2016 he was a co-founder of the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), a pan-European left-liberal group planning to run in European Parliament elections; in those of 2019 - with Varoufakis standing as a candidate in Germany - it had little success, however. In the Greek parliamentary elections soon afterwards, its local equivalent, the European Realistic Disobedience Front (MeRA25), just managed to surpass the 3% threshold for representation.
¹ He told the BBC that while in elementary school he decided to spell his first name with one "n," rather than the standard two, for "aesthetic" reasons; when his teacher gave him a low grade for that, he became angry and has continued spelling his first name with one "n" ever since.

Varshalomidze, Guram (Khuseynovich) (b. 1939 - d. October 2020), chairman of the Council of Ministers of Ajaria (1993).

L. Varshalomidze

Varshalomidze, Levan (Guramovich) (b. Jan. 17, 1972, Batumi, Adzhar A.S.S.R., Georgian S.S.R.), chairman of the Interim Council (2004) and prime minister (2004-12) of Ajaria; son of Guram Varshalomidze.

Vartapetyan, Amatuni (Semyonovich) (b. Oct. 24, 1900, Yelizavetpol, Russia [now Gyandzha, Azerbaijan] - d. [executed] July 28, 1938), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Armenian S.S.R. (1936-37). He was also executive secretary of the party committee of Yerevan city (1929-30).

Vartholomaios

Vartholomaios I, English Bartholomew, original name Dimitrios (Christou) Archontonis (b. Feb. 29, 1940, Hagioi Theodoroi, Imroz [now Gökçeada] island, Turkey), ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople (1991- ). Receiving his diploma of theology from the Theological School of Chalki (near Istanbul), he entered the priesthood in Imroz as a deacon in 1961. He undertook further studies in Switzerland and Germany and in 1968 gained a doctorate in canon law in Rome. Returning, he served as sub-dean of the Theological School of Chalki, then in 1969 was ordained priest in Istanbul, and in 1970 was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In 1973 he was elected metropolitan of Philadelphia and consecrated as a bishop. He was a member of the Holy Synod of the Eastern Orthodox Church from 1974. He participated in three general assemblies of the World Council of Churches (1968, 1983, 1991). In 1990 he was elected metropolitan of Chalcedon. On Oct. 22, 1991, the Holy Synod elected him as the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and ecumenical patriarch, making him the spiritual leader - "first among equals" - of all the self-governing Eastern Orthodox churches throughout the world. He gave spiritual and moral support to the resurgent Orthodox churches in Eastern European countries after the fall of Communism. He convened extraordinary meetings of the heads of all the autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox churches in Istanbul in 1992 and on the Greek island of Patmos in 1995. In 1995 he also visited Pope John Paul II and the Archbishop of Canterbury. His efforts in environmental awareness have earned him the title "Green Patriarch."

Varul, Paul (b. Dec. 10, 1952, Valga, Estonian S.S.R.), justice minister of Estonia (1995-99).

Varvaresos, Kyriakos (Ch.) (b. March 4, 1884, Athens, Greece - d. Feb. 22, 1957, Washington, D.C.), finance minister (1932 and [in exile] 1941-43) and deputy prime minister (1945) of Greece. He was also governor of the Bank of Greece (1939-46; 1941-44 in exile) and minister of economy (provisional, in exile, 1941-43) and supply (1945).

Vårvik, Dagfinn (b. June 8, 1924, Leinstrand, Sør-Trøndelag [now in Trøndelag], Norway - d. March 25, 2018), finance minister (1963) and foreign minister (1972-73) of Norway. He was also minister of wages and prices (1965-71) and chairman of the Centre Party (1973-77).

Vasa Pasha, originally Pashko Vasa (b. Sept. 17, 1825, Shkodra, Ottoman Empire [now Shkodër, Albania] - d. June 29, 1892, Beirut, Ottoman Empire [now in Lebanon]), governor of Mount Lebanon (1883-92).

Vasáková, Lívia, née Zemanovicová (b. 1977), deputy prime minister of Slovakia (2023).

Vásáry, István (b. Jan. 29, 1887, Debrecen, Hungary - d. Aug. 25, 1955, Debrecen), finance minister of Hungary (1944-45). He was also mayor of Debrecen (1929-35).

Vasconcellos (Fernández), Amílcar (b. Sept. 22, 1915, Artigas department, Uruguay - d. Oct. 22, 1999, Montevideo, Uruguay), finance minister of Uruguay (1957-59, 1967). He was also agriculture minister (1955-57).

Vasconcellos, Bernardo Pereira de (b. Aug. 27, 1795, Villa Rica [now Ouro Preto], Minas Gerais, Brazil - d. May 1, 1850, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), principal minister of Brazil (1837-39, 1840). He was also minister of finance (1831-32) and justice (1837-39).

Vasconcellos, Francisco de Paula Assis (d. Nov. 30, 1963, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), federal interventor in Acre (1930-34).

Vasconcellos, Francisco Diogo Pereira de (b. Dec. 28, 1812, Villa Rica [now Ouro Preto], Minas Gerais, Brazil - d. March 3, 1863, Ouro Preto), president of Minas Gerais (1853-56, 1862-63) and São Paulo (1856-57) and justice minister of Brazil (1857-58); brother of Bernardo Pereira de Vasconcellos.

Vasconcellos, Ignacio Accioli de (b. 17..., Alagoas, Pernambuco [now Marechal Deodoro, Alagoas], Brazil - d. 18...), president of Espírito Santo (1824-29).

Vasconcellos, Ignacio Corrêa de (d. 1859, Bahia province [now state], Brazil), president of Ceará (1833-34, 1844-47).

Vasconcellos, João Antonio de (b. 1802, Valença, Bahia, Brazil - d. Nov. 21, 1880, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Paraíba (1848-50). He was also president of the Supreme Court of Brazil (1880).

Vasconcellos, João Florentino Meira de (b. 1830, Itabaiana, Paraíba, Brazil - d. March 10, 1892, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Minas Gerais (1881) and interior minister of Brazil (1885). He was also navy minister (1882-83).

Vasconcellos, José de Mello, acting president of Mato Grosso (1834).

Vasconcellos, José Ignacio Accioli de (b. 1817, Rio de Janeiro captaincy [now state], Brazil - d. July 19, 1881, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting president of Espírito Santo (1846).

Vasconcellos, José Leandro de Godoy e (b. Feb. 27, 1834, Pernambuco province [now state], Brazil - d. Nov. 11, 1888, Conceição do Rio Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil), president of Rio Grande do Sul (1882), Rio de Janeiro (1883-84), and Maranhão (1884-85).

Vasconcellos, José Marcellino Pessoa de (b. Nov. 4, 1864, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil - d. July 11, 1902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Espírito Santo (1898-1900).

Vasconcellos, José Miguel de, barão de Parangaba (b. Oct. 12, 1829, Atalaia, Alagoas, Brazil - d. April 12, 1916), acting governor of Alagoas (1909). He was made baron in 1889.

Vasconcellos, José Thomaz da Cunha (b. Jan. 29, 1867, Itambé, Pernambuco, Brazil - d. May 15, 1938, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), prefect of Alto Acre (1919-21) and governor of Acre (1923-26).

Vasconcellos, Julio Barbosa de (d. Nov. 17?, 1903), acting president of Goiás (1885-86, 1886).

Vasconcellos, Luiz de Oliveira Lins de (b. Oct. 12, 1853, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil - d. Jan. 16, 1916, São Paulo, Brazil), president of Maranhão (1879-80).

Vasconcellos, Manoel de Frias e (d. September 1893), president of Pará (1858-59).

Vasconcellos, Raymundo Arthur de (b. March 29, 1866, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil - d. Oct. 31, 1922, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor of Piauí (1896-1900).

Vasconcellos, Zacarias de Góes e (b. Nov. 5, 1815, Valença, Bahia, Brazil - d. Dec. 28, 1877, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), chairman of the Council of Ministers of Brazil (1862, 1864, 1866-68); brother of João Antonio de Vasconcellos. He was also president of Piauí (1845-47), Sergipe (1848-49), and Paraná (1853-55) and minister of navy (1852-53), interior (1862), justice (1864), and finance (1866-68).

Vasconcelos, António de, governor of Angola (1758-64).

Vasconcelos (Vides y Ladrón de Guevara), Doroteo (some sources give the full name as Doroteo Vasconcelos Valle) (b. Feb. 6, 1803, Sensuntepeque, New Spain [now in El Salvador] - d. March 1883), president of El Salvador (1848-50, 1850-51).

Vasconcelos (Pérez), Eduardo (b. Oct. 11 or 13, 1895, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico - d. April 26, 1953, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Oaxaca (1947-50). He was also Mexican minister of interior (1932-34) and education (1934).

Vasconcelos (y Cruz), Héctor (Enrique) (b. Feb. 14, 1945, Mexico City, Mexico), Mexican diplomat; son of José Vasconcelos Calderón. He has been ambassador to Denmark (1999-2004) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2024- ).

Jarbas Vasconcelos

Vasconcelos, Jarbas de Andrade (b. Aug. 23, 1942, Vicência, Pernambuco, Brazil), governor of Pernambuco (1999-2006). He was also mayor of Recife (1986-89, 1993-97).

Vasconcelos, José Maria Botelho de (b. March 24, 1950, Malanje, Angola), Angolan politician. He was minister of petroleum (1999-2002, 2008-17) and energy and water (2002-08).

Vasconcelos (Soveral de Carvalho da Maia Soares de Albergaria), Manuel de Almeida e, governor of Angola (1790-97); brother of José de Almeida e Vasconcelos, barão de Moçâmedes.

Vasconcelos Calderón, José (María Albino) (b. Feb. 28, 1882, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico - d. June 30, 1959, Mexico City, Mexico), Mexican politician. He was minister of education (1914-15, 1921-24) and rector of the National University (1920-21).

Vásconez, Pablo (d. 1854), foreign and interior minister of Ecuador (1849).

Vasconsellos (López), César Augusto (b. May 4, 1899, Ygatimi, northeastern Paraguay - d. 1949), foreign minister of Paraguay (1947-48).

Vasey, Sir Ernest Albert (b. Aug. 27, 1901, Maryport, Cumberland, England - d. Jan. 10, 1984, Nairobi, Kenya), finance minister of Kenya (1952-59). He emigrated to Kenya after serving on Shrewsbury Town Council. He was twice mayor of Nairobi (1941-42, 1944-46), entered the Legislative Council as member for Nairobi North (1945-50), and in 1950 was appointed member for health, local government, and education. As minister for finance and development during the Mau Mau emergency he played an important role in ensuring increased funds for African development projects and in establishing relationships with international bodies for funding and aid. After his election to the Council of Ministers in 1958 was blocked by a boycott by African-elected members under the 1957 constitution, Vasey left for Tanganyika at the end of 1959 and served as finance minister in Julius Nyerere's government until 1962. From 1963 until his retirement in 1966 he was World Bank representative in Pakistan. During his retirement in Kenya he remained active in business and as a member of government committees. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1959.

Vasfi Efendi (b. 1861 - d. 1926), justice minister of the Ottoman Empire (1919). He was also minister of waqfs (1919).

Vashadze

Vashadze, Grigol (Nodaris dze) (b. July 19, 1958, Tbilisi, Georgian S.S.R.), foreign minister of Georgia (2008-12). He was also minister of culture, monument protection, and sports (2008) and a presidential candidate (2018).

Vashchenkov, Leonid (Yefimovich) (b. 1933), acting head of the administration of Saratov oblast (1996).

Vasic, Srdjan (b. May 14, 1960), prefect of Kosovo district (2004-07). He is a member of the Socialist Party of Serbia.

Vasilakis, Adamantios (b. June 13, 1942, Chios island, Greece - d. June 30, 2021), Greek diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1994 [acting], 2002-07).

Vasilchikov, Aleksey (Vasilyevich) (b. November 1780 - d. April 30 [April 18, O.S.], 1833), governor of Novgorod (1810-12); brother of Knyaz Illarion (Vasilyevich) Vasilchikov.

Vasilchikov, Knyaz (Prince) Boris (Aleksandrovich) (b. May 31 [May 19, O.S.], 1860, Novgorod province, Russia - d. May 13, 1931, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France), Russian politician; nephew of Knyaz Illarion (Illarionovich) Vasilchikov; grandson of Knyaz Illarion (Vasilyevich) Vasilchikov. He was governor of Pskov (1900-03) and head of the Chief Administration of Land Organization and Agriculture (1906-08).

Vasilchikov, Knyaz (Prince) Illarion (Illarionovich) (b. Nov. 2 [Oct. 21, O.S.], 1805 - d. Nov. 24 [Nov. 12, O.S.], 1862), governor of Kostroma (1847-48) and Volyn (1848-51) and military governor of Kiev and governor-general of Podolia and Volyn (1852-62); son of Knyaz Illarion (Vasilyevich) Vasilchikov; son-in-law of Knyaz Aleksey Shcherbatov.

Vasilchikov, Knyaz (Prince) Illarion (Vasilyevich) (b. 1776? - d. March 5 [Feb. 21, O.S.], 1847, St. Petersburg, Russia), Russian politician; son-in-law of Pyotr Protasov; brother-in-law of Knyaz Dmitry (Vladimirovich) Golitsyn. He was chairman of the Imperial State Council and of the Committee of Ministers (1838-47). He became Graf (count) in 1831 and Knyaz in 1839.

Vasile

Vasile, Radu (b. Oct. 10, 1942, Sibiu, Romania - d. July 3, 2013), prime minister of Romania (1998-99). Vasile, who belonged to the modernizing wing of the Christian Democrats, failed to revive the faltering economy or improve living standards. He was ousted by a revolt in his own party in December 1999. His government was accused by Pres. Emil Constantinescu of lacking coherence and organization in implementing reforms. Party leaders hoped to speed Romania's candidacy for membership of the European Union by replacing Vasile with a figure more committed to reform.

Vasilev, Asen (Vaskov), also spelled Assen Vassilev (b. Sept. 9, 1977, Haskovo, Bulgaria), finance minister of Bulgaria (2021, 2021-22, 2023-24). He was also a deputy prime minister (2021-22).

Vasilev, Nikolay (Kirilov) (b. June 21, 1946, Raykovo, Bulgaria - d. Feb. 12, 2014), Bulgarian politician. He was a deputy prime minister and minister of education and science (1991-92) and a minor presidential candidate (2011).

Vasilev, Nikolay (Vasilev) (b. Nov. 28, 1969, Varna, Bulgaria), a deputy prime minister of Bulgaria (2001-05). He was also minister of economy (2001-03), transport and communications (2003-05), and state administration and administrative reform (2005-09).

Vasilev, Stefan (Kostadinov) (b. Sept. 12, 1919, Batak, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. He was education minister (1968-73) and chairman of the Committee for Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy (1973-75).

Vasilevsky, Roman (Sergeyevich) (b. May 10, 1978, Oleshin, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Oleshyn, Ukraine]), chairman of the government of Kamchatka kray (2019-20).

Vasilios V (b. 1872 - d. January 1950), metropolitan of Crete (1941-50).

Vasiliou, Androulla, née Georgiadis (b. Nov. 30, 1943, Paphos, Cyprus), Cypriot politician; wife of Georgios Vasiliou. She was EU commissioner for health (2008-10) and education, culture, multilingualism, and youth (2010-14).

G. Vasiliou

Vasiliou, Georgios (Vasou), English George Vassiliou (b. May 21, 1931, Famagusta, Cyprus), president of Cyprus (1988-93). He was mentioned, among others, as a possible compromise candidate for centre and left-wing groups opposed to Pres. Spyros Kyprianou in the 1983 election. However, Kyprianou secured an election pact with the Communist Party (AKEL), which consistently polled around 30% of the vote. With AKEL's support he won a new five-year term but, once elected, he ignored the pact. Furious, the AKEL leaders began to plot his downfall, and Vasiliou again caught their eye. In July 1987 AKEL threw its support behind Vasiliou as an independent candidate. The other independent candidate, former foreign minister Nikos Rolandis - like Vasiliou a self-made millionaire - stood down and put his small Liberal Party behind Vasiliou to attract centre-right voters. Vasiliou defined himself as his own man by defying AKEL on two key issues. He backed a new customs union between Cyprus and the European Communities and took a moderate stand on the island's two British military bases, which AKEL wanted removed. In a first-round poll in February 1988, right-wing Rally Party leader Glafkos Kliridis won the most votes, but Vasiliou edged past Kyprianou into second place. In a hard-fought second round a week later, Vasiliou narrowly beat Kliridis to become president. Within months of his election, he persuaded the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas, to meet him in Geneva, and the two continued secret talks in Nicosia. Vasiliou was a strong supporter of the UN plan which proposed the establishment of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1993 he narrowly lost a reelection bid to Kliridis. In 1998-2003 he was head of the negotiating team for the accession of Cyprus to the European Union.

Vasiliu-Rascanu, Constantin (b. Sept. 5, 1887, Bârlad, Vaslui county, Romania - d. March 19, 1980), war minister of Romania (1945-46).

Vasiljevic, Aleksandar, Montenegrin politician. He was a minor presidential candidate in 2002 and 2003.

Vasiljevic, Zivan (b. 1920 - d. 2007, Belgrade, Serbia), president of the National Assembly of Serbia (1974).

Vasilyev, Aleksey (Ivanovich) (b. March 11 [Feb. 28, O.S.], 1742, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Aug. 27 [Aug. 15, O.S.], 1807, St. Petersburg), finance minister of Russia (1802-07). He was also director of the Collegium of Medicine (1793-96).

Vasilyev, Arkady (Aleksandrovich) (b. Jan. 28, 1930, Mari-Otary, Mari autonomous oblast, Russian S.F.S.R. [now Mari El republic, Russia] - d. 2012), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Mari A.S.S.R. (1976-90). He was also first secretary of the Communist Party committee of Volzhsky city (1966-76).

I. Vasilyev

Vasilyev, Igor (Vladimirovich) (b. May 31, 1961, Leningrad, Russian S.F.S.R. [now St. Petersburg, Russia]), governor of Kirov oblast (2016-22).

Vasilyev, Nikolay (Fyodorovich) (b. Dec. 5 [Nov. 22, O.S.], 1916, Kinzelka [now in Orenburg oblast], Russia - d. July 2011), Soviet politician. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of Dnepropetrovsk oblast (1961-63), first secretary of the party committee of Belgorod oblast (1964-71), a first deputy chairman (1971-79) and joint acting chairman (1971) of the Council of Ministers of the Russian S.F.S.R., and Soviet minister of land reclamation and water resources (1979-89).

Vasilyev, Roman (Gavrilovich) (b. 1913, 1st Tyllyminsky nasleg [village], Yakutsk oblast [now in Sakha republic], Russia - d. May 3, 1991), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Yakut A.S.S.R. (1953-56). He was also first secretary of the party committee of Yakutsk city (1951-53) and minister of local industry (1958-63).

V. Vasilyev

Vasilyev, Vladimir (Abdualiyevich) (b. Aug. 11, 1949, Klin, Moscow oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), head of the republic of Dagestan (2017-20).

Vasovic, Srboljub (b. 1941, Skopje, Yugoslavia [now in North Macedonia]), a deputy prime minister of Serbia (1991-94). He was also president of the City Assembly of Kragujevac (1989-92).

Vasques, Bernardo (b. Aug. 9, 1837, Magé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Oct. 23, 1902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), war minister of Brazil (1894-96).

Vásquez (Ríos), Aldo (Alejandro) (b. 1962), justice minister of Peru (2015-16). He was also president of tne National Board of Justice (2020-21).

Vásquez, Edmundo (b. 1892 - d. ...), finance minister of Bolivia (1940). He was also minister of agriculture, mines, and petroleum (1940-41).

Vásquez (Aranguren), José (Manuel) (b. Sept. 3, 1972, Camaguán, Guárico, Venezuela), governor of Guárico (2017- ).

M. Vásquez

Vásquez (Chuquilín), Mirtha (Esther) (b. March 31, 1975, Cajamarca, Peru), prime minister of Peru (2021-22). She was also president of Congress (2020-21).

Vásquez Bazán, César (Alejandro) (b. April 4, 1952), economy and finance minister of Peru (1989-90).

Vásquez Carrizosa, Alfredo (b. Feb. 9, 1909, Chía, Colombia - d. Dec. 19, 2001, Bogotá, Colombia), foreign minister of Colombia (1970-74); son of Alfredo Vásquez Cobo; great-grandnephew of Nicolás Tanco Armero. He was also ambassador to Belgium (1961-63) and the United Kingdom (1974-77).

Vásquez Cobo, Alfredo (b. Feb. 9, 1869, Cali, Colombia - d. Feb. 1, 1941, Cali), war minister (1903-04, 1909) and foreign minister (1906-08) of Colombia. He was also minister to Venezuela (1909), education minister (1921), and a presidential candidate (1930).

Vásquez Colmenares, Pedro (b. Nov. 2, 1934, Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico - d. Sept. 25, 2012, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico), governor of Oaxaca (1980-85). He was Mexican ambassador to Guatemala in 1989-95.

Vásquez de Novoa (y López de Artigas), Manuel Fernando (b. 1783, Concepción, Chile - d. 1835, Santiago, Chile), member of the Congress of Plenipotentiaries of Chile (1823).

Vásquez Díaz, Manuel (b. 1902, Trujillo, Peru - d. ...), finance minister of Peru (1946-47).

Vásquez Guarda, Efraín (b. 1862, Osorno, Chile - d. March 10, 1905, Valdivia, Chile), justice (and education) minister of Chile (1904). He was also intendant of Arauco (1890-91).

Vásquez Latorre, Carlos (b. Oct. 8, 1870, Medellín, Colombia - d. Oct. 15, 1964), finance minister of Colombia (1918).

Vásquez Martínez, Jesús (Antonio), byname Chu Vásquez (b. July 20, 1958, Nagua, María Trinidad Sánchez, Dominican Republic), interior minister of the Dominican Republic (2020- ). He was also governor of María Trinidad Sánchez (1982-86) and president of the Senate (2003-04).

Vásquez Restrepo, Alberto (b. March 9, 1922, Medellín, Colombia - d. Oct. 12, 2016), Colombian politician. He was minister of mines and energy (1978-80) and governor of Antioquia (1984-86).

Vásquez Salas, Jorge (b. April 29, 1905, Arequipa, Peru - d. ...), foreign minister of Peru (1965-67). He was also mayor of Arequipa (1960).

Vassal, Charles (Henri), commandant of Sainte-Marie de Madagascar (1874-78) and acting commandant of Mayotte (1878-79).

Vassalli, Giuliano (b. April 25, 1915, Perugia, Italy - d. Oct. 21, 2009, Rome, Italy), justice minister of Italy (1987-91). He was also president of the Constitutional Court (1999-2000).

Vastagh, Pál (b. Sept. 23, 1946, Nagyszénás, Hungary), justice minister of Hungary (1994-98). He was also ambassador to Canada (2006-10).

Vasylenko

Vasylenko, Mykola (Prokopovych) (b. Feb. 14 [Feb. 2, O.S.], 1866, Yesman village, Glukhov district, Chernigov province, Russia [now in Chernihiv oblast, Ukraine] - d. Oct. 3, 1935, Kiev, Ukrainian S.S.R.), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the non-Communist Ukraine (1918). He was also minister of foreign affairs and worship (1918) and education (1918).

Vasylyshyn, Andriy (Volodymyrovych) (b. April 24, 1933, Vesnyanka, Khmelnitsky [Khmelnytskyi] oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. - d. Oct. 12, 2023), interior minister of Ukraine (1990-94).

Vasyunyk, Ivan (Vasylovych) (b. July 7, 1959, Veliky Lyuben, Lvov oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Velykyi Lyubin, Lviv oblast, Ukraine]), a deputy prime minister of Ukraine (2007-10).

Vatable, Louis François, baron (b. July 2, 1773, Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe - d. March 8, 1853, Paris, France), governor of Guadeloupe (1826 [acting], 1830-31).

Vatatsi, Aleksandr (Aleksandrovich), Finnish Alexander Vatatzi (b. Nov. 28 [Nov. 16, O.S.], 1852 - d. Sept. 16, 1933, Paris, France), governor of Sankt Michel (1903-05), Kiev (1905), and Kostroma (1905-06).

Vatatsi, Emmanuil (Aleksandrovich) (b. May 19, 1856 - d. 1920), governor of Suwalki (1898-1902), Kovno (1902-04), and Kharkov (1904); brother of Aleksandr Vatatsi.

Vatchenko, Aleksey (Fedoseyevich) (b. Feb. 25 [Feb. 12, O.S.], 1914, Yelizaveto-Kamenets, Russia [now part of Dnipro, Ukraine] - d. Nov. 22, 1984, Kiev, Ukrainian S.S.R.), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian S.S.R. (1976-84). He was also first secretary of the party committees of Khmelnitsky (1959-63), Dnepropetrovsk (1963-64 [rural], 1965-76), and Cherkassy (1964-65) oblasti.

Vatsa, Mamman (b. Dec. 3, 1940 - d. March 5, 1986), Nigerian minister for the Federal Capital Territory (1984-85). He was arrested in December 1985 on suspicion of plotting to overthrow Ibrahim Babangida's regime and was later executed by firing squad.

Vattekar, Odd (b. Jan. 2, 1918, Kyrkjebø, Nordre Bergenhus amt [now in Vestland fylke], Norway - d. Feb. 19, 1992), governor of Vestfold (1979-88).

Vaublanc, Vincent Marie Viénot, comte de (b. March 2, 1756, Fort-Dauphin, Saint-Domingue [now Fort-Liberté, Haiti] - d. Aug. 21, 1845, Paris, France), interior minister of France (1815-16). He was also president of the National Assembly (1791) and the Legislative Corps (1803) and prefect of the départements of Moselle (1805-15) and Bouches-du-Rhône (1815). He was created comte (count) in 1809.

Vaudeville, Jean (René Marie) (b. Jan. 6, 1921, Saint-Étienne, Loire, France - d. Nov. 1, 1993, Paris, France), prefect of Réunion (1966-69). He was also prefect of the French départements of Tarn-et-Garonne (1962-64), Isère (1969-74), Val-de-Marne (1974-76), and Pas-de-Calais (1976-80).

Vaudreuil, Joseph Hyacinthe de Rigaud, marquis de (b. June 26, 1706, Québec, New France [now Quebec] - d. Nov. 17, 1764, Paris, France), governor-general of Saint-Domingue (1753-57).

Vaughan, Hilton Augustus (b. Nov. 23, 1901, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - d. March 26, 1985, Barbados), Barbadian politician. He was attorney general (1964-66) and permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to the United States (1968-69).

Vaughan, Vernon H(enry) (b. Feb. 11, 1838, Mount Meigs, Ala. - d. Dec. 4, 1878, Sacramento, Calif.), governor of Utah (1870-71).

Vaugiraud de Rosnay, Pierre René Marie, comte de (b. Dec. 27, 1741, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France - d. March 13, 1819, Paris, France), governor of Martinique (1814-18).

Vaugoin, Carl (b. July 8, 1873, Vienna, Austria - d. June 10, 1949, Krems an der Donau, Niederösterreich, Austria), defense minister (1921, 1922-33), vice chancellor (1929-30), and chancellor (1930) of Austria.

Vauthier, Jean (b. Feb. 15, 1888 - d. 1980), finance minister of Belgium (1946-47); son of Maurice Vauthier.

Vauthier, Maurice (Auguste Eugène) (b. March 2, 1860, Brussels, Belgium - d. June 25, 1931, Ixelles [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), interior minister of Belgium (1927). He was also minister of sciences and arts (1927-31).

Vaux, Noël de Jourda, comte de, baron de Roche en Régnier et Velay, seigneur d'Youer et de Saintes Vertus (b. March 12, 1705, Vaux castle, near Puy-en-Velay, France - d. Sept. 14, 1788, Grenoble, France), governor of Corsica (1769-70). He was made a marshal of France in 1783.

Vauzelle, Michel (b. Aug. 15, 1944, Montélimar, Drôme, France), justice minister of France (1992-93) and president of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (1998-2015). He was also mayor of Arles (1995-98).

Vavilov, Andrey (Petrovich) (b. Jan. 10, 1961, Perm, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting finance minister of Russia (1994).

P. Väyrynen

Väyrynen, Paavo (Matti) (b. Sept. 2, 1946, Keminmaa, Finland), foreign minister of Finland (1977-82, 1983-87, 1991-93). He was also minister of education (1975-76), labour (1976-77), and foreign trade and development (2007-11) and deputy prime minister (1983-87). He was a presidential candidate in 2012 and 2018.

Väyrynen, Vilho (Ferdinand Valdemar) (b. March 12, 1912, Kemijärvi, Finland - d. March 23, 2000, Rovaniemi, Finland), justice minister (1956) and interior minister (1956-57) of Finland.

Vaz, Camilo Augusto de Miranda Rebocho (b. Oct. 7, 1920, Avis, Portugal - d. Dec. 23, 1998, Coimbra, Portugal), governor-general of Angola (1966-72).

Vaz, José Caetano, Junior (b. 1825? - d. Oct. 20, 1881, Lisbon, Portugal), acting president of Maranhão (1865, 1878-79).

J.M. Vaz

P. Vaz

Vaz, José Mário ("Jomav") (b. Dec. 10, 1957, Calequisse, near Cacheu, Portuguese Guinea [now Guinea-Bissau]), finance minister (2009-12) and president (2014-20) of Guinea-Bissau.

Vaz, José Vianna (b. June 22, 1852, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Jan. 5, 1922, São Luís), acting president of Maranhão (1890-91); son of José Caetano Vaz Junior.

Vaz (Ramela), Pedro (Humberto) (b. Dec. 2, 1963, Rocha department, Uruguay - d. Dec. 6, 2012, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Uruguay (2009-10). In 2005-08 he was ambassador to Brazil and from 2010 to his death he was ambassador to Chile.

Vaznis, Aloizs (b. March 11, 1934, Riga, Latvia - d. Feb. 9, 2020), interior minister of Latvia (1990-91).

Vazov, Ivan (Minchov) (b. July 9 [June 27, O.S.], 1850, Sopot, Ottoman Empire [now in Bulgaria] - d. Sept. 22, 1921, Sofia, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. A famous writer, he was education minister (1897-99).

Vázquez (Ochoa), Honorato (b. Oct. 21, 1855, Cuenca, Ecuador - d. Jan. 26, 1933, Cuenca), foreign minister of Ecuador (1892-93). He was also minister to Peru (1893) and Venezuela (1894-95).

Vázquez, Jorge (Alberto) (b. Jan. 4, 1943, Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. March 17, 2007), Argentine diplomat. He was ambassador to the Dominican Republic (1984-89), Chile (1997-98), and Peru (2002-05) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1989-92).

T. Vázquez

Vázquez (Rosas), Tabaré (Ramón) (b. Jan. 17, 1940, Montevideo, Uruguay - d. Nov. 6, 2020, Montevideo), president of Uruguay (2005-10, 2015-20). He was mayor of Montevideo in 1990-94 and an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1999.

W. Vázquez

Vázquez (Garced), Wanda (b. July 9, 1959, San Juan, Puerto Rico), governor of Puerto Rico (2019-21).

Vázquez Montes, Gustavo (Alberto) (b. Aug. 16, 1962, Colima, Colima, Mexico - d. [plane crash] Feb. 24, 2005, El Zapotito, Tzitzio municipality, Michoacán, Mexico), governor of Colima (2003-05). He was also mayor of Tecomán (1998-2000).

Vázquez Mota, Josefina (Eugenia) (b. Jan. 20, 1961, Mexico City, Mexico), Mexican presidential candidate (2012). She was minister of social development (2000-06) and education (2006-09).

Vázquez Vela, Gonzalo (b. Nov. 7, 1893, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico - d. Sept. 28, 1963, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Veracruz (1932-35). He was also education minister of Mexico (1935-39).

Vázsonyi, Vilmos, original surname (until 1894) Weiszfeld (b. March 22, 1868, Sümeg, Hungary - d. May 29, 1926, Baden, Austria), justice minister of Hungary (1917, 1918).

Veale, Ron(ald Stuart) (b. July 25, 1945, Ontario), acting commissioner of Yukon (2018). He was chief justice (2003-20).

Veau

Veau, Frédéric (b. May 18, 1967, Marseille, France), prefect of Mayotte (2016-18). He was also prefect of Corrèze département (2018-20).

Veazey, Thomas W(ard) (b. Jan. 31, 1774, Veazey's Neck, Cecil county, Maryland - d. June 30, 1842, "Cherry Grove," Cecil county), governor of Maryland (1836-39).

Veber, Janko (b. July 30, 1960, Ljubljana, Slovenia), defense minister of Slovenia (2014-15). He was also speaker of the National Assembly (2013-14).

Veber, René (b. Oct. 17, 1888 - d. Jan. 31, 1972), governor of Cochinchina (1939-40).

Vedel, (Severin) Henrik (August) (b. May 20, 1867, Copenhagen, Denmark - d. Aug. 25, 1932, Frederiksberg, Denmark), interior minister of Denmark (1920).

Vedernikov, Gennady (Georgiyevich) (b. July 5, 1937, Aldan district, Yakut A.S.S.R. [now Republic of Sakha], Russian S.F.S.R. - d. July 27, 2001, Moscow, Russia), Soviet politician. He was first secretary of the party committees of Chelyabinsk city (1979-80) and Chelyabinsk oblast (1984-86), a deputy premier (1986-89), and ambassador to Denmark (1989-91).

M. Vedernikov

Vedernikov, Mikhail (Yuryevich) (b. March 7, 1975, Vyborg, Leningrad oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Pskov oblast (2017- ).

Védrine

Védrine, Hubert (b. July 31, 1947, Saint-Sylvain-Bellegarde, Creuse, France), foreign minister of France (1997-2002).

Vedris, Mladen (b. Dec. 29, 1950, Zagreb, Croatia), a deputy prime minister of Croatia (1992-93). He was also chairman of the Executive Council of Zagreb (1990-92), chairman of the Croatian Football Federation (1990-94), and a minister without portfolio (1992).

Vedum, Trygve (Magnus) Slagsvold (b. Dec. 1, 1978, Hamar, Hedmark [now in Innlandet], Norway), finance minister of Norway (2021- ). He has also been minister of agriculture and food (2012-13) and leader of the Centre Party (2014- ).

Veer, Abraham de (b. Jan. 8, 1767 - d. Feb. 1, 1838), governor of Curaçao (1803-04), commandant-general of the Dutch Gold Coast (1810-16), governor of Sint Eustatius (1817-22), and governor-general of Dutch Guiana (1822-27).

Veermaa, Richard, surname until 1935 Vreeman (b. May 26, 1901, Võru county, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. Feb. 19, 1942, Solikamsk, Molotov oblast, Russian S.F.S.R. [now in Perm kray, Russia]), interior minister of Estonia (1938-39).

Vega (Matienzo), Agustín Benjamín de la, byname Golo de la Vega (b. March 17, 1929, Tucumán, Argentina - d. Jan. 16, 2011), governor of La Rioja (1989-91).

Vega (Granillo), Agustín Justo de la (b. Aug. 28, 1805, La Rioja, Río de la Plata [now Argentina] - d. Sept. 1, 1879, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina), finance minister of Argentina (1856-57) and governor of Tucumán (1856-58).

Vega, Ezequiel, justice and education minister of Peru (1889, 1900).

Vega, Guillermo, acting war and marine minister of Chile (1834).

Vega (Antonio), José (Alejandro) (b. Nov. 18, 1957, Lima, Peru), Peruvian politician. He has been secretary-general of the Union for Peru (2004- ) and a minor presidential candidate (2021).

Vega (Vélez), José Gabriel de la (b. March 18, 1907, Cartagena, Colombia - d. 1986, Bogotá, Colombia), justice minister of Colombia (1952-53). He was also governor of Bolívar (1947-48), minister to Switzerland (1948-50) and the Netherlands (1950-51), and ambassador to Venezuela (1977-79).

Vega, Julio de la, interior, justice, and propaganda minister of Bolivia (1940).

Vega Alvarado, Renato (b. Jan. 19, 1937, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico - d. March 25, 2009, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico), governor of Sinaloa (1993-99).

Vega de Armijo, Antonio Aguilar y Correa, marqués de la (b. June 30, 1824, Madrid, Spain - d. June 13, 1908, Madrid), prime minister of Spain (1906-07). He was also minister of development (1861-63, 1865-66), interior (1863), and foreign affairs (1881-83, 1888-90, 1892-93) and president of the Congress of Deputies (1893-95, 1898-99, 1901-03, 1905-06). He succeeded to the marquess title in 1847.

Vega de Lamadrid, Francisco (Arturo), byname Kiko Vega (b. May 22, 1955, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico), governor of Baja California (2013-19). He was also mayor of Tijuana (1998-2001).

Vega Domínguez, Jorge de la (b. March 14, 1931, Comitán, Chiapas, Mexico), governor of Chiapas (1976-77). He was also Mexican minister of commerce (1977-82) and agriculture (1988-90), president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (1986-88), and ambassador to Canada (1991-92).

Vega García, Gerardo Clemente (Ricardo) (b. March 28, 1940, Puebla, Mexico - d. June 21, 2022, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico), defense minister of Mexico (2000-06).

Vega Imbert, José Augusto (b. Feb. 13, 1933, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic), foreign minister of the Dominican Republic (1982-86). He was also ambassador to Spain (2000-04).

Vega Luna, Eduardo (Ernesto) (b. Feb. 16, 1966, Lima, Peru), justice minister of Peru (2020-21).

Vega Pasquier, Julio (César) (b. June 3, 1975, Masaya, Nicaragua), interior minister of Nicaragua (2003-06).

Vega Rodríguez, José Miguel (b. December 1913, Ceuta, Spain - d. May 30, 1992, Madrid, Spain), governor-general of Ifni (1967-69).

Vega Santa Gadea, Fernando (b. May 31, 1931, Lima, Peru), justice minister of Peru (1991-96). He was also ambassador to Spain (1996-97).

Vega Uribe, Miguel (Francisco) (b. April 25, 1931, Bogotá, Colombia - d. Sept. 23, 1993, Bogotá), defense minister of Colombia (1985-86). He was also commander-in-chief of the armed forces (1984-85) and ambassador to Portugal (1986-89).

Veger, Yevgeny (Ilich) (b. Sept. 21 [Sept. 9, O.S.], 1899, Listsovo, Kostroma province, Russia - d. [executed] Nov. 27, 1937), executive secretary (1930-31) and first secretary (1931-33) of the Communist Party committee of Crimea. He was also first secretary of the party committee of Odessa oblast (1933-37).

Végh Garzón, Carlos (R.) (b. 1902 - d. 1984), finance minister of Uruguay (1967). He was also president of the state-owned Banco de la República (1968-69).

Végh Villegas, Alejandro (b. Sept. 22, 1928, Brussels, Belgium - d. March 15, 2017), economy and finance minister of Uruguay (1974-76, 1983-85); son of Carlos Végh Garzón. He was also ambassador to the United States (1982-83).

Vegleris, Grigorios, Turkish Ligoraki Vegleris Bey (b. 1862, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey] - d. 1948), governor of Samos (1912).

Veidnieks, Kornelijs, surname until January 1940 Veitmanis (b. March 31, 1899, Ramuli parish, Russia [now in Vaive parish, Latvia] - d. Jan. 9, 1942, Vyatka prison camp, Kirov oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), interior minister of Latvia (1939-40).

Veiga, Bernardo Jacintho da (b. June 20, 1802, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. June 21, 1845, Rio de Janeiro), president of Minas Gerais (1838-40, 1842-43).

C. Veiga

F. Veiga

Veiga, Carlos (Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho) (b. Oct. 21, 1949, Mindelo, São Vicente island, Cape Verde), prime minister (1991-2000) and defense minister (1991-94) of Cape Verde. He was also a presidential candidate (2001, 2006) and ambassador to the United States (2017-20).

Veiga, Evaristo Ferreira da (b. Feb. 5, 1832, Campanha, Minas Gerais, Brazil - d. March 7, 1889, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Sergipe (1868-69).

Veiga, (Maria de) Fátima (Lima da) (b. June 22, 1957, São Vicente island, Cape Verde), foreign minister of Cape Verde (2002-04). She was also permanent representative to the United Nations (2004-07) and ambassador to the United States (2007-13) and France (2014-17).

Veiga, José Tomás (Wahnon de Carvalho) (b. May 8, 1951, Praia, Cape Verde), foreign minister of Cape Verde (1995-96); brother of Carlos Veiga.

Veiga, Raul de Moraes (b. Oct. 24, 1878, São Francisco de Paula [now Trajano de Moraes], Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Jan. 23, 1947, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Rio de Janeiro (1918-22).

Veil

Veil, Simone (Annie), née Jacob (b. July 13, 1927, Nice, France - d. June 30, 2017, Paris, France), French politician. Her schooling was interrupted in March 1944 by the family's deportation to Auschwitz, where her parents and brother died in concentration camps. She was repatriated in May 1945. During 1959-65 she was an assistant public prosecutor, and in 1970 became the first woman secretary-general of the Higher Council of Judges. She was appointed minister of health in Jacques Chirac's government in May 1974, the first woman to hold full ministerial rank in France. Virtually unknown at the time, she soon became France's most popular political personality, widely admired and respected for her force of character and the reforming zeal with which she set about modernizing and improving the nation's health services. Her two major achievements were the enactment of bills liberalizing official policies toward contraception and legalizing abortion - both sensitive issues in a predominantly Roman Catholic society. She continued under Premier Raymond Barre, holding additional responsibility for social security (1977-78) and family affairs (1978-79). In 1977 she also became chairman of the Information Council for Electro-nuclear Energy. She resigned as minister on June 11, 1979, the day after her election to the European Assembly at the head of the centre-right Union pour la France en Europe, which topped the poll in France with 27.6% of the votes cast. At the opening session of this first directly elected European Assembly (July 17), she was chosen as its president, serving until 1982. In 1993-95 she was minister of social affairs, health, and city. In 2010 she was inducted into the Académie Française, becoming only the sixth female member in its history.

Veimer, Arnold (Tynuvich) (b. June 20 [June 7, O.S.], 1903, Nehatu parish, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. March 3, 1977, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars/Ministers of the Estonian S.S.R. (1944-51). He was also president of the Academy of Sciences (1968-73).

Vejonis

Vejonis, Raimonds (b. June 15, 1966, Pskov oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), defense minister (2014-15) and president (2015-19) of Latvia. He was also environment minister (2002-11).

Veke, Anthony (Kamutulaka) (b. 1977?), national security minister of Solomon Islands (2019-24). He was also premier of Guadalcanal (2010-13, 2014, 2016-19) and minister of provincial government and institutional strengthening (2019).

Vekic, Ivan (b. Oct. 18, 1938), interior minister of Croatia (1991-92).

Vekilova, Bibitach, acting economy and finance minister of Turkmenistan (2004-05). She was also minister of social security (2005-07).

Vela, (Ion-)Marcel (b. June 2, 1963, Armenis, Caras-Severin county, Romania), interior minister of Romania (2019-20).

Vela Hervas, Wilson (Adolfo) (b. Nov. 13, 1919, Quito, Ecuador - d. 1990, Quito), foreign minister of Ecuador (1961). He was also treasury minister (1953-54), minister to Honduras (1955-56), and ambassador to Chile (1960-61) and Venezuela (1969-71).

Vela Puga, Alexandra (Blanca) (b. 1952?, San Salvador, El Salvador), interior minister of Ecuador (2021-22).

Velarde Aspíllaga, Manuel (José Maximo Claudio) (b. April 14, 1930, Lima, Peru - d. Feb. 8, 1985, Washington, D.C.), interior minister of Peru (1968); great-grandson of Manuel Velarde Seoane. He was also minister of labour (1966-67).

Velarde Cabello, Carlos (Jorge) (b. March 4, 1909, Callao, Peru - d. April 27, 2004, Lima, Peru), interior minister of Peru (1968); grandson of Manuel Velarde Seoane; great-grandson of Manuel Diez Canseco.

Velarde Diez-Canseco, Hernán (b. Sept. 30, 1863, Lima, Peru - d. Nov. 12, 1935, Lausanne, Switzerland), interior minister of Peru (1906-07); son of Manuel Velarde Seoane. He was also minister to Brazil (1903-04, 1909-15), Colombia (1904-06), and Argentina (1920-23) and ambassador to the United States (1924-30).

Velarde Dorado, Mario (b. July 19, 1932, La Paz, Bolivia - d. Aug. 28, 2021, Santa Cruz, Bolivia), foreign minister of Bolivia (1982-83). He was also ambassador to the Soviet Union (1987-89) and Israel (1993-97).

Velarde Echevarría, Rafael (b. Oct. 23, 1817, Arequipa, Peru - d. ...), foreign minister of Peru (1879). He was also minister of interior, police, and public works (1869, 1879).

Velarde Seoane, Manuel (b. June 12, 1833, Lima, Peru - d. Nov. 12, 1900, Lima), prime minister of Peru (1883 [insurrectionary government of Lizardo Montero], 1893). He was also minister of interior, police, and public works (1881, 1883, 1886, 1893) and war and navy (1882-83, 1885-86).

Velasco (Brañes), Andrés (b. Aug. 30, 1960, Santiago, Chile), finance minister of Chile (2006-10); son of Eugenio Velasco Letelier; grandson of Raúl Brañes Farmer.

Velasco (Baraona), (Luis Antonio) Belisario (b. Feb. 5, 1936, Santiago, Chile - d. Aug. 25, 2023, Cachagua, Chile), interior minister of Chile (2006-08); son of cousin of Pablo Baraona Urzúa. He was also ambassador to Portugal (1999-2003).

Velasco, Epimaco (Ardina) (b. Dec. 12, 1935, Tanza, Cavite, Philippines - d. Jan. 27, 2014, General Trias, Cavite), interior secretary of the Philippines (1998). He was also director of the National Bureau of Investigation (1992-95) and governor of Cavite (1995-98).

Velasco (Torres), Juan Fernando (b. Jan. 17, 1972, Quito, Ecuador), Ecuadorian politician. Also known as a musician, he was minister of culture and heritage (2019-20) and a minor presidential candidate (2021).

Velasco, Lord Allan (Jay Quinto) (b. Nov. 9, 1977), Philippine politician; son of Presbitero Velasco, Jr. He was speaker of the House of Representatives (2020-22).

Velasco (Chaves), Luis Fernando (b. Oct. 18, 1964, Popayán, Colombia), interior minister of Colombia (2023-24). He was also mayor of Popayán (1992-94) and president of the Senate (2015-16).

Velasco, Presbitero, Jr., in full Presbitero Jose Velasco (b. Aug. 8, 1948, Rizal City, Rizal [now Pasay, National Capital Region], Philippines), Philippine politician. He has been governor of Marinduque (2019- ).

Juan Velasco

Velasco Alvarado, Juan (Francisco) (b. June 16, 1910, Piura, Peru - d. Dec. 24, 1977, Lima, Peru), president of Peru (1968-75). He rose in the army to the rank of division general before leading a bloodless military coup that toppled the civilian government of Pres. Fernando Belaúnde Terry in 1968, in the midst of a congressional dispute over the International Petroleum Co., a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey (later Exxon). Six days after taking power, he nationalized the subsidiary's refinery complex in Talara. Until he settled compensation claims in 1974 with the oil company and other nationalized U.S. firms, Peruvian-U.S. relations were quarrelsome, flaring into disputes over fishing off Peru by U.S. tuna boats and airline privileges. In his seven years in office, he instituted major social and economic measures that brought radical changes to Peruvian society. In 1969 he expropriated 25 million acres of land and turned them over to the peasants who worked them. This was regarded as his most significant reform. He also engineered profit-sharing programs for labourers in basic industries. His government nationalized or brought under state control such basic industries as petroleum, fishing, steel, communications, as well as banks and the mass circulation press - all of which diminished the power of an aristocracy that had run Peru since independence in 1821. Opponents and journalists who disagreed with Velasco were kept in exile abroad as the government adopted a foreign policy more attuned to the Third World. His government spurred internal development, including the building of the northern Peru oil pipeline. He was ousted in 1975 by military moderates who accused him of excesses and deviating from their 1968 "Peruvian revolution."

Velasco Curiel, Francisco (b. Sept. 16, 1917, San Jerónimo [now Cuauhtémoc], Colima, Mexico - d. Aug. 5, 2005), governor of Colima (1961-67).

Velasco Galvarro, Enrique, interior and justice minister of Bolivia (1926-27).

J.M. Velasco

Velasco Ibarra, José María (b. March 19, 1893, Quito, Ecuador - d. March 30, 1979, Quito), president of Ecuador (1934-35, 1944-47, 1952-56, 1960-61, 1968-72). He held various public posts before he won his first presidential election as candidate of the Conservative Party in 1933. Before taking office, he announced plans for a land-reform program in which the large estates would be divided. Congress refused to endorse his economic proposals, and a little more than a month after assuming office he submitted his resignation. Congress would not accept that either, so he stayed, but his rule became more authoritarian. In 1935 the army, denouncing him as a dictator, intervened and forced him into his first exile, in Colombia. In 1940 he tried to run for the presidency again, but the Conservatives would not back him and the Liberals already had a candidate; when the Liberals won, he led a revolt, but was arrested and exiled to Colombia again. In 1944 his supporters triggered strikes and demonstrations and forced the resignation of Pres. Carlos Arroyo; Velasco returned and took power. In 1947 the defense minister forced Velasco's resignation. He spent five years in exile in Argentina before returning to be elected president again in 1952. He won by the biggest vote in Ecuador's history after campaigning as an Independent Liberal, and served his only full four-year term. Elected for a fourth time in 1960, he was deposed again in 1961. He was elected yet again in August 1968, declared himself dictator in June 1970, but was overthrown by a group of military officers in February 1972. He spent most of the remainder of his life in Argentina, returning in February 1979 "to meditate and await death." He was a colourful, outspoken politician whose support came from the masses. He boasted once, "Give me a balcony in every town and I will arrive in power."

Velasco Letelier, Eugenio (b. July 3, 1918, Santiago, Chile - d. Jan. 8, 2001, Santiago), Chilean politician. He was ambassador to Algeria and Tunisia (1963-65). Denouncing human rights violations and defending political prisoners under the Augusto Pinochet regime, he was expelled from Chile in 1976 but allowed to return in 1983.

Velasco Suárez, Manuel (b. Dec. 28, 1914, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico - d. Dec. 2, 2001, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Chiapas (1970-76).

J. Velásquez

R.J. Velásquez

Velásquez (Quesquén), (Ángel) Javier (b. March 12, 1960, Ciudad Eten district, Chiclayo province, Peru), prime minister of Peru (2009-10). He was also president of the Congress (2008-09).

Velásquez (Mujica), Ramón José (b. Nov. 28, 1916, San Juan de Colón, Venezuela - d. June 24, 2014, Caracas, Venezuela), interim president of Venezuela (1993-94). A noted historian, he was also minister of communications (1969-71).

Velásquez Bórquez, José (b. Dec. 27, 1833, Quillota, Chile - d. July 17, 1897, San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1890, 1891).

Velásquez Giacarini, Julio (b. Aug. 19, 1932, Lima, Peru), defense minister of Peru (1989-90).

Velásquez Quiroa, Luis (Antonio) (b. July 24, 1962, Joyabaj, Quiché, Guatemala), Guatemalan politician. He was minister of economy (2011-12) and a minor presidential candidate (2019).

Velásquez y Hernández, Federico (b. Feb. 2, 1870, Peña, Dominican Republic - d. July 26, 1934, San Juan, Puerto Rico), member of the Council of Secretaries (while collectively acting as head of state 1905, 1911, 1916) and vice president (1924-28) of the Dominican Republic. He was minister of finance and commerce (1904-11) and development and communications (1914-16).

Velayati, Ali Akbar (b. June 25, 1945, Tehran, Iran), foreign minister of Iran (1981-97). He was a presidential candidate in 2013.

Velázquez, Carlos María (b. Nov. 29, 1918, Montevideo, Uruguay - d. July 3, 1970, London, England), Uruguayan diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1962-65) and ambassador to the United Kingdom (1965-69) and the Soviet Union (1969-70).

Velázquez, Elpidio G. (b. May 12, 1892, San Juan de Guadalupe, Durango, Mexico - d. Nov. 14, 1977, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico), governor of Durango (1940-44).

Velázquez, Guaroa (b. 1898, Puerto Rico - d. 1969, Puerto Rico), Dominican Republic diplomat; son of Federico Velásquez y Hernández. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1962-65).

Velázquez, Héctor (b. Aug. 24, 1863, Asunción, Paraguay - d. Nov. 29, 1945, Asunción), foreign minister of Paraguay (1894-95, 1910-11). He was also minister to the United States and Mexico (1912-18, 1920-22), the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain (1920), and Cuba (1920-22).

Velázquez Rivera, Ignacio (b. Aug. 5, 1953), president of Melilla (1991-98).

Velchev

Velchev, Milen (Emilov) (b. March 24, 1966, Sofia, Bulgaria), finance minister of Bulgaria (2001-05).

Veldkamp

Veldkamp, Caspar (Cornelis Johannes) (b. April 23, 1964, Etten-Leur, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands), foreign minister of the Netherlands (2024- ). He was also ambassador to Israel (2011-15) and Greece (2015-19).

Veldre, Vinets (b. March 26, 1971), defense minister of Latvia (2007-09). He was also minister of health (2007).

Vélez, Alejandro, foreign minister of New Granada (1831, 1832-33, 1839-40). He was also chargé d'affaires in the United States (1828).

Vélez (Mendoza), Armando José (Manuel) (b. April 22, 1867, Moquegua, Peru - d. 19...), finance minister of Peru (1913-14); son of José Miguel Vélez.

Vélez, Bonifacio (b. May 18, 1856, Salamina, New Granada [now Colombia] - d. Sept. 4, 1933, Bogotá, Colombia), interior minister (1904-05) and war minister (1921) of Colombia. He was also governor of Antioquia (1896-97).

Vélez, Gregorio (b. May 10, 1863, Salta, Salta, Argentina - d. Jan. 29, 1949, Salta), war minister of Argentina (1910-14) and federal interventor in Salta (1930-31).

Vélez, Jorge, foreign minister (1922-25) and interior minister (1926) of Colombia. He was also minister of treasury (1915) and public works (1915-18) and minister to Spain (1928-29).

Vélez (Cossío), José Miguel (b. May 8, 1828, Moquegua, Peru - d. Jan. 4, 1920, Barranco, Peru), Peruvian politician. He was minister of justice, education, and worship (1881, 1882-83) and president of the Supreme Court (1901-03).

Vélez Danies, Carlos (b. Dec. 22, 1859, Riohacha, New Granada [now Colombia] - d. July 22, 1923, Cartagena, Colombia), war minister of Colombia (1922).

Vélez Mesa, William, Colombian politician. He was president of the Chamber of Representatives (2002-03).

Vélez Sarsfield, (Dámaso Simón) Dalmacio (b. Feb. 18, 1800, Amboy, Río de la Plata [now in Córdoba, Argentina] - d. March 30, 1875, Buenos Aires, Argentina), finance minister (1862-64) and interior minister (1868-72) of Argentina.

Velibekov, Bagatur (Kasum ogly) (b. 1894, Chimanli, Yelizavetpol province, Russia [now in Azerbaijan] - d. Feb. 17, 1940), executive secretary (1921) and first secretary (1931?-33) of the Communist Party committee and chairman of the (Central) Executive Committee (1922?-23, 1930-31?) of the Nakhichevan S.S.R./autonomous kray/A.S.S.R. He was also people's commissar of justice (1923-26, 1926-29) and procurator (1936) of the Azerbaijan S.S.R.

Velichko, Vladimir (Makarovich) (b. April 23, 1937, Mozhayskoye, Voronezh oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet politician. He was minister of power machine building (1983-87), heavy, power, and transport machine building (1987-89), and heavy machine building (1989-91) and a first deputy prime minister (1991).

Velichkov (Petkov), Konstantin (b. 1855, Tatar Pazardzhik, Ottoman Empire [now Pazardzhik, Bulgaria] - d. Nov. 3, 1907, Grenoble, France), Bulgarian politician. He was minister of education (1886, 1894-97), public works, roads, and communications (1894), and commerce and agriculture (1897-98) and minister to Serbia (1902-04).

Velikov, Borislav (Lyubenov) (b. Oct. 29, 1946, Sofia, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. He was chairman of the National Assembly (2005).

Velio, Baron Ivan (Osipovich) (b. Jan. 18 [Jan. 6, O.S.], 1830, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin, part of St. Petersburg], Russia - d. Feb. 11 [Jan. 30, O.S.], 1899, St. Petersburg), governor of Bessarabia (1863) and Simbirsk (1865-66). He was also Russian chargé d'affaires in Saxony (1857-58), mayor of Odessa (1863-65), and head of the Department for Posts (1868-80) and Department for Police (1880-81).

Velit Sabattini, Fernando (Enrique) (b. 1925, Ica, Peru), interior minister of Peru (1978-80).

Velkova-Zheleva, Rositsa (Atanasova) (b. 1972, Sofia, Bulgaria), finance minister of Bulgaria (2022-23).

G. Vella

Vella, George (William) (b. April 24, 1942, Zejtun, Malta), president of Malta (2019-24). He started his parliamentary career in 1978. He was subsequently elected member of parliament at the general elections held in 1981, 1992, and 1996. In 1978, he was a substitute member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe and rapporteur on maritime pollution from maritime sources at the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE). In 1987, he served as Malta's permanent representative at the Council of Europe between January and May. In 1992, he was elected Labour Party deputy leader for parliamentary affairs and spokesperson on foreign affairs. He served as vice chairman of the Joint EU/Malta Parliamentary Committee. In 1995 and 1996, Vella was a member of the House Business Committee and the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee. During his political career, he led many delegations abroad and attended numerous conferences and seminars; he delivered speeches, mostly on foreign affairs and the environment, in Strasbourg, Aachen, London, Brussels, Paris, Moscow, Cairo, Damascus, and Tripoli. He was appointed deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs and environment in October 1996, but lost that position after the 1998 election and became opposition spokesperson for foreign affairs. He again became foreign minister when the Labour Party returned to power in 2013, retiring in 2017. As president, he launched a public consultation to start a constitutional reform process, but it was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and little progress was made. He also launched a campaign for the protection and better use of the Maltese language.

Vella, Karmenu (b. June 19, 1950, Zurrieq, Malta), Maltese politician. He was minister of works (1981-84), industry (1984-87), and tourism (1996-98, 2013-14) and EU commissioner for environment, maritime affairs, and fisheries (2014-19).

Velliste, Trivimi (b. May 4, 1947, Tartu, Estonian S.S.R.), foreign minister of Estonia (1992-94). He was also permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-98).

Vellodi, Mullath Kadingi (b. Jan. 14, 1896 - d. Aug. 23, 1987, Madras [now Chennai], India), chief minister of Hyderabad (1950-52). He was also Indian ambassador to Switzerland and the Vatican (1958-61).

Velloso, Manoel Paranhos da Silva (b. Oct. 13, 1803, Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Rio Pardo [now Rio Pardo], Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - d. April 11, 1859, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Pará (1844-46).

Velloso, Pedro Leão (b. Jan. 1, 1828, Itapicuru, Bahia, Brazil - d. March 2, 1902), president of Espírito Santo (1859-60), Alagoas (1860-61), Maranhão (1861), Rio Grande do Norte (1861-63), Piauí (1863-64), and Ceará (1867-68, 1881-82) and interior minister of Brazil (1882-83).

Velloso, Pedro Leão, (Neto) (b. Jan. 13, 1887, Pindamonhangaba, São Paulo, Brazil - d. Jan. 16, 1947, New York City), foreign minister of Brazil (1944-46); son of Pedro Leão Velloso Filho. He was also ambassador to Italy (1939-41).

Velloso, Pedro Leão, Filho (b. March 19, 1856, Inhambupe, Bahia, Brazil - d. Oct. 31, 1923, Paris, France), president of Alagoas (1885); son of Pedro Leão Velloso (1828-1902).

Veloso, António Elísio Capelo Pires (b. Aug. 10, 1926, Folgosinho parish, Gouveia municipality, Portugal - d. Aug. 17, 2014, Porto, Portugal), governor (1974) and high commissioner (1974-75) of São Tomé and Príncipe. He was a presidential candidate in Portugal in 1980.

Veloso, Djalma Martins (b. Oct. 20, 1921, Valença, Piauí, Brazil - d. May 8, 2007, Teresina, Piauí), acting governor of Piauí (1978-79).

Veloso, Jacinto Soares (b. Aug. 11, 1937, Lourenço Marques [now Maputo], Mozambique), Mozambican politician. A member of Frelimo from 1963, he was minister of security (1975-83), economic affairs (1983-84), international cooperation (1984-94), and information (1994).

Veltroni

Veltroni, Walter (b. July 3, 1955, Rome, Italy), Italian politician. He entered politics as a Communist youth activist in the 1970s. In 1987 he became a member of the Communist Party's central committee and was elected to parliament. He was one of the masterminds of the centre-left Olive Tree alliance, which brought the former Communists to power for the first time in 1996 under Romano Prodi, and served as culture minister under Prodi (1996-98). When Massimo D'Alema became prime minister in 1998, Veltroni succeeded him as secretary of the Democrats of the Left (successor of the Communist Party). In 2001 he was elected mayor of Rome with 53% of the vote. He aggressively pushed a cultural agenda and created the Rome film festival in 2006. Known for his spirit of compromise, he was a successful mediator in conflicts with taxi drivers and Rome's immigrant population. He was reelected in 2006 with an unprecedented 61%. In October 2007 he was chosen, in an American-style primary, to lead the new Democratic Party, the result of a merger between the socialist Democrats of the Left and the liberal Christian Democrats of the Margherita (Daisy) party. After the collapse of Prodi's second government in February 2008, he resigned as mayor to take on conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi in the April elections. He took the bold decision not to run in coalition with the small far-left parties, but to run solo on a reformist platform instead. He failed to become prime minister as Berlusconi emerged victorious. He resigned as Democratic Party leader in February 2009, following a series of defeats in regional elections.

Velutini Ron, José Antonio (b. Feb. 20, 1844, Chaguaramal [now Zaraza], Guárico, Venezuela - d. Nov. 8, 1912, Caracas, Venezuela), interior minister (1901-02) and second vice president (1904-11) of Venezuela. He was also minister to France and the United Kingdom (1903-04).

Velyaminov, Ivan (Aleksandrovich) (b. 1771 - d. Dec. 8 [Nov. 26, O.S.], 1837, St. Petersburg, Russia), governor-general of West Siberia (1827-34).

Velykis, Mykolas (b. Nov. 12, 1884, Linoniai, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. Jan. 24, 1955, Vilnius, Lithuanian S.S.R.), defense minister of Lithuania (1918-19). He was also chief of staff of the armed forces (1919).

Venables, Oswald Eric (b. July 1, 1891 - d. July 12, 1960), British resident in Brunei (1926-27) and adviser in Perlis (1932-35).

Venel, Paul Célestin Marie Joseph (b. Jan. 25, 1864, Hesse, Moselle, France - d. 1920), commandant (190...-11) and commissioner (1913-15) of Niger.

Veneman

Veneman, Ann (Margaret) (b. June 29, 1949, Modesto, Calif.), U.S. secretary of agriculture (2001-05) and executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (2005-10). The first woman to head the Agriculture Department, she presided during a period of unprecedented wariness about the safety of the U.S. food supply. Weeks after taking office in 2001, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe prompted her to increase inspections and testing to prevent its arrival in the United States. After the September 11 attacks that year, concern grew that terrorists might seek to contaminate the U.S. food supply. Then came the discovery in 2003 of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States. Veneman quickly upgraded U.S. defenses, banning high-risk meat products and meat from cows that could not stand or walk on their own, testing more cattle, and promising to speed a nationwide animal tracking system. Farm interests for the most part praised Veneman's response, while consumer advocacy groups said Veneman and her agency had not done enough.

Venetiaan

Venetiaan, (Runaldo) Ronald (b. June 18, 1936, Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana [now Suriname]), president of Suriname (1991-96, 2000-10). A member of the Suriname National Party (NPS), he was minister of education (1973-80, 1988-90). As candidate for the New Front coalition, well known and respected and untainted by corruption or violence, he was elected president with 645 votes in the 817-member United People's Assembly in 1991. "I have to assume that by choosing me as president the people have made it clear that they want no military influence in politics," he said. He worked assiduously to put the economy, left in shambles by the 1980-88 military dictatorship, back on track to recovery and negotiated a ceasefire with the two leading guerrilla groups in May 1992. Many citizens resented the hardships endured in the name of economic recovery and, following elections in 1996, the United People's Assembly chose Jules Wijdenbosch as president, under whose administration the national debt exploded again. Elections in 2000 - a year ahead of schedule due to massive protests - returned the New Front and Venetiaan to power. He declined to extradite former military leader Dési Bouterse, who was sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years in prison, for fear of a coup. In 2005 he secured a third term. During his second and third terms Suriname recorded solid economic growth of around 5% a year. He did not seek to hold on to the presidency in 2010. When Bouterse won the elections, Venetiaan refused to hand the presidential chain directly to his successor, delegating the task to the speaker of the National Assembly. He ceded the chairmanship of the NPS (held since 1993) to Gregory Rusland in 2012 and resigned from parliament in 2013.

Vengu, Pirro (Thoma) (b. April 24, 1986, Elbasan, Albania), defense minister of Albania (2024- ).

Veniamin, secular name Vasily (Grigoryevich) Putsek-Grigorovich (b. 1706, Lokhvitsa, Poltava province, Russia [now Lokhvytsya, Ukraine] - d. June 21, 1785, near Kazan, Russia), metropolitan of St. Petersburg (1761-62). He was bishop of Nizhny Novgorod (1748-53), Tver (1753-58), and Pskov (1758-61) and archbishop (1762-75) and metropolitan (1775-82) of Kazan.

Veniamin, secular name Vasily (Antonovich) Muratovsky (b. April 30 [April 18, O.S.], 1856, Kazan province, Russia - d. May 6, 1930, near Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), metropolitan of the Renewal Church (1925-30). He was also Orthodox bishop of Gdov (1898-1901), Kaluga (1901-10), and Simbirsk (1910-15) and archbishop of Simbirsk (1915-18) and Ryazan (1920-22) and Renewal metropolitan of Yaroslavl (1923-24), Leningrad (1924-27), and Moscow (1927-30).

Veniamin, Christodoulos (b. Nov. 22, 1922, Kato Moni, Cyprus - d. Nov. 16, 2016), interior minister (1975-85, 1988-93) and defense minister (1975-85) of Cyprus.

Eleftherios Venizelos

Venizelos, Eleftherios (Kyriakou), Eleftherios also spelled Eleutherios (b. Aug. 23, 1864, Mournies, Crete, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] - d. March 18, 1936, Paris, France), prime minister of Greece (1910-15, 1915, 1917-20, 1924, 1928-32, 1932, 1933). In 1897 he was one of the leaders of the Cretan rising. It failed to achieve union of the island with Greece, but after the intervention of the European great powers, Crete became autonomous and Venizelos was appointed minister of justice (1899-1901). He was soon at variance with Prince Georgios, the high commissioner of the powers, and formed an opposition group which set up a rival provisional government and proclaimed union with Greece. This forced Georgios to leave, and under the new high commissioner, Alexandros Zaimis, Venizelos rejoined the Cretan government. In 1909, a revolutionary group in Athens, the Military League, invited Venizelos to lead it. He was elected a deputy in the Greek elections of August 1910 and became prime minister in October. Working loyally with the king, he revised the constitution and reorganized the army and navy. He formed the Balkan League, and the ensuing Balkan Wars (1912-13) led to a doubling of Greece's area and population by the acquisition of southern Macedonia, southern Epirus, Crete, and the Aegean Islands. He brought Greece into World War I on the Allied side and in 1918-20 achieved diplomatic victories for the Greeks at the peace conferences. The continuance of war in Anatolia, however, contributed to his defeat in the 1920 elections. In his last years in office, he succeeded in restoring normal relations with all of Greece's neighbours. His career ended with a failed attempt in 1935 to prevent the restoration of the monarchy, although he had resigned in 1924 because he was unwilling to abolish it. He also held the portfolios of marine (1910-12), military (1910-15, 1917-20, 1930), foreign affairs (1912, 1914-15, 1915), aviation (1929-30), hygiene (1929-30), and justice (1931-32, 1932).

Evangelos Venizelos

Venizelos, Evangelos (Vasiliou) (b. Jan. 1, 1957, Thessaloniki, Greece), defense minister (2009-11), finance minister (2011-12), and foreign minister (2013-15) of Greece. He was also minister of press and mass media (1994-95), transport and communications (1995-96), justice (1996), culture (1996-99, 2000-04), and development (1999-2000) and deputy prime minister (2011-12, 2013-15).

Venizelos, Sophoklis (Eleftheriou) (b. Nov. 17, 1894, Chania, Crete, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] - d. Feb. 7, 1964, at sea en route from Chania to Piraeus, Greece), prime minister of Greece (1944, 1950, 1950-51); son of Eleftherios Venizelos. He was also minister of aviation (1943, 1944, 1947, 1950), marine (1943-44, 1947, 1950), finance (1944), justice (1944), foreign affairs (1944, 1950, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1963), military (1944, 1947, 1950), hygiene (1947), posts, telegraphs, and telephones (1947), economy (1947), mercantile marine (1947, 1949), labour (1949), defense (1950, 1950-51, 1952), interior (1950), and coordination (1951, 1951) and deputy prime minister (1944, 1947, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1963).

Venkatachar, Cadambi Seshachar (b. July 11, 1899, Bangalore [now Bengaluru], India - d. June 16, 1999), acting chief minister of Rajasthan (1951). He was also dewan of Jodhpur (1946-47), prime minister of Bikaner (1948-49), and Indian high commissioner to Canada (1958-60).

Venkataraman

Venkataraman, Ramaswamy (Iyer) (b. Dec. 4, 1910, Rajamadam village, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India - d. Jan. 27, 2009, New Delhi, India), president of India (1987-92). His political activities started when he became an advocate of the Madras High Court in 1935, and he was associated with the formation of the Congress Socialist Party. In the "Quit India" movement of 1942, his activities led to his imprisonment for two years. By then he was heavily involved in the labour movement and fought for the rights of dock workers, railwaymen, and landless labourers. In 1946, when independence from the U.K. was imminent, he was among the team of lawyers who went to Singapore to defend Indian nationals charged with collaboration with the Japanese during World War II. After independence, he was a member of the provisional parliament in 1950-52 and then of the lower house (Lok Sabha) in 1952-57; he was secretary of the Congress party in 1952-54. He gained international experience as India's representative in the International Labour Organization and in the UN General Assembly. From 1955 to 1979 he served as a member of the UN Administrative Tribunal and from 1968 held its presidency. He returned to Madras politics at the request of the state's chief minister, who made him minister of industries, labour, power, and transport (1957-67), and he actively promoted the state's industrialization. For some years he retired from politics but later he was again elected to the Lok Sabha (1977-79, 1980-84). In the government of Indira Gandhi he held several ministerial posts - finance (1980-82), home affairs (1982), and defense (1982-84) - before being elected vice-president in 1984. His election as president in 1987 marked the culmination of a long political career.

Venkatasubba Reddiar, V. (b. Dec. 18, 1909, Madukkarai [now in Tamil Nadu], India - d. June 6, 1981), chief minister of Pondicherry (1964-67, 1968).

Venkatasubbaiah, Pendekanti (b. June 18, 1921, Sanjamala village, Banganapalle princely state [now in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Oct. 12, 1993), governor of Bihar (1985-88) and Karnataka (1988-90).

Venkatram, Bhavanam (b. July 18, 1931, Gollapadu, Guntur district, Madras province [now in Andhra Pradesh state], India - d. April 6, 2002, Hyderabad, India), chief minister of Andhra Pradesh (1982).

Vennersten, Axel Fredrik (b. Jan. 20, 1863, Borås, Älvsborg [now in Västra Götaland], Sweden - d. March 22, 1948, Stockholm, Sweden), finance minister of Sweden (1914-17). He was also speaker of the First Chamber of the Riksdag (1928-36) and marshal of the realm (1936-46).

Vennerström, Ivar (Teodor) (b. Nov. 9, 1881, Edane, Brunskog socken, Värmland, Sweden - d. June 13, 1945, Karlstad, Värmland), defense minister of Sweden (1932-36) and governor of Värmland (1936-45).

Vennola, Juho Heikki, original surname Karhu (b. June 19, 1872, Oulu, Finland - d. Dec. 3, 1938, Helsinki, Finland), prime minister (1919-20, 1921-22), foreign minister (1922-24), and finance minister (1930-31) of Finland. He was also minister of trade and industry (1919).

Venson-Moitoi

Venson-Moitoi, Pelonomi (b. May 13, 1951, Serowe, Bechuanaland [now Botswana]), foreign minister of Botswana (2014-18). She was also minister of works, transport, and communications (2001-02), trade, industry, wildlife, and tourism (2002-04), communications, science, and technology (2004-09), education and skills development (2009-14), and local government and rural development (2018).

Vento, Sergio (b. May 30, 1938, Rome, Italy), Italian diplomat. He was ambassador to Yugoslavia (1989-91), France (1995-99), and the United States (2003-05) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1999-2003).

Ventosa Calvell, Juan, Catalan Joan Ventosa i Calvell (b. March 7, 1879, Barcelona, Spain - d. Aug. 17, 1959, Lausanne, Switzerland), finance minister of Spain (1917-18, 1931). He was also minister of supply (1918).

Ventre de la Touloubre, Patrice Louis Jules (b. Sept. 5, 1813, Neumarkt am Wallersee, Bavaria [now in Salzburg state, Austria] - d. ...), commandant of Nossi-Bé (1870-71) and commandant-superior of Mayotte (1871-75, 1875-78).

Ventura (y Tizon), Honorio (b. July 30, 1887, Bacolor, Pampanga, Philippines - d. Sept. 3, 1940), interior secretary of the Philippines (1925-33). He was also governor of Pampanga (1916-17 [acting], 1918-21).

J. Ventura

Ventura, Jesse, original name James George Janos (b. July 15, 1951, Minneapolis, Minn.), governor of Minnesota (1999-2003). He joined the U.S. Navy, became a SEAL (sea, air, land) commando, and served in the Vietnam War (1970-73). Following stints as a bodyguard and a bouncer, he changed his name to Ventura and embarked on a career (1975-86) as a bad-boy pro wrestler, known as "The Body," stomping around the ring in a feather boa. Later he took up acting, his roles including that of a gun-wielding mauler in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Predator (1987), in which he uttered the classic line, "I ain't got time to bleed." After making a first foray into politics as mayor of the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park (1991-95), he pulled off a stunning political upset in 1998 when he was elected governor of Minnesota. He entered the race in January, taking up the Reform Party ticket, and squared off against Democratic attorney general Hubert Humphrey III (son of the former vice president) and Republican St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman. He long remained in third place in the polls, but made major gains in October, when his offbeat television ads (one of which showed a Ventura action figure fighting off another figure named Evil Special Interest Man) and gruff straight talk brought a groundswell of support. He wound up with 37% of the vote to Coleman's 34% and Humphrey's 28%, becoming the first Reform Party candidate in the country to win statewide office. As governor he continued in his signature style, spewing politically incorrect remarks and growling at reporters (whom he called "jackals"). Buoyed by high approval ratings, he even temporarily toyed with the idea of running for president. In 2000 he successfully urged the Minnesota Reform Party to separate from the national party and rename itself Independence Party. Amid falling ratings, he did not seek reelection in 2002.

M. Ventura

Ventura (Robles), Manuel (Enrique) (b. June 16, 1948, San José, Costa Rica), foreign minister of Costa Rica (2019-20).

G. Venturini

R. Venturini

Venturini, Giancarlo (b. Feb. 25, 1962, San Marino, San Marino), captain-regent (1996-97, 2021) and interior and justice minister (2012-16) of San Marino. He was also minister of labour and cooperation (2002-03) and territory, environment, and agriculture (2003-06, 2008-12).

Venturini, Roberto (b. Dec. 30, 1960, San Marino), captain-regent of San Marino (2015).

Veprev, Arkady (Filimonovich) (b. 1927 - d. July 23, 2006), head of the administration of Krasnoyarsk kray (1992-93).

Vera Arrata, Alfredo (b. Feb. 10, 1935, Guayaquil, Ecuador), interior minister of Ecuador (2010-11). He was also minister of education and culture (1988-91).

Vera Cruz

Vera Cruz, Tomé (Soares da) (b. July 23, 1956, São Tomé), prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (2006-08). He was also minister of natural resources and the environment (2003-04) and social communication and regional integration (2006-08).

Vera y Pintado, Bernardo (Romualdo) de (b. 1780, Santa Fe, Río de la Plata [now in Argentina] - d. Aug. 27, 1827, Santiago, Chile), Chilean secretary of interior and finance (1814) and war (1814).

Veraldi, Donato (Tommaso) (b. Jan. 12, 1941, Soveria Simeri, Calabria, Italy), president of Calabria (1994-95).

Verani, Pablo (b. Feb. 7, 1938, Reggio Emilia, Italy - d. Sept. 25, 2013, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina), governor of Río Negro (1995-2003).

Verbaet, Maurice (François Prudent) (b. Jan. 23, 1883, Moerbeke, East Flanders, Belgium - d. Aug. 26, 1957, Kapellenbos, Antwerp, Belgium), justice minister of Belgium (1944-45).

Verbeek, Leen(dert) (b. March 5, 1954, Leiderdorp, Netherlands), queen's/king's commissioner of Flevoland (2008-23). He was also mayor of Purmerend (2003-08).

Verbeet, Gerdi, byname of Gerardina Alida Verbeet (b. April 18, 1951, Amsterdam, Netherlands), Dutch politician. She was chairman of the Second Chamber (2006-12).

Verbeke, Johan C. (b. July 9, 1951, Ghent, Belgium), Belgian diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires in Chile (1988-90), permanent representative to the United Nations (2004-08), and ambassador to the United Kingdom (2010-13) and the United States (2014-16).

Verbrugghe, Pierre (b. April 8, 1929, Wattrelos, Nord, France - d. June 4, 2017), prefect of police of Paris (1988-93). He was also prefect of Seine-et-Marne département (1982-83).

Vercammen, Joris A(ugust) O(dilus) L(udovicus) (b. Oct. 14, 1952, Lier, Belgium), Old Catholic archbishop of Utrecht (2000-20).

Verda, Giorgio (Luciano) (b. Jan. 24, 1923, Imperia, Italy), president of Liguria (1975).

Verdam, Pieter (Jacobus) (b. Jan. 15, 1915, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. March 11, 1998, Bilthoven, Netherlands), interior minister of the Netherlands (1966-67) and queen's commissioner of Utrecht (1970-80).

Verderevsky, Dmitry (Nikolayevich) (b. Nov. 16 [Nov. 4, O.S.], 1873, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Aug. 22, 1947, Paris, France), Russian navy minister (1917). He was also commander of the Baltic Fleet (1917).

Verdet

Verdet, Ilie (b. May 10, 1925, Comanesti, Bacau county, Romania - d. March 20, 2001, Bucharest, Romania), Romanian politician. He joined the Communist Party when he was 20. He became first secretary of the party committee of Hunedoara county (1957-58) and rose within the ranks to become a deputy premier in 1965 and a first deputy premier in 1967. In 1973 he was made a vice-chairman of the newly-established Supreme Council of Social and Economic Development and the following year was appointed chairman of the Economic Council whereupon he relinquished his responsibilities as first deputy premier. In 1978, however, he was reappointed to this office and was concurrently made chairman of the State Planning Committee. In 1977, he was briefly held hostage after Pres. Nicolae Ceausescu sent him to quell a miners' protest in southwest Romania. In 1979, he was appointed prime minister, a position he held until 1982. He was minister of mines in 1985-86. Amid the power struggles of the 1989 revolt that led to Ceausescu's ouster and execution, Verdet attempted to set up a government but it lasted just 20 minutes. Outmanoeuvred by Ion Iliescu, he formed the Socialist Party of Labour in 1990 and chaired it from November 16 of that year until July 1, 2000, when he became honorary chairman. Reports that he was a brother-in-law of Ceausescu are dubious.

Verdier, Jean (Élie Yves) (b. May 29, 1915, Marcenat, Cantal, France - d. Nov. 7, 1974, Paris, France), prefect of Paris département (1971-74). He was also prefect of Seine-et-Marne (1962-67) and Bas-Rhin (1967-71).

Verdonk, Rita, byname of Maria Cornelia Frederika Verdonk (b. Oct. 18, 1955, Utrecht, Netherlands), justice minister of the Netherlands (2006). She was also minister without portfolio (foreigners affairs and integration 2003-06; integration, youth protection, prevention, and rehabilitation 2006-07).

Verduga Vélez, César (b. July 26, 1944, Portoviejo, Ecuador), interior minister of Ecuador (1990-92, 1997-98). He was also minister of labour and human resources (1988-90).

Vereker

Vereker, Sir John (Michael Medlicott) (b. Aug. 9, 1944), governor of Bermuda (2002-07); knighted 1999.

Verendyakin, Vladimir (Varlamovich) (b. July 28 [July 16, O.S.], 1899, Ichalki, Nizhny Novgorod province, Russia - d. af. 1955), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Mordovian A.S.S.R. (1938-44). He was also mayor of Saransk (1944-45).

Veres, János (b. Feb. 5, 1957, Nyírbátor, Hungary), finance minister of Hungary (2005-09).

Veres, Péter (b. Jan. 6, 1897, Balmazújváros, Hungary - d. April 16, 1970, Budapest, Hungary), defense minister of Hungary (1947-48). He was also minister of reconstruction (1947).

Vereshchagin, Sergey (Viktorovich) (b. Jan. 23, 1975, Krasnoyarsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the government of Krasnoyarsk kray (2023- ).

Vereshchuk, Iryna (Andriyivna) (b. Nov. 30, 1979, Rava-Russkaya, Lvov oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Rava-Ruska, Lviv oblast, Ukraine]), a deputy prime minister (and minister of reintegration of temporarily occupied territories) of Ukraine (2021-24).

Vergara (Echevers), José Francisco (b. Oct. 10, 1833, La Cañada de Colina hacienda, near Santiago, Chile - d. Feb. 15, 1889, Viña del Mar, Chile), war and marine minister (1880-81) and interior minister (1881-82) of Chile.

Vergara (Urzúa), José Ignacio (b. July 31, 1837, Talca, Chile - d. May 8, 1889, Santiago, Chile), interior minister of Chile (1885-86). He was also minister of justice, worship, and education (1883-85) and finance (acting, 1884) and rector of the University of Chile (1888-89).

Vergara Albano, Aniceto (b. 1825, Talca, Chile - d. March 29, 1909, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Chile (1884-85). He was also minister to Bolivia (1866) and Spain and the Holy See (1889-91).

Vergara Álvarez, Salvador (b. July 25, 1862, Valparaíso, Chile - d. March 13, 1917, Santiago, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1906, 1915-16).

Vergara Cailleaux, Carlos (b. Jan. 7, 1854, Getafe, Madrid, Spain - d. Nov. 5, 1929, Madrid, Spain), finance minister of Spain (1923-24). He was also governor of the Bank of Spain (1924-29).

Vergara Donoso, Germán (b. March 6, 1902, Constitución, Chile - d. April 13, 1987, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Chile (1947-48, 1950, 1958-61); grandnephew of José Francisco Vergara Donoso. He was also ambassador to Argentina (1948-52).

Vergara Donoso, José Francisco (b. 1850, Talca, Chile - d. Dec. 28, 1909, Paris, France), foreign minister of Chile (1902); brother of Ramón Antonio Vergara Donoso. He was also minister to Argentina (1903-06).

Vergara Donoso, Ramón Antonio (b. March 31, 1838, Talca, Chile - d. Dec. 25, 1913, Santiago, Chile), Chilean politician. He was minister of justice and education (1901) and industry and public works (1906).

Vergara Echavarría, Benjamín (b. 1857? - d. May 19, 1906, Santiago, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1897). He was also intendant of Tarapacá (1894) and Aconcagua (1894-97).

Vergara Herrera, Roberto (b. Aug. 30, 1902, Santiago, Chile - d. ...), minister of finance, economy and commerce, and mining of Chile (1958-60).

Vergara Montero, Carlos (b. April 3, 1883, Pelarco, Talca province, Chile - d. July 18, 1959, Santiago, Chile), war minister of Chile (1931-32).

Vergara Vicuña, Aquiles (b. June 12, 1895, Viña del Mar, Chile - d. March 10, 1968, La Paz, Bolivia), Chilean politician; son of Salvador Vergara Álvarez. He was minister of justice and education (1927).

Vergé

Vergé, David (b. Jan. 10, 1972, La Fère, Aisne, France), president of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna (2017-19).

Vergennes, Charles Gravier, comte de (b. Dec. 28, 1719, Dijon, France - d. Feb. 13, 1787, Versailles, France), foreign minister of France (1774-87). He was also ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1755-68) and Sweden (1771-74).

Verger, Louis (b. Aug. 6, 1921, Laval, Mayenne, France - d. 2007), governor of New Caledonia (1969-73). He was also prefect of the départements of Orléansville (1960-62), Lot-et-Garonne (1963-66), Isère (1966-69), Bouches-du-Rhône (1973-74), Bas-Rhin (1976-78), and Gironde (1978-83).

Vergès, Paul (Émile Marie Juste) (b. March 5, 1925, Ubon, Siam [now Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand] - d. Nov. 12, 2016, Saint-Denis, Réunion), president of the Regional Council of Réunion (1998-2010). He was also general secretary (1959-93) and president (1993-2003) of the Communist Party of Réunion.

Vergnes, Charles (Henri) (b. Sept. 23, 1863, Rodez, Aveyron, France - d. May 16, 1935, Paris, France), administrator of Mayotte (1908-09) and acting governor-general of French Equatorial Africa (1911, 1912-13); cousin of Hippolyte Laroche.

Vergueiro, Nicolau Pereira de Campos (b. Dec. 20, 1778, Vale da Porca, Portugal - d. Sept. 18, 1859, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), member of the Provisional Regency (1831) and principal minister (1832-33) of Brazil. He was also minister of finance (1832), justice (1847-48), and interior (1847).

Verhaegen, Pierre Théodore (b. Sept. 7, 1796, Brussels, Austrian Netherlands [now Belgium] - d. Dec. 8, 1862, Brussels, Belgium), Belgian politician. He was chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1848-52, 1857-59).

Verhagen

Verhagen, Maxime (Jacques Marcel) (b. Sept. 14, 1956, Maastricht, Netherlands), foreign minister (2007-10) and deputy prime minister (2010-12) of the Netherlands. He was also minister of economic affairs, agriculture, and innovation (2010-12).

Verheugen, Günter (b. April 28, 1944, Bad Kreuznach, Prussia [now in Rheinland-Pfalz], Germany), (West) German politician. He was general secretary of the Free Democratic Party (1978-82), Bundesgeschäftsführer of the Social Democratic Party (1993-95), EU commissioner for enlargement (1999-2004) and enterprise and industry (2004-10), and a vice president of the European Commission (2004-10).

Verhofstadt

Verhofstadt, Guy (Maurice Marie-Louise) (b. April 11, 1953, Dendermonde, Belgium), prime minister of Belgium (1999-2008). He was also a deputy prime minister and minister of budget, scientific policy, and planning (1985-88).

Verignon, (Auguste) Marius (b. Dec. 5, 1851, Toulon, France - d. 19...), interim governor of Réunion (1906).

Verity, C. William, in full Calvin William Verity, Jr. (b. Jan. 26, 1917, Middletown, Ohio - d. Jan. 3, 2007, Beaufort, S.C.), U.S. commerce secretary (1987-89).

Verkhovsky, Aleksandr (Ivanovich) (b. Dec. 9 [Nov. 27, O.S.], 1886, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. [executed] Aug. 19, 1938, Moscow?, Russian S.F.S.R.), war minister of Russia (1917).

Vërlaci, Shefqet Bej (b. Dec. 15, 1877, Elbasan, Ottoman Empire [now in Albania] - d. July 21, 1946, Zürich, Switzerland), prime minister of Albania (1924, 1939-41). He was also minister of interior (1924) and public works (1939-41).

Verli, Aleks (b. July 7, 1920, Muzinë, near Sarandë, Albania), finance minister of Albania (1956-74). He was also director of the State Bank (1974-76).

Verlinden, Annelies (Jan Louisa) (b. Sept. 5, 1978, Merksem [now part of Antwerp], Belgium), interior minister of Belgium (2020- ).

Verlomme, Roger (Édouard) (b. Oct. 14, 1890, Dunkerque, Nord, France - d. July 9, 1950), prefect of Seine département (1946-50). He was also prefect of Seine-Inférieure (1938-40).

Verma, Jagdish Sharan (b. Jan. 18, 1933, Satna [now in Madhya Pradesh], India - d. April 22, 2013, New Delhi, India), acting governor of Rajasthan (1987-88). He was chief justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court (1985-86) and Rajasthan High Court (1986-89) and also chief justice of India (1997-98).

Verma, Om Prakash (b. March 20, 1937), governor of Punjab (2003-04) and Haryana (2004).

Verma, Rajani Kant (b. April 23, 1959), administrator of Lakshadweep (1999, 2001) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2006-08).

S.S. Verma

Verma, Sahib Singh (b. March 15, 1943, Mundka village, Delhi, India - d. June 30, 2007, near Kahndula village, Rajasthan, India), chief minister of Delhi (1996-98). Following his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he was elected councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on a Janata Party ticket in 1977. In 1983 he won again, now on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, and remained councillor till 1989. In 1993 he won the assembly elections and became education minister in the Delhi government headed by Madan Lal Khurana, before becoming chief minister himself. He was labour minister (2002-04) in the National Democratic Alliance government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also held various positions in the BJP. He was killed when his car collided with a speeding truck on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.

Verma, Shashi Kant (b. Nov. 6, 1911 - d. May 9, 1988), acting governor of Uttar Pradesh (1972). He was chief justice of the Allahabad High Court (1971-73).

Verma, Virendra (b. Sept. 18, 1916, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar district, United Provinces [now in Uttar Pradesh], India - d. May 2, 2009, Shamli), governor of Punjab (1990) and Himachal Pradesh (1990-93).

Vermeylen, Pierre, byname Piet Vermeylen (b. April 8, 1904, Uccle, Belgium - d. Dec. 29, 1991, Uccle), interior minister (1947-49, 1954-58) and justice minister (1961-65) of Belgium. He was also minister of war damage and civilian victims of the war (1946) and education (1968-72).

Verna, Carlos (Alberto) (b. May 8, 1946, Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina), governor of La Pampa (2003-07, 2015-19). He was a senator in 1993-2003 and 2009-15.

Vernescu, George D(imitrie), byname Guna Vernescu (b. July 1, 1829, Bucharest, Walachia [now in Romania] - d. July 3, 1900, Bucharest), interior minister (1876-77) and finance minister (1889, 1891) of Romania. He was also justice minister (1865, 1888-89) and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1878).

Vernet, José María (b. Feb. 24, 1944, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina - d. Feb. 23, 2024), governor of Santa Fe (1983-87) and foreign minister and acting defense minister of Argentina (2001-02).

Verninac de Saint-Maur, Raymond de (b. Jan. 7, 1761, Gourdon [now in Lot département], France - d. June 1, 1822), French politician. He was minister to Sweden (1793-94), envoy to the Ottoman Empire (1795-96), prefect of Rhône département (1800-02), and minister to Switzerland (1802-05).

Verninac de Saint-Maur, Raymond (Jean Baptiste) de (b. June 11, 1794, Souillac, Lot, France - d. Feb. 11, 1873, Souillac), French minister of marine and colonies (1848) and governor of French India (1852-57); nephew of the above.

Verovits, Georgios, Turkish Jorj Beroviç Pasha, Serbian Djordje Berovic (b. 1845 - d. ...), governor of Samos (1895-96) and Crete (1896-97).

Verrastro, Vincenzo (b. May 6, 1919, Avigliano, Basilicata, Italy - d. Aug. 8, 2004, Potenza, Basilicata), president of Basilicata (1970-82).

Verstandig, Lee (Lovely) (b. Sept. 11, 1937), acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1983).

Verstappen, René (b. July 12, 1895 - d. 19...), acting resident of Urundi (1938-40).

Verstolk van Soelen, Johan Gijsbert baron (b. March 16, 1776, Rotterdam, Netherlands - d. Nov. 3, 1845, Zoelen, Gelderland, Netherlands), foreign minister of the Netherlands (1825-41). He was also landdrost of Gelderland (1810) and prefect of Frise département (1811-13). He was made a French baron in 1811 and a Dutch baron in 1823.

Vervoort, Désiré Jean Léon (b. April 11, 1810, Antwerp, France [now in Belgium] - d. July 9, 1886, Boitsfort [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), Belgian politician. He was chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1860-63).

R. Vervoort

Vervoort, Rudi (b. Nov. 20, 1958, Sint-Agatha-Berchem [now in Brussels-Capital region], Belgium), minister-president of Brussels-Capital (2013- ).

Verwilghen, Marc (Ernest Elisabeth Robert Juliette) (b. Sept. 21, 1952, Dendermonde, East Flanders, Belgium), justice minister of Belgium (1999-2003). He was also minister of development cooperation (2003-04) and economy, energy, foreign trade, and science policy (2004-07).

Verwoerd

Verwoerd, Hendrik F(rensch) (b. Sept. 8, 1901, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. Sept. 6, 1966, Cape Town, South Africa), prime minister of South Africa (1958-66). His family migrated to South Africa when he was three months old. In 1937 he became editor of Die Transvaler, a new Nationalist daily in Johannesburg. In World War II the paper adopted a distinctly pro-Nazi line. He failed to win a seat in the lower house in the 1948 election, but two months later he became a nominated senator. In 1950 he was appointed to the important ministry of native affairs, where he was responsible for much apartheid legislation. In the 1958 election he won a seat in the House of Assembly; on September 2, following the death of Prime Minister Johannes G. Strijdom, the parliamentary caucus elected him leader of the National Party, and the next day he took office as prime minister. His government intensified the policies of apartheid and brushed aside internal and external criticisms. He pushed through the Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act in 1959, providing for the resettlement of blacks in eight separate "Bantu homelands." These policies provoked demonstrations by blacks, which led to bloodshed at Sharpeville in March 1960 and increased condemnation from Commonwealth countries. On Oct. 5, 1960, the white voters by a small majority approved his recommendation that South Africa should become a republic, which came true on May 31, 1961. He had survived an assassination attempt on April 9, 1960, when a deranged white farmer shot at him, but another, six years later, was successful. He was stabbed to death in the parliamentary chamber, as he sat waiting for a session to begin, by a temporary parliamentary messenger, Dimitri Tsafendas, an immigrant from Mozambique of mixed racial descent.

Veryovkin, Pyotr (Vladimirovich) (b. Jan. 5, 1862, Tula, Russia - d. Feb. 18, 1946, Switzerland), governor of Kovno (1904-13), Vilna (1912-15), and Estonia (1915-17); son of Vladimir Veryovkin.

Veryovkin, Vladimir (Nikolayevich) (b. July 26 [July 14, O.S.], 1821 - d. Jan. 25 [Jan. 13, O.S.], 1896), governor of Vitebsk (1863-67); son-in-law of Pyotr Daragan.

Veryvakis, Eleftherios (b. Jan. 21, 1935, Chania, Crete, Greece - d. Aug. 6, 2012, near Rethymno, Crete), justice minister of Greece (1987). He was also minister of national education and religious affairs (1981-82), social security (1982-84), energy and natural resources (1984-85), and industry, energy, and technology (1985-86).

Veselý, Frantisek (b. Sept. 18, 1863, Jitschin, Austria [now Jicín, Czech Republic] - d. Sept. 24, 1935, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), justice minister of Czechoslovakia (1919-20).

Vesga, Florentino (b. Aug. 23, 1833, Zapatoca, Santander, New Granada [now Colombia] - d. May 6, 1890, Bogotá, Colombia), acting foreign and war minister of Colombia (1872).

Veshnyakov, Aleksandr (Albertovich) (b. Nov. 24, 1952, Baikalovo, Arkhangelsk oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of Russia (1999-2007). He was also ambassador to Latvia (2008-16).

Veshnyakov, Vladimir (Ivanovich) (b. Nov. 28 [Nov. 16, O.S.], 1830, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Feb. 19 [Feb. 6, O.S.], 1906, St. Petersburg), Russian acting minister of state properties (1893).

Veskimägi, Taavi (b. Nov. 20, 1974, Eidapere, Estonian S.S.R.), finance minister of Estonia (2003-05).

Vesnic, Milenko (Radomir) (b. Feb. 13, 1862, Dunisic village, Ottoman Empire [now in Serbia] - d. May 28, 1921, Paris, France), prime minister (1920-21) and acting foreign minister (1920-21) of Yugoslavia. He was also education minister (1893-94) and justice minister (1906-07) of Serbia and Serbian/Yugoslav minister to Italy (1901-03) and France (1904-06, 1907-20).

Vessey, Robert S(cadden) (b. May 16, 1858, Winnebago county, Wis. - d. Oct. 18, 1929, Pasadena, Calif.), governor of South Dakota (1909-13).

Vestager (Hansen), Margrethe (b. April 13, 1968, Glostrup, Denmark), economy and interior minister of Denmark (2011-14). She was also minister of education (1998-2001) and ecclesiastical affairs (1998-2000), leader of Radikale Venstre (2007-14), EU commissioner for competition (2014-24), and an executive vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age (2019-24).

Vestel, Georg (Hugo) (b. Nov. 11 [Oct. 30, O.S.], 1882, Saadjärve, Tartu county, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. Feb. 5, 1933), finance minister of Estonia (1921-24). He was also minister of trade and industry (1922-23).

Vetchý, Vladimír (b. May 9, 1949, Trebíc, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), defense minister of the Czech Republic (1998-2001).

Vetoshkin, Gennady (Vasilyevich) (b. Feb. 11 [Jan. 29, O.S.], 1901, Podelsky volost, Vologda province [now in Komi republic], Russia - d. Dec. 4, 1978, Arkhangelsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1938-45) and chairman of the Council of People's Commissars/Council of Ministers (1945-47) of the Komi A.S.S.R.

Veydemeyer, Ivan (Andreyevich) (b. July 3 [June 22, O.S.], 1752 - d. March 13 [March 1, O.S.], 1820, St. Petersburg, Russia), acting foreign minister of Russia (1814-16).

Veydt, Laurent (François Félix) (b. Aug. 7, 1800, Antwerp, France [now in Belgium] - d. Nov. 22, 1877, Brussels, Belgium), finance minister of Belgium (1847-48).

Vezirov, Abdurakhman (Khalil ogly), also appearing as Abdul Rakhman Vezirov (b. May 26, 1930, Baku, Azerbaijan S.S.R. - d. Jan. 10, 2022, Moscow, Russia), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1988-90). He was also first secretary of the party committee of Kirovabad city (1970-74) and Soviet ambassador to Nepal (1979-85) and Pakistan (1985-88).

Viacava, Carlos (b. April 21, 1941, São Paulo, Brazil), acting finance minister of Brazil (intermittently 1981-83).

Vial, Joseph (b. Jan. 5, 1908, Mouans-Sartoud, Alpes-Maritimes, France - d. ...), finance minister of Congo (Brazzaville) (1958-60).

Vial, Paulin (François Alexandre) (b. April 16, 1831, Le Grand-Lemps, Isère, France - d. June 2, 1907, Grenoble, France), resident-superior of Tonkin (1886) and interim resident-general of Annam-Tonkin (1886-87).

Vial del Río, Juan de Dios (b. 1774, Concepción, Chile - d. Nov. 28, 1850, Santiago, Chile), foreign and interior minister (1825) and war minister (1825) of Chile. He was also president of the Supreme Court (1825-28, 1830-50), the Senate (1828, 1839-40, 1843, 1843-44), and the Chamber of Deputies (1833-34).

Vial Formas, Manuel Camilo (b. March 20, 1804, Valparaíso, Chile - d. Feb. 20, 1882, Valparaíso), foreign and interior minister (1846-49), acting finance minister (1846-47, 1847-48, 1848), and acting war and marine minister (1848) of Chile; son of Agustín Vial Santelices.

Vial Guzmán, Alejandro (b. 1826, Santiago, Chile - d. May 28, 1914, Santiago), finance minister of Chile (1856-57, 1893-94); son of Juan de Dios Vial del Río.

Vial Guzmán, Juan de Dios (b. 1851 - d. Feb. 20, 1931, Viña del Mar, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1889).

Vial Infante, Carlos (b. Oct. 8, 1892, Berck, Pas-de-Calais, France - d. March 6, 1986, Santiago, Chile), defense minister of Chile (1958-61, 1963-64); son of Juan de Dios Vial Guzmán.

Vial Santelices, Agustín (Juan María de) (b. Aug. 27, 1772, Concepción, Chile - d. June 26, 1838, Santiago, Chile), interior secretary (1811, 1812-13), war minister (1821 and [acting] 1823), and finance minister (1823, 1826) of Chile. He was also acting minister of marine (1826) and president of the Senate (1832-33).

Vial Vial, Osvaldo (b. Oct. 29, 1890, Santiago, Chile - d. Sept. 14, 1978, Santiago), justice minister of Chile (1934-35). He was also minister of lands and colonization (1943-44) and ambassador to Bolivia (1945-47) and Brazil (1947-52).

Viala, (Pierre Elie) Maxime (b. 1875 - d. 1959), resident of Wallis and Futuna (1905-09).

Vialla, Frédéric Alexandre (b. Nov. 14, 1867 - d. 19...), administrator of Kwangchowan (1917-19).

Vian

Vian, Dominique (b. Dec. 15, 1944, Valence, Drôme, France), prefect of French Guiana (1997-99), Guadeloupe (2002-04), and Réunion (2004-05). He was also prefect of the départements of Ardèche (1999-2002) and Alpes-Maritimes (2006-08).

Viana, Antônio Vicente Bulcão (b. Jan. 11, 1875, São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil - d. March 26, 1940, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil), acting governor of Santa Catarina (1925-26, 1930).

Viana, Aurélio Rodrigues (b. Sept. 28, 1864, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil - d. March 20, 1939, Salvador), acting governor of Bahia (1911-12).

Viana, Eduardo Ferreira (b. Jan. 20, 1884, Algarve, Portugal - d. 1953), governor-general of Angola (1931-34).

Viana, Fernando de Mello (b. March 15, 1878, Sabará, Minas Gerais, Brazil - d. Feb. 10, 1954, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Minas Gerais (1924-26) and vice president of Brazil (1926-30).

Viana (y Alzaibar), Francisco Xavier de (b. Dec. 3, 1764, Montevideo [now in Uruguay] - d. March 5, 1820, Montevideo), governor of the Falkland Islands (1798-99, 1800-01).

Viana, Godofredo Mendes, originally spelled Vianna (b. June 14, 1878, Codó, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Aug. 12, 1944, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Maranhão (1923-26); son of Torquato Mendes Vianna.

Viana, João de Segadas (b. Nov. 9, 1899, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Oct. 13, 1977, Rio de Janeiro), war minister of Brazil (1961-62).

Viana, João Vicente Bulcão (b. July 15, 1878, Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil - d. June 3, 1947, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), federal interventor in Bahia (1945-46).

Viana, Luís, Filho (b. March 28, 1908, Paris, France - d. June 5, 1990, São Paulo, Brazil), acting justice and interior minister of Brazil (1965, 1966) and governor of Bahia (1967-71); son of Luiz Vianna. He was also president of the Senate (1979-81).

Vianna, Antônio Ferreira (b. May 11, 1833, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - d. Nov. 10, 1903, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), justice minister (1888-89) and interior minister (1889) of Brazil.

Vianna, Cypriano José Velloso (d. February 1903, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting president of Maranhão (1885).

Vianna, João Caldas (b. 1806, Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Sept. 17, 1862, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Rio de Janeiro (1843-44); brother of Joaquim Francisco Vianna.

Vianna, João de Oliveira Castro, Júnior (b. May 7, 1905, Humberto Antunes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Sept. 27, 1987, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting finance minister of Brazil (1957).

Vianna, Joaquim Francisco (b. Jan. 15, 1803, Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. April 11, 1864, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), finance minister of Brazil (1843-44).

Vianna, José Lopes da Silva, president (1841-42) and acting president (1852, 1853, 1854) of Minas Gerais.

Vianna, Luiz (b. Oct. 30, 1846, São José do Riacho da Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil - d. July 6, 1920, aboard the Limburgia, en route to Europe), governor of Bahia (1896-1900).

Vianna, Torquato Mendes (b. May 17, 1842, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Jan. 6, 1916, Esplanada, Bahia, Brazil), president of Ceará (1881-82) and Piauí (1883).

Vianna, Ulysses Machado Pereira, conde de Ulysses Vianna (b. Dec. 17, 1848, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil - d. Sept. 10, 1911, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Paraíba (1878-79). He was made a count by the pope in 1906.

Vicchi, Adolfo (Ángel) (b. April 19, 1900, Mendoza, Argentina - d. ...), governor of Mendoza (1941-43). He was also Argentine ambassador to the United States (1955-57) and the United Kingdom (1964-65).

Vicence, Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt, duc de (b. Dec. 9, 1773, Caulaincourt [now in Aisne département], France - d. Feb. 19, 1827, Paris, France), foreign minister of France (1813-14, 1815). He was also ambassador to Russia (1807-11). He was created duc de Vicence (duke of Vicenza) in 1808.

Vicente, Manuel Domingos (b. May 15, 1956, Luanda, Angola), vice president of Angola (2012-17).

Vickers, Thomas Douglas (b. Sept. 25, 1916 - d. May 21, 1999), acting governor of Mauritius (1961, 1962, 1964, 1966). He was chief secretary (1960-67) and deputy governor (1967-68).

Victoria

Victoria, in full Alexandrina Victoria (b. May 24, 1819, Kensington Palace, London, England - d. Jan. 22, 1901, Osborne, Isle of Wight, England), queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901). She was the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George III. The crowns of Great Britain and Hanover became separated on her accession because the Salic law prevented succession by a woman in Hanover. She was crowned on June 28, 1838, and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, on Feb. 10, 1840. They had nine children: Victoria ("Vicky"), the princess royal, was born in 1840; the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in 1841; then followed Princess Alice, 1843; Prince Alfred, 1844; Princess Helena, 1846; Princess Louise, 1848; Prince Arthur, 1850; Prince Leopold, 1853; and Princess Beatrice, 1857. Albert became the dominant figure in her life, a visible sign of his power and influence being the building of the royal residences of Osborne, on the Isle of Wight, and Balmoral Castle in Scotland. But her mingling with the Scottish poor at Balmoral did not seem to raise her awareness of social problems, and she gave her full support to the government's policy of repression of the Chartists. The Great Exhibition (1851), an international trade show housed in the architectural marvel of the Crystal Palace, became a symbol of the Victorian Age. Albert died on Dec. 14, 1861. She later succumbed to Benjamin Disraeli and thus became a partisan in the most famous political rivalry of the 19th century, between Disraeli and William Ewart Gladstone. She cared little for Disraeli's program of social reform, but was entranced by his imperialism and his assertive foreign policy; the addition of "Empress of India" to the royal title in 1876 thrilled her. Her reign was the longest in English history until Elizabeth II exceeded it in 2015.

Victoria (Victoria), Eladio (Abdom), byname Quiquí (b. July 30, 1864, Baní, Dominican Republic - d. July 27, 1939, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic), president of the Dominican Republic (1911-12). He was also minister of development and public works (1903-04) and posts and telegraphs (1904-06).

G. Victoria

Victoria, Guadalupe, original name José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix (b. Sept. 16 or 29, 1786, Tamazula, Durango, Mexico - d. March 21, 1843, Perote, Veracruz, Mexico), president of Mexico (1824-29). He fought for Mexican independence from 1811, changing his name to show his devotion to the cause (the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, had been a symbol of the insurgency). He took part under José María Morelos in the siege of Oaxaca in 1812, and was later designated to organize the revolution in the province of Veracruz, where he soon became feared by the Spaniards. In 1817, when the insurrection was nearly everywhere subdued, only Vicente Guerrero holding out in the southwest, Victoria, unable to reach the latter chief, hid for nearly four years in the mountains of Veracruz, till the proclamation of the Plan de Iguala in 1821. Then he joined Agustín de Iturbide, but was coldly received by the latter, who was already maturing his plan of monarchy. In December 1822, when Antonio López de Santa Anna proclaimed the republic in Veracruz, Victoria joined him. After Iturbide's fall in 1823, Victoria was elected to the executive council, but did not take his seat till July 1824. Shortly afterward he was elected the first constitutional president of Mexico, taking office on October 10. His government was notable for the establishment of diplomatic relations with other nations and the abolition of slavery (Sept. 16, 1825). In 1827 his vice president, Nicolás Bravo, led a revolt against him, but it was easily put down by Generals Santa Anna and Guerrero. His administration was disturbed by the rivalry between the Scotch and York masonic lodges, and his weakness gave them free play. He was well-meaning and honest, but easily controlled by his political followers. In 1829 he retired from public life.

Victoria, José Joaquim Coelho, barão da (b. Sept. 25, 1797, Lisbon, Portugal - d. June 19, 1860, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil), president of Ceará (1841-43). He was made baron in 1860.

Victoria B., Roberto (b. Aug. 20, 1941, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic), Dominican Republic diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1996-97) and ambassador to Guatemala (1997-99).

Victorica (Vivanco), Benjamín (b. Sept. 14, 1831, Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. Jan. 27, 1913, Buenos Aires), war minister of Argentina (1860-61, 1880-85, 1892-93). He was also president of the Supreme Court (1887-92).

Vicuña (Larraín), Francisco Ramón de (b. 1775, Santiago, Chile - d. Jan. 13, 1849, Santiago), minister of foreign affairs, interior, war, and finance (1825) and acting president (1829, 1829, 1829) of Chile.

Vicuña (Muñoz), María Alejandra (b. Feb. 13, 1978, Guayaquil, Ecuador), vice president of Ecuador (2018). She was also minister of urban development and housing (2017-18).

Vicuña Cifuentes, Luis (Alberto José del Carmen) (b. April 17, 1873, La Serena, Chile - d. 19...), war and marine minister of Chile (1918); grandnephew of Francisco Ramón de Vicuña.

Vicuña Guerrero, Claudio (b. Dec. 31, 1833, Santiago, Chile - d. Feb. 28, 1907, Santiago), interior minister of Chile (1890-91).

Vicuña Subercaseaux, Claudio (b. 1875, Santiago, Chile - d. May 21, 1956, Santiago), war and marine minister of Chile (1912-13); son of Claudio Vicuña Guerrero. He was also minister of agriculture, industry, and colonization (1925).

Vidal (Herrera), Antonio Ketín (b. June 13, 1944, San Pedro district, Marañón province, Huánuco department [now region], Peru), interior minister of Peru (2000-01). He was also director-general of the National Police (1996-97).

Vidal, Bill, byname of Guillermo Vicente Vidal (b. 1951?, Camagüey, Cuba), mayor of Denver (2011).

Vidal, Carlos A(milcar) (b. 1885, Chiapas, Mexico - d. [assassinated] Oct. 3, 1927, Huitzilac, Morelos, Mexico), governor of Quintana Roo (1917-18), Tabasco (1919), and Chiapas (1925-27).

C. Vidal

Vidal, Claudio (Orlando) (b. June 4, 1980, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina), governor of Santa Cruz (2023- ).

Vidal (Salinas), Francisco (Javier) (b. Sept. 20, 1953), interior minister (2005-06) and defense minister (2009-10) of Chile. He was also minister secretary-general of government (2003-05, 2007-09).

Vidal (Laos), Juan Francisco de (b. April 2, 1800, Supe, Peru - d. Sept. 23, 1863, Lima, Peru), acting president of Peru (1842-43).

Vidal, Manuel Bernardo, governor-general of Angola (1837-39).

Vidal (Gómez), Pedro Nolasco (b. Jan. 31, 1790, Santiago, Chile - d. April 30, 1856, Valparaíso, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1848-51, 1853-56). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1842-43, 1846).

Vidal, Rafael de Abreu Sampaio (b. July 14, 1870, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil - d. July 13, 1941, São Paulo, Brazil), finance minister of Brazil (1922-25).

Vidal de Lingendes, Jean François Marie Félix Stanislas (b. Nov. 6, 1796, Wilmington, Del. - d. ...), governor of French Guiana (1851).

Vidal Vargas, Luis (Osvaldo) (b. May 6, 1904, Curicó, Chile - d. ...), defense minister of Chile (1957-58). He was also commander-in-chief of the army (1956-58).

Vidaurre (y Encalada), Manuel (Lorenzo de) (b. May 19, 1773, Lima, Peru - d. March 9, 1841, Lima), foreign minister of Peru (1827, 1832). He was also president of the Supreme Court (1825-28, 1831-34, 1837-39) and of the General Constituent Congress (1827).

Vidaurre y Rivera, (José) Melchor (b. Jan. 4, 1816, Lima, Peru - d. ...), justice and education minister of Peru (1862-63); son of Manuel Vidaurre. He was also president of the Supreme Court (1875-76).

Vidaurri (Valdez), Santiago (b. July 25, 1808, Lampazos, Mexico - d. [executed] July 8, 1867, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Nuevo León (1855-56) and Nuevo León y Coahuila (1857-59, 1860-64) and chairman of the Council of Ministers of Mexico (1867).

Vide, Sebastião Monteiro da (b. March 19, 1643, Monforte, Alentejo, Portugal - d. Sept. 7, 1722, São Salvador da Bahia [now Salvador], Brazil), member of the Provisional Government Junta of Brazil (1719-20). He was archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (1701-22).

Videau, Daniel (b. May 20, 1920, Arcachon, Gironde, France - d. June 21, 2017), governor of French Polynesia (1973-76).

Videgaray, José, governor of Nuevo León (1915). He was also mayor of Monterrey (1915) and Tuxtla Gutiérrez (1927).

L. Videgaray

Videgaray (Caso), Luis (b. Aug. 10, 1968, Mexico City, Mexico), finance minister (2012-16) and foreign minister (2017-18) of Mexico.

J.R. Videla

Videla (Redondo), Jorge Rafael (b. Aug. 2, 1925, Mercedes, Argentina - d. May 17, 2013, Marcos Paz, Buenos Aires province, Argentina), president of Argentina (1976-81); son-in-law of Samuel Alejandro Hartridge. In 1970 he was acting governor of Tucumán. After a long military career, he became chief of the Army General Staff in 1973 and commander in chief - appointed by Pres. Isabel Perón under pressure from the military establishment - in August 1975. He used this post to remove leading military officers sympathetic to Peronism. After a long-planned, bloodless coup overthrew Perón's almost nonfunctioning government in March 1976, General Videla took the presidency as head of a three-man (later a five-man) military junta. He suspended Congress (vesting legislative powers in a nine-man military commission), political parties, and labour unions, and filled all important posts with military personnel. Several thousand people - leftists and other opponents of the regime - disappeared during his rule, presumably killed, sometimes by being thrown into the ocean off "death flights." This "dirty war" against political subversion elicited strong international criticism. He took measures to restore economic growth and reduce inflation, with moderate success. Having completed a five-year term, he retired in 1981, handing over the presidency to Gen. Roberto Viola. After Argentina returned to civilian rule in 1983, various former junta leaders were charged with human-rights abuses. Videla was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 1985 but was released on a pardon by Pres. Carlos Menem in December 1990. He was rearrested in a probe into child kidnappings in June 1998 and remained under house arrest awaiting prosecution. In April 2007 a federal court struck down the 1990 pardon as unconstitutional, a largely symbolic decision since due to his age he would serve out his sentence at home. In 2010 he was again sentenced to life in prison for his role in the torture and murder of at least 31 political prisoners.

Videla Vergara, (José) Benjamín (b. Oct. 9, 1907, Santiago, Chile - d. April 25, 1965, Santiago), defense minister (1955) and interior minister (1955-57) of Chile.

Videnov

Videnov, Zhan (Vasilev) (b. March 22, 1959, Plovdiv, Bulgaria), prime minister of Bulgaria (1995-97).

Vides Casanova, Carlos Eugenio (b. Nov. 29, 1937, Santa Ana, El Salvador - d. Dec. 21, 2023, San Salvador, El Salvador), defense minister of El Salvador (1983-89); son-in-law of Prudencio Llach Schonenberg. He was also director of the National Guard (1979-83).

Vidic, Dobrivoje (b. Dec. 24, 1918, Cacak, Serbia - d. March 3, 1992, Belgrade, Serbia), president of the Presidency of Serbia (1978-82). He was also Yugoslav ambassador to Burma (1952-53), the Soviet Union (1953-56, 1965-69), and the United Kingdom (1970-73) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1958-60).

Vidiella (Fortet), Federico (Rómulo) (b. June 6, 1850, Salto, Uruguay - d. Jan. 21, 1927, London, England), finance minister of Uruguay (1894-97, 1916-19). He was also minister to the United Kingdom (1909-16, 1919-27).

Vidigal, Gastão (da Costa Carvalho) (b. May 15, 1889, São Paulo, Brazil - d. Nov. 14, 1950, São Paulo), finance minister of Brazil (1946).

Vidovic, Rudo (b. Nov. 5, 1958, Vitez [now in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]), governor of Central Bosnia (2001-02).

Vidrascu, Gheorghe, a deputy premier of Romania (1953). He was also mayor of Bucharest (1954-55) and ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1957-59).

Viegas, José, Filho (b. Oct. 14, 1942, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso [now in Mato Grosso do Sul], Brazil), defense minister of Brazil (2003-04). He was also ambassador to Denmark (1995-98), Peru (1998-2001), Russia (2001-02), Spain (2005-08), and Italy (2009-12) and UN special representative for Guinea-Bissau and head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (2018-19).

Vieillescazes, Claude (Édouard Louis) (b. March 25, 1923, Cholet, Maine-et-Loire, France - d. May 15, 1995, Paris, France), prefect of Réunion (1972-75). He was also prefect of the départements of Dordogne (1975-77), Seine-Saint-Denis (1977-79), and Corse-du-Sud (1979-81).

Vieira, Casemiro Dias, Junior (b. 1853, Guimarães, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Jan. 30, 1897, London, England), acting president of Maranhão (1893-95, 1895, 1896-97).

C.L.V. Vieira

Vieira, Clécio Luís Vilhena (b. April 8, 1972, Belém, Pará, Brazil), governor of Amapá (2023- ). He was also mayor of Macapá (2013-21).

Vieira, Gleuber (b. Dec. 8, 1933, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), army minister of Brazil (1999).

J.B. Vieira

Vieira, João Bernardo, byname Nino Vieira (b. April 27, 1939, Bissau, Portuguese Guinea [now Guinea-Bissau] - d. March 2, 2009, Bissau), president of Guinea-Bissau (1980-99, 2005-09). A pioneer of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, he was sent to Conakry, Guinea, for military training. On his return, he built up a legendary reputation for skill and bravery as a guerrilla leader in the long war against the Portuguese. In 1961 he went on a guerrilla instruction course to China and later received further training in the U.S.S.R., Algeria, and Cuba. Military chief of Catió (1961-64) and of the southern front (1964-65), he developed tactics that were a key factor in defeating the Portuguese. After Guinea-Bissau became independent in 1974, he was appointed state commissioner for the armed forces and president of the National People's Assembly. In 1978 he became prime minister. On Nov. 14, 1980, two days after the Assembly had adopted a new constitution that virtually denuded the office of premier of its powers, he led a coup that overthrew Pres. Luís de Almeida Cabral. It was seen as a move by the blacks of the mainland to separate themselves from the mestizo-dominated Cape Verdians. It took some time for him to establish his position firmly; this was greatly helped after he released Cabral from prison in January 1982. He was also minister of the armed forces and interior (1982-84). He legalized opposition parties in 1991 and legitimized his rule in Guinea-Bissau's first multiparty elections in 1994. A period of instability led to an army rebellion in June 1998 and eight months of fighting between loyalists of Vieira and the army chief, Gen. Ansumane Mané, who overthrew Vieira in 1999. He then lived in exile in Portugal but returned April 7, 2005, to be an independent presidential candidate in the June 19 elections. He came second in the first round but won the runoff on July 24. He was killed in his palace by renegade soldiers in 2009.

Vieira, João Pedro Belfort (b. Dec. 13, 1846, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Nov. 2, 1910, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Piauí (1879-80); son of João Pedro Dias Vieira. He was also Brazilian prosecutor-general (1897-98).

Vieira, João Pedro Dias (b. March 30, 1820, Guimarães, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Oct. 30, 1870, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), foreign minister of Brazil (1864, 1864-65). He was also president of Amazonas (1856-57) and Maranhão (1858, 1863) and minister of navy (1864) and agriculture (1864).

Vieira, Manoel Ignácio Belfort (b. April 30, 1854, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil - d. July 31, 1913, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Maranhão (1890, 1892, 1895); son of João Pedro Dias Vieira; brother of João Pedro Belfort Vieira. He was also navy minister of Brazil (1912-13).

Mauro Vieira

Vieira, Mauro (Luiz Iecker) (b. Feb. 15, 1952, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), foreign minister of Brazil (2015-16, 2023- ). He was also ambassador to Argentina (2004-10), the United States (2010-15), and Croatia (2020-22) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2016-20).

Vieira, Paulo Afonso Evangelista (b. May 10, 1958), governor of Santa Catarina (1995-99).

R. Vieira

Vieira, Ranolfo, Júnior (b. April 7, 1966, Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), governor of Rio Grande do Sul (2022-23).

Vieira, Severino dos Santos (b. June 8, 1849, Vila da Ribeira do Conde [now Conde], Bahia, Brazil - d. Sept. 23, 1917, Salvador, Bahia), governor of Bahia (1900-04). He was also Brazilian minister of industry, transport, and public works (1898-1900).

V.R. Vieira

Vieira, Vasco (Joaquim) Rocha (b. Aug. 16, 1939, Lagos, Portugal), minister of the republic in the Azores (1986-91) and governor of Macau (1991-99).

Vieira da Silva, Luiz Antonio Vieira da Silva, visconde de (b. Oct. 2, 1828, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil - d. Nov. 3, 1889, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Piauí (1869-70) and Maranhão (acting, 1876) and Brazilian navy minister (1888-89). He was made viscount in January 1889.

Viel Cavero, Óscar (b. 1876, Valparaíso, Chile - d. March 2, 1932, Paris, France), war and marine minister of Chile (1917-18); brother-in-law of Rafael Blanco Viel. He was also minister of justice (1906-07) and industry, public works, and railways (1912-13) and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1916-17).

Vielma Mora, José Gregorio (b. Oct. 26, 1964), governor of Táchira (2012-17). He was also Venezuelan minister of foreign trade (2017-18).

Vielman, (Gladys) Marithza Ruiz (Sánchez) de, née Ruiz Sánchez (b. Aug. 30, 1945, Guatemala City, Guatemala), foreign minister of Guatemala (1994-95). She was also ambassador to the United Kingdom (2001-02), the United States (2016-17), and the Netherlands (2017-19).

Vielmann (Montes), Carlos (Roberto) (b. 1956?), interior minister of Guatemala (2004-07); nephew of Gustavo Anzueto Vielman.

Viera (Gil), Julio (b. Trinidad, Bolivia - d. Oct. 10, 1952, La Paz, Bolivia), interior and justice minister of Bolivia (1936-37).

Viera Gallo, Antonio (b. Nov. 29, 1873, La Serena, Chile - d. Jan. 5, 1921, Santiago, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1920).

Viera-Gallo Quesney, José (Antonio César Bernardo del Carmen) (b. Dec. 2, 1943, Santiago, Chile), Chilean politician; grandson of Antonio Viera Gallo. He was president of the Chamber of Deputies (1990-93) and ambassador to Argentina (2015-18).

D. Viérin

L. Viérin

Vigenin

Viérin, Dino (b. Nov. 21, 1948, Aosta, Italy), president of Valle d'Aosta (1993-2002).

Viérin, Laurent (b. Aug. 7, 1975, Aosta, Italy), president of Valle d'Aosta (2017-18); son of Dino Viérin.

Vieyra, Désiré (b. Jan. 18, 1928, Ouidah, Dahomey [now Benin] - d. July 10, 2010, Paris, France), defense minister of Benin (1993-96).

Vigenin, Kristian (Ivanov) (b. June 12, 1975, Sofia, Bulgaria), foreign minister of Bulgaria (2013-14).

Viger, Denis Benjamin (b. Aug. 19, 1774, Montreal, Quebec - d. Feb. 13, 1861, Montreal), joint premier of Canada (1843-46).

Vigil, Donaciano (b. Sept. 6, 1802, Santa Fe, New Mexico - d. Aug. 11, 1877, Santa Fe), civil governor of New Mexico (1847-48).

Vigliani, Paolo Onorato (b. July 24, 1814, Pomaro Monferrato, Kingdom of Sardinia [now in Piemonte, Italy] - d. Feb. 12, 1900, Florence, Italy), justice minister of Italy (1869, 1873-76). He was also governor of Lombardy (1859) and prefect of Napoli province (1864-66).

Viglione, Aldo (b. Sept. 11, 1923, Morozzo, Piemonte, Italy - d. [car crash] Dec. 1, 1988), president of Piemonte (1975-80, 1983-85).

Atilio Viglione

Viglione, Atilio (Oscar) (b. Sept. 16, 1914, Chivilcoy, Buenos Aires province, Argentina - d. March 20, 2010, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina), governor of Chubut (1983-87).

Vignes, Alberto Juan (b. Dec. 5, 1896, Morón, Argentina - d. July 12, 1978, Buenos Aires, Argentina), foreign minister of Argentina (1973-75).

Vigneswaran Sanasee, Tan Sri (b. Dec. 16, 1965, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Malaysian politician. He was president of the Dewan Negara (2016-20). He was awarded the titles Datuk (2013), Dato' Sri (2015), and Tan Sri (2017).

Vignon, Alexis Édouard (b. Sept. 2, 1806, Marseille, France - d. ...), commandant-particular of Gabon (1850-53, 1857-59).

Vignon, Robert (b. Nov. 17, 1910, Constantine, Algeria - d. Oct. 9, 1989), prefect of French Guiana (1947-55). He was also prefect of the départements of Allier (1955-56) and Tizi-Ouzou (1956-58).

Viinanen, Iiro (Tahvo Juhani) (b. Sept. 27, 1944, Kuopio, Finland), finance minister of Finland (1991-96).

Viinanen, Jarmo (Veli Tapio) (b. Feb. 23, 1959, Imatra, Finland), Finnish diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2009-14), president of the UNICEF Executive Board (2013), and ambassador to Sweden (2014-16).

Viitanen, Martti (Juho) (b. Jan. 5, 1913, Oulujoki, Finland - d. Jan. 22, 1980), interior minister of Finland (1966-67, 1972) and governor of Vaasa (1967-77).

Vijayan, Pinarayi (b. May 24, 1945, Pinarayi village, Malabar district, Madras province [now in Kannur district, Kerala state], India), chief minister of Kerala (2016- ).

Vijayashankar

Vijayashankar, C(handrashekhar) H. (b. Oct. 21, 1956, Makanur, Dharwad district [now in Haveri district], Mysore [now Karnataka], India), governor of Meghalaya (2024- ).

Vijoli, Aurel (b. Feb. 12, 1902, Recea, Romania - d. July 1, 1981, Bucharest, Romania), finance minister of Romania (1957-68). He was also governor of the National Bank (1947-48).

Vik, Oddmund (Jakobsen) (b. April 19, 1858, Øystese, Kvam municipality, Søndre Bergenhus amt [now in Vestland fylke], Norway - d. Feb. 12, 1930, Molde, Møre [now Møre og Romsdal] fylke, Norway), governor of Romsdals amt/Møre fylke (1914-28). He was also mayor of Stavanger (1913-14) and Norwegian minister of provisioning (1916-17).

Vikalo, Hazim (b. Nov. 29, 1960, Sladna [now in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]), premier of Tuzla canton (1996-99).

Vike-Freiberga

Vike-Freiberga, Vaira, née Vike (b. Dec. 1, 1937, Riga, Latvia), president of Latvia (1999-2007). As Soviet forces took over German-occupied Latvia near the end of World War II, she moved with her family to Germany, then to French Morocco, and in 1954 to Canada. She became a leading figure among Latvian émigré intellectuals and, with her husband, Imants Freibergs, helped to keep the country's tradition alive by researching Latvian folk songs. In the early 1980s, she worked in a Canadian scientific research group for NATO. She returned to Latvia in 1998, when she was appointed director of a new cultural body, the Latvian Institute. The next year, thanks to her lack of party affiliation, she was picked as compromise choice for president by Latvian lawmakers who in five ballots had been unable to agree on a candidate. Vike-Freiberga, who gave up her Canadian citizenship to be eligible, became the first woman to head a post-Communist Eastern European state. The day she took office, parliament passed a controversial law requiring the use of the Latvian language in all public events, antagonizing not only Russia and the large Russian-speaking minority in Latvia but also the European Union (EU) which Latvia sought to join. She returned the law to parliament for rewriting to EU expectations. She named as prime minister Andris Skele, who had served in the position before, and charged him with reining in the state budget, after excessive spending had brought on near disaster. During her first term, she shuttled around Europe and North America to win backing for her country's bid to join the EU and NATO - a goal she achieved in 2004, a year after being reelected unopposed for her second, constitutionally-final term. Capping her NATO drive, she hosted a summit of the alliance in Riga in November 2006, the first such meeting in a former Soviet republic.

Vikhlyayev, Panteleimon (Alekseyevich) (b. Jan. 27, 1869, Kirzhach, Vladimir province, Russia - d. Feb. 23, 1928, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Russian politician. He was acting minister of agriculture (1917).

Vikman, Pyotr (Mikhailovich), Latvian Peteris Eduards Vikmanis (b. Oct. 13 [Oct. 1, O.S.], 1890, Riga, Russia [now in Latvia] - d. April 10, 1958, Riga, Latvian S.S.R.), executive secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Bashkir A.S.S.R. (1920-21). He was also chairman of the party committee (1918-19) and of the Executive Committee (1919) of Tver province and executive secretary of the party committee of Smolensk province (1922-24).

Vila Amigó, Marc (b. May 5, 1961, Andorra la Vella, Andorra), foreign minister (1994) and interior minister (2011-12) of Andorra.

Vila Coma, Julià (b. March 19, 1951, Ordino, Andorra), Andorran diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2004-07).

Vila Dosal, Mauricio (b. March 30, 1980, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Yucatán (2018-24). He was also mayor of Mérida (2015-18).

Vila Nova

Vila Nova, Carlos (Manuel) (b. July 27, 1959, Neves, São Tomé and Príncipe), president of São Tomé and Príncipe (2021- ). He was also minister of public works and natural resources (2010-12) and infrastructure, natural resources, and environment (2014-18).

Vila Real, José Luís de Sousa Botelho Mourão e Vasconcelos, (1º) conde de (b. Feb. 9, 1785, Lisbon, Portugal - d. Sept. 26, 1855, St. Petersburg, Russia), foreign minister of Portugal (1834-35, 1835, 1836, 1839-40). He was also minister of war (1828, 1835, 1841-42) and marine and overseas (1835, 1839) and minister to Spain (1814-20), the United Kingdom (1823-25), and Russia (1855). He was made conde de Vila Real in 1823.

Vilain XIIII, Charles (Ghislain Guillaume), vicomte (b. May 15, 1803, Brussels, France [now in Belgium] - d. Nov. 16, 1878, Leut [now part of Maasmechelen], Belgium), foreign minister of Belgium (1855-57). He was also minister to the Papal State (1832-34, 1836-39), governor of East Flanders (1834-36), and president of the Chamber of Representatives (1870-75). The number XIIII (sic) is a fixed part of the family name and does not denote "14th viscount."

Vilanova, Amaro de Azambuja (b. April 18, 1879, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - d. af. 1951), governor of Pernambuco (1937).

Vilar Mendivil, (Manuel) Adolfo (b. Jan. 1, 1889, Camargo, Chuquisaca, Bolivia - d. 1964), interior, justice, and immigration minister of Bolivia (1941-42). He was also minister of public works and communications (1941) and education, fine arts, and indigenous affairs (1941).

Vilas, William F(reeman) (b. July 9, 1840, Chelsea, Vt. - d. Aug. 27, 1908, Madison, Wis.), U.S. postmaster general (1885-88) and secretary of the interior (1888-89).

Vîlceanu, Dan (b. Feb. 5, 1979, Bumbesti-Jiu, Gorj county, Romania), finance minister of Romania (2021). He was also minister of transport (acting, 2021) and investments and European projects (2021-22).

Vilchez Asher, Erich (b. Feb. 12, 1956, Managua, Nicaragua), Nicaraguan diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-97).

Vildoso

Vildoso Calderón, Guido (b. April 5, 1937, Cochabamba, Bolivia), president of Bolivia (1982). He was also minister of public health and social security (1976-78).

Vildziunas, Jonas (b. Sept. 29, 1907, Anyksciai district, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. Nov. 1, 1989, Vilnius, Lithuanian S.S.R.), interior minister of the Lithuanian S.S.R. (1953). He was also mayor of Kaunas (1951-53) and Vilnius (1954-68).

Vileisis, Jonas (b. Jan. 3, 1872, Mediniai, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. June 1, 1942, Kaunas, Lithuania), interior minister (1918-19) and finance minister (1919) of Lithuania. He was also ambassador to the United States (1919-21) and mayor of Kaunas (1921-31).

L.A.M. Vilela

Vilela, Luiz Alberto Maguito (b. Jan. 24, 1949, Jataí, Goiás, Brazil - d. Jan. 13, 2021), governor of Goiás (1995-98). He was also mayor of Aparecida de Goiânia (2009-17) and Goiânia (2021).

Vilela, Orlando Bandeira (b. Jan. 2, 1898, Paraíba [now João Pessoa], Paraíba, Brazil - d. Oct. 20, 1980, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting finance minister of Brazil (1937).

Vilela, Teotônio Brandão, Filho (b. Jan. 29, 1951, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil), governor of Alagoas (2007-15).

Vilfan, Joza (b. July 6, 1908, Trieste, Austria [now in Italy] - d. Nov. 21, 1987), Yugoslav diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1947-50) and ambassador to India and Burma (1952-53).

Vilhena, Francisco de Mello Coutinho de (b. 18..., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Jan. 11, 1880, Maranhão province [now state], Brazil), acting president of Maranhão (1878).

Vilho, Peter Hafeni (b. Feb. 2, 1962, Windhoek, South West Africa [now Namibia]), defense minister of Namibia (2020- ). He was also commander of the navy (2004-17).

Viljoen, Daniel Thomas du Plessis (b. March 16, 1892, Hanover, South Africa - d. Dec. 11, 1972), administrator of South West Africa (1953-63).

Viljoen, Gerrit (van Niekerk) (b. Sept. 11, 1926, Cape Town, South Africa - d. March 29, 2009), administrator-general of South West Africa (1979-80). He was also South African minister of national education (1980-84), cooperation, development, and education (1984-89), and constitutional development (1989-92).

Viljoen, Marais (b. Dec. 2, 1915, Robertson, Cape province [now in Western Cape], South Africa - d. Jan. 4, 2007, Pretoria, South Africa), state president of South Africa (1979-84). In 1937 he became a reporter on a newly founded Afrikaans newspaper edited by the future prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd. His political career began with his appointment as a National Party organizer in Natal in 1943. Years of efficient service led to his election as a member of the Transvaal provincial council in 1949 and to a seat in parliament in 1953. Under Verwoerd he became deputy minister of labour and mines (1958-61), and he later served as minister of labour (1966-76), Coloured affairs (1966-70), the interior (1970), and posts and telecommunications (1970-76). He firmly supported the National Party's policy of apartheid, although he was known as a relatively moderate member of the party. He allowed mixed-race workers, when needed, to work on certain construction projects in 1971, an early fissure in the "granite" apartheid policy, but in 1972, after illegal strikes by black workers, he stood out against the legalization of their unions, blaming the nationwide strikes on student and labour agitators rather than on the need for a living wage. He was president of the Senate in 1976-79 before he was elected to replace B.J. Vorster as state president. The position was largely ceremonial at the time. He served until September 1984, when, under a new constitution, Pieter Willem Botha took over the post, consolidating in the presidency the executive power he previously held as prime minister. Viljoen then retired from politics.

Vilkelis, Eduardas (b. March 7, 1953, Veisiejai, Lithuanian S.S.R. - d. July 22, 2023), finance minister of Lithuania (1992-95).

Vilks, Andris (b. June 15, 1963, Jaunpiebalga, Latvian S.S.R. - d. late April 2024), finance minister of Latvia (2010-14).

Vilkul, Oleksandr (Yuriyovych) (b. May 24, 1974, Krivoy Rog [Kryvyi Rih], Ukrainian S.S.R.), Ukrainian politician. He was a deputy prime minister (2012-14) and a minor presidential candidate (2019).

Villa, José, finance minister of Peru (1833-34, 1834, 1834).

P. Villa

Villa, Pancho, byname of Francisco Villa, original name Doroteo Arango Arámbula (b. June 5, 1878, Hacienda de Río Grande, San Juan del Río, Durango, Mexico - d. June 20, 1923, Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico), Mexican guerrilla leader. At the age of 16 he killed a man for molesting his sister and then fled to the mountains and lived as a bandit, borrowing the name Francisco Villa from that of an earlier outlaw. He joined Francisco Madero's revolution against dictator Porfirio Díaz and after its success in 1910 remained in the irregular army. During the campaign against Pascual Orozco in 1912, Gen. Victoriano Huerta condemned him to death for insubordination, but Madero ordered a stay of execution and sent Villa to prison instead. He escaped in November and fled to the United States. He returned soon after Madero's assassination in 1913 and joined Venustiano Carranza against Huerta's dictatorship; his cavalry became the most famous force in the revolutionary armies. In December 1913 he became governor of Chihuahua and in June 1914 he and Carranza won the decisive victory over Huerta. Thereafter, the two split as a result of mutual distrust. They renewed the civil war and Villa was defeated in a series of battles. He and the revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata fled to the mountains of the north. By late 1915, when the United States recognized Carranza, Villa was no longer a serious contender for power. But he continued his guerrilla activities and in early 1916 executed 16 U.S. citizens at Santa Isabel and soon thereafter attacked Columbus, N.M., prompting the U.S. to send an expedition to Mexico, which, however, failed to capture him. As soon as Carranza was overthrown in 1920, he made peace with the government. In return for agreeing to retire from politics, he was given a large ranch, where he lived until his assassination three years later.

Villa, Tommaso (b. Jan. 29, 1832, Canale, Kingdom of Sardinia [now in Cuneo province, Piemonte, Italy] - d. July 24, 1915, Turin, Italy), interior minister (1879) and justice minister (1879-81) of Italy. He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1895-97, 1900-02).

Villa, Xhafer Bej (b. 1889, Frashër, Ottoman Empire [now in Albania] - d. [plane crash] early May 1938, Italy), foreign minister of Albania (1921, 1933-35). He was also minister to Yugoslavia (1929-32), Greece (1932-33), and Italy (1936-38).

Villa Bella, Domingos de Souza Leão, barão de (b. Dec. 16, 1819, Jenipapo [now part of Sanharó], Pernambuco, Brazil - d. Oct. 18, 1879, Recife, Pernambuco), foreign minister of Brazil (1878-79). He was also president of Pernambuco (1864, 1867-68). He was made baron in 1866.

Villa da Barra, Francisco Bonifacio de Abreu, barão da (b. Nov. 29, 1819, Villa da Barra, Bahia, Brazil - d. July 30, 1887, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Pará (1872) and Minas Gerais (1876). He was made baron in 1870.

Villa Franca, Ignacio Francisco Silveira da Motta, barão de (b. July 26, 1815, Goiás, Goiás, Brazil - d. April 18, 1885, Quissamã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), president of Piauí (1849-50), Ceará (1850-51), and Rio de Janeiro (1859-61). He was made baron in 1875.

Villa Michel, Primo (b. Nov. 7, 1893, Ciudad Carranza, Jalisco, Mexico - d. Aug. 22, 1970, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Distrito Federal (1927-28) and interior minister of Mexico (1945-46). He was also ambassador to Germany and Austria (1929-31), Uruguay (1935-36), the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (1937-38), Japan and China (1938-41), Canada (1947-52), Guatemala (1952-54), and Belgium (1959-64) and minister of industry, commerce, and labour (1932) and national economy (1933-34).

Villa-Nova, Rodrigo de Azambuja (b. 1844, Taquari, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - d. Oct. 24, 1898, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul), acting president of Rio Grande do Sul (1887, 1888).

Villa-Urrutia, Wenceslao Ramírez de Villa-Urrutia, marqués de (b. Feb. 17, 1850, Havana, Cuba - d. April 11, 1933, Madrid, Spain), foreign minister of Spain (1905). He was also minister to the Ottoman Empire and Greece (1896-98) and Belgium (1898-1902) and ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1902-05), the United Kingdom (1906-13), France (1913-14), and Italy (1916-22). He was created marqués in 1916.

Villacorta (Álvarez), Augusto (Leonidas), interior minister of Peru (1948-50, 1955-56).

Villacorta (Orantes), Manuel (Ricardo) (b. March 29, 1959, Guatemala City, Guatemala), Guatemalan politician. He was ambassador to Israel (1999) and a minor presidential candidate (2019, 2023).

Villagarcía (Orellana), Adolfo (b. July 24, 1850, Ica, Peru - d. April 23, 1933), justice and education minister of Peru (1888-89). He was also president of the Supreme Court (1916-18).

Villagómez, Pacífico (b. June 13, 1859, Riobamba, Ecuador - d. Jan. 20, 1927, Riobamba), foreign minister of Ecuador (1906-07). He was also governor of Chimborazo (1920-22).

Villagómez Yépez, Jorge (Juan Aurelio) (b. Jan. 26, 1904, Quito, Ecuador - d. Sept. 1, 1992), foreign minister of Ecuador (1956). He was also ambassador to Mexico (1953).

Villagrán de León, (José) Francisco (b. March 29, 1954, Guatemala City, Guatemala - d. May 18, 2024, Washington, D.C.), Guatemalan diplomat; son of Francisco Villagrán Kramer. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1988-92), ambassador to Canada (1995-98), Norway and Denmark (1998-2000), Germany (2000-01), and the United States (2008-11, 2012-13), and special envoy of the president (2024).

Villagrán Kramer, Francisco (b. April 5, 1927, Guatemala City, Guatemala - d. July 12, 2011), vice president of Guatemala (1978-80). He was a noted legal scholar.

Villalobos (Carranza), Alejandro, justice and labour minister of Peru (1948).

Villalobos (Membreño), Ana Daysi (b. Nov. 7, 1967, San Agustín, Usulután, El Salvador), interior minister of El Salvador (2019).

Villalobos (Maillard), (José Adelaido Mariano) Antonio (b. Dec. 16, 1889, Mexico City, Mexico - d. Dec. 27, 1964, Mexico City), Mexican politician. He was procurator-general (1937), president of the Party of the Mexican Revolution (1940-46), and ambassador to Brazil (1946-53).

Villalobos (Umaña), José Miguel (b. 1962?), Costa Rican politician. He was minister of justice (2002) and a minor presidential candidate (2006).

Villalta (Flórez-Estrada), José María (b. Aug. 13, 1977, San José, Costa Rica), Costa Rican presidential candidate (2014, 2022).

Villamil, José de (b. June 10, 1788, Nueva Orleans [now New Orleans], Louisiana - d. May 12, 1866, Guayaquil, Ecuador), foreign minister of Ecuador (1851-52). He was also chargé d'affaires in the United States (1853-54).

Villamil Blanco, Manuel (b. 1852 - d. Nov. 5, 1909, Santiago, Chile), war and marine minister of Chile (1893); grandson of Manuel Blanco Encalada. He was also minister to Brazil (1888-90).

Villamizar (Villamizar), José Joaquín (de Jesús) (b. Oct. 19, 1877, Cucutilla, Santander [now in Norte de Santander], Colombia - d. 19...), war minister of Colombia (1929-30).

Villamizar Gallardo, José María (b. Dec. 22, 1832, Pamplona, Santander, New Granada [now in Norte de Santander, Colombia] - d. Feb. 14, 1910, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia), president of Santander (1860 [acting], 1864-66) and acting war and navy minister of Colombia (1875).

Villamizar Trujillo, Basilio (b. 1950?, Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was president of the Chamber of Representatives (2000-01).

C. Villanueva

Villanueva (Arévalo), César (b. Aug. 5, 1946, Tarapoto, Peru), prime minister of Peru (2013-14, 2018-19). In 2007-13 he was president of San Martín region.

Villanueva, Eddie, byname of Eduardo (Cruz) Villanueva (b. Oct. 6, 1946, Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines), Philippine presidential candidate (2004, 2010).

Villanueva (Ruesta), José (Guillermo) (b. 1944), interior minister of Peru (1997-99). He was also armed forces commander (1999-2000).

Villanueva (Cortez), Rafael (Fernández de) (b. 1839, Cajamarca, Peru - d. 1931, Lima, Peru), acting foreign minister (1882-83) and prime minister (1909-10) of Peru. He was also president of the Senate (1898-99, 1904-05, 1912-13) and minister of justice (1900-01) and interior (1902-03, 1909-10).

Villanueva Callot, Marino de Jesús (b. Jan. 22, 1935, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic), Dominican Republic diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2003-05).

Villanueva del Campo, Armando (b. Nov. 25, 1915, Lima, Peru - d. April 14, 2013, Lima), prime minister of Peru (1988-89). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1967-68) and the Senate (1986-87) and minister of the presidency (1988-89) and the interior (1989). He was a presidential candidate in 1980.

Villanueva Gómez, Miguel (b. Oct. 31, 1852, Madrid, Spain - d. Sept. 19, 1931, Madrid), foreign minister of Spain (1915-16). He was also minister of interior (1901), agriculture, industry, commerce, and public works (1901-02), navy (1905), development (1912-13), and finance (1916, 1923) and president of the Congress of Deputies (1913-14, 1916-19).

Villanueva Madrid, Mario (Ernesto) (b. July 2, 1948, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico), governor of Quintana Roo (1993-99). He was also mayor of Cancún (1990-91). Arrested in Mexico in 2001, he was extradited to the United States in 2010 to stand trial on charges that he conspired to import more than 200 tons of cocaine into the U.S. while governor. In 2013 he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Villányi, Miklós (b. March 5, 1931, Gyürüs, Hungary), finance minister of Hungary (1987-89).

Villar, Galdino da Costa, member of the Governing Junta (1822) and president (1832) of Paraíba.

Villar (Botello), Justo P(olicarpo) (b. Nov. 1, 1902, Curuzú Cuatiá, Corrientes, Argentina - d. Oct. 31, 1970, Corrientes), defense minister of Argentina (1959-62). He was also minister of public works and services (1958-59).

Villar, Manuel (Bamba), also called Manuel Villar, Jr., byname Manny Villar (b. Dec. 13, 1949, Manila, Philippines), Philippine politician. He was speaker of the House of Representatives (1998-2000) and president of the Senate (2006-08).

Villar Mir, Juan Miguel, (from 2011) marqués de Villar Mir (b. Sept. 30, 1931, Madrid, Spain - d. July 6, 2024, Madrid, Spain), economy and finance minister and a deputy prime minister of Spain (1975-76).

Villar y Ortiz de Urbina, Francisco (b. Jan. 8, 1945, Salamanca, Spain), Spanish diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1987-91) and ambassador to France (2004-10) and Portugal (2010-12).

Villaraigosa, Antonio (Ramon), original surname Villar (b. Jan. 23, 1953, Montebello, Calif.), mayor of Los Angeles (2005-13). When he married Corina Raigosa in 1987, he changed his name from Villar to Villaraigosa.

Villarán (Angulo), Luis Felipe (de las Mercedes) (b. June 7, 1845, Lima, Peru - d. Nov. 2, 1920, Lima), justice and education minister of Peru (1886, 1895). He was also rector of the University of San Marcos (1905-13) and president of the Supreme Court (1911-12).

Villarán (Godoy), (Ignacio) Luis Felipe (de las Mercedes) (b. July 31, 1876, Lima, Peru - d. 19...), finance minister of Peru (1914); son of the above; brother of Manuel Vicente Villarán.

Villarán (Godoy), (Marcos) Manuel Vicente (b. Oct. 18, 1873, Lima, Peru - d. Feb. 21, 1958, Lima), Peruvian politician; son of Luis Felipe Villarán (Angulo). He was minister of justice, education, and worship (1908-09), rector of the University of San Marcos (1922-24), and a presidential candidate (1936).

Villarán (de la Puente), Susana (María del Carmen) (b. Aug. 16, 1949, Lima, Peru), Peruvian politician; niece of Gonzalo de la Puente y Lavalle; great-great-granddaughter of José Antonio de Lavalle (y Arias de Saavedra) and José Antonio García y García. She was minister of promotion of women and human development (2000-01), a minor presidential candidate (2006), and mayor of Lima (2011-14).

Villareal, Cornelio (Tupaz) (b. Sept. 11, 1904, Mambusao, Capiz, Philippines - d. December 1992), Philippine politician. He was governor of Capiz (1942-45) and speaker of the House of Representatives (1962-67, 1971-72).

Villaret de Joyeuse, Louis Thomas, comte (b. May 29, 1747, Auch, Gers, France - d. July 24, 1812, Venice, Italy), governor of Martinique (1802-09).

Villari, Pasquale (b. Oct. 3, 1827, Naples, Two Sicilies [now in Italy] - d. Dec. 7, 1917, Florence, Italy), Italian politician. Also known as a historian, he was minister of education (1891-92).

Villarreal (González), Antonio I(rineo) (b. July 3, 1879, Lampazos de Naranjo, Nuevo León, Mexico - d. Dec. 16, 1944, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Nuevo León (1914-15). He was also Mexican minister of agriculture (1920-22).

Villarreal (Sandoval), José María (b. Oct. 12, 1910, Soatá, Boyacá, Colombia - d. April 1999), interior minister of Colombia (1957). He was also governor of Boyacá (1947-48), minister of commerce and industry (1950) and justice (1957-58), president of the Senate (1951-52), and ambassador to the United Kingdom (1952-57) and Japan (1983-87).

Villarreal A.

Villarreal Anaya, Américo (b. May 23, 1958, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico), governor of Tamaulipas (2022- ); son of Américo Villarreal Guerra.

Villarreal Guerra, Américo (b. April 3, 1931, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico - d. June 23, 2010, Ciudad Victoria), governor of Tamaulipas (1987-93).

Villarroel (López), Gualberto (b. Dec. 15, 1908, Villa Rivero, Cochabamba department, Bolivia - d. July 21, 1946, La Paz, Bolivia), president of Bolivia (1943-46). He began his career in 1928 as underlieutenant in the Bolivian army, and first came into prominence for his services as an officer in the Gran Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay. He became head of state on Dec. 20, 1943, when a group of army officers, in cooperation with the pro-Fascist National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), deposed the government of Pres. Enrique Peñaranda and set up a revolutionary junta. Suspicion that the movement had been largely backed by pro-Axis forces grew rapidly, and it was not until June 1944 that the new government was recognized by the United States and Britain. Meanwhile, persons regarded as pro-Axis had been forced out of the government and Villarroel had taken the title of acting president. He became president on Aug. 6, 1944, being elected by members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies over the protests of Bolivians who contended that the law required direct election of the chief executive. A steady rise in the cost of living contributed to the revolt which began on July 9, 1946, when students from the University of La Paz joined their teachers in a strike. On July 18 and 19 the students again held demonstrations throughout the capital, this time with the backing of the Workers' Federation, which called a general strike. Villarroel made a last attempt to save his tottering regime on July 20, when he formed a military government. The next day he submitted his resignation to Gen. Dámaso Arenas, commander in chief of the army, but the army deserted him at the last minute and the revolutionists fought their way to his palace, seized him, and threw him from a balcony into the street. His body was then hung from a lamppost in the Plaza Murillo.

Villaseñor Peña, Eduardo (b. 1945? - d. [road accident] Nov. 20, 1994), governor of Michoacán (1992). He was also mayor of La Piedad (1990-91).

Villate (y de la Hera), Blas, conde de Valmaseda (b. 1824, Sestao, País Vasco, Spain - d. Jan. 8, 1882, Madrid, Spain), governor of Cuba (1867, 1870-72, 1875-76).

Villaveces (Restrepo), Carlos (b. December 1907, Bogotá, Colombia - d. ...), finance minister of Colombia (1953-56). He was also minister of development (1951-53).

Villavicencio (Valencia), Fernando (Alcibiades) (b. Oct. 11, 1963, Alausí, Chimborazo province, Ecuador - d. [assassinated] Aug. 9, 2023, Quito, Ecuador), Ecuadorian presidential candidate (2023).

Villazón (Montaño), Eliodoro (b. Jan. 22, 1848, Sacaba, Bolivia - d. Sept. 12, 1939, Cochabamba, Bolivia), foreign minister (1900, 1902-03), vice president (1904-09), and president (1909-13) of Bolivia.

Villazón de Armas, Crispín (b. Dec. 28, 1928, Pueblo Bello, Magdalena [now in Cesar], Colombia - d. June 4, 2015, Valledupar, Cesar, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was mayor of Valledupar (1968-69), minister of labour and social security (1971-73), and ambassador to Bolivia (1975-77).

Villeda Morales, (José) Ramón (Adolfo) (b. Nov. 26, 1908, Ocotepeque, Honduras - d. Oct. 8, 1971, New York City), president of Honduras (1957-63). He was also ambassador to the United States (1957) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1971).

Villegas, Aníbal (b. 1842, Lima, Peru - d. Oct. 1, 1925, Lima), foreign minister of Peru (1902). He was also minister to Germany (1891-1900) and Switzerland (1893-1900).

Villegas (Hoyos), Aquilino (b. April 14, 1880, Manizales, Colombia - d. March 17, 1940, Manizales), Colombian politician. He was minister of public works (1922-25) and president of the Senate (1927-29).

Villegas (Poljak), Ernesto (Emilio) (b. April 29, 1970, Caracas, Venezuela), chief of government of Distrito Capital (2014-15). He has also been Venezuelan minister of communication and information (2012-13, 2016-17) and culture (2017- ).

Villegas, Guillermo Tell (b. 1823, Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela - d. March 21, 1907, Valencia), interior minister (1863-64, 1869), foreign minister (1863-64, 1868-69), and acting president (1868-69, 1892) of Venezuela. He was also governor of Barinas (1849-52), president of the Chamber of Deputies (1868), minister to Spain (1869), and education minister (1889-90).

Villegas (Cerro), Julio César (b. Jan. 30, 1915, Piura, Peru - d. Dec. 25, 1979, Lima, Peru), interior minister of Peru (1948).

Villegas (Echeverri), Luis Carlos (b. June 16, 1957, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia), defense minister of Colombia (2015-18). He was also governor of Risaralda (1985-86) and ambassador to the United States (2013-15).

Villegas Echiburú, Enrique (b. 1874, Atacama province, Chile - d. July 29, 1934, London, England), foreign minister of Chile (1913-14); son of Enrique Villegas Encalada. He was also minister of justice and education (1912-13) and interior (1915), minister (1918-24) and ambassador (1924-30) to Italy, and ambassador to the United Kingdom (1930-33).

Villegas Encalada, Enrique (b. July 15, 1839, Quillota, Chile - d. July 14, 1916, Viña del Mar, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1901-02). He was also minister of industry and public works (1905).

Villegas Moreno, Álvaro (b. Sept. 11, 1934, Medellín, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was president of the Senate (1985-86).

Villegas Pulido, Guillermo Tell (b. July 28, 1854, Barinas, Venezuela - d. July 25, 1949, Caracas, Venezuela), acting president of Venezuela (1892); son of Guillermo Tell Villegas. He was also president of Guárico (1900-01) and Apure (1903-04) and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1909).

Villegas Ramírez, Fabio (b. Jan. 8, 1955, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia), interior minister of Colombia (1993-94). He was also governor of Risaralda (1986-87).

Villegas V.

Villegas Villarreal, Esteban (Alejandro) (b. Dec. 21, 1976, San Juan del Río, Durango, Mexico), governor of Durango (2022- ). He was also mayor of Durango (2013-16).

Villéger, Gaston (Claude) (b. April 24, 1904, Saint-Julien-du-Sault, Yonne, France - d. Feb. 24, 1986, Voiron, Isère, France), prefect of Guadeloupe (1951-52) and Martinique (1954-57). He was also prefect of the départements of Haute-Saône (1952-54) and Morbihan (1957-62).

Villèle, (Jean Baptiste Guillaume Marie Anne Séraphin) Joseph, comte de (b. April 14, 1773, Toulouse, France - d. March 13, 1854, Toulouse), finance minister (1821-28), prime minister (1822-28), and foreign minister (interim, 1824) of France. He was also mayor of Toulouse (1815-18) and minister without portfolio (1820-21). He was made comte (count) in 1822.

Villepin

Villepin, Dominique (Marie François René Galouzeau) de (b. Nov. 14, 1953, Rabat, Morocco), foreign minister (2002-04), interior minister (2004-05), and prime minister (2005-07) of France. He embarked on a career at the foreign ministry in 1980. In 1995 he became Jacques Chirac's secretary-general at the Élysée, and though he made a major blunder two years later by recommending a dissolution of parliament which led to five years of Socialist government, he remained extremely close to the president. As foreign minister he fiercely opposed the U.S. plans for war with Iraq. On Feb. 5, 2003, he spoke against it at the United Nations Security Council and won a highly unusual round of applause. He was appointed prime minister by Chirac in May 2005 after France rejected the EU constitution in a referendum. His time as head of government was marked by riots in ethnically-mixed suburbs, protests over a youth jobs law, and accusations that he orchestrated a smear scandal to tarnish his rightist rival Nicolas Sarkozy. But he also oversaw a steady fall in unemployment and a period of faster economic growth, and at one point it looked like he might run for president in the 2007 election. However, his image was severely dented in 2006 when widespread street demonstrations forced him to withdraw a law that would have made it easier to hire and fire young workers. Shortly after the protests, he ran into fresh problems over the Clearstream scandal in which he was accused of using the intelligence services to try to undermine Sarkozy. In December 2006 he was questioned by magistrates as a witness for 17 hours over the affair, which revolved around faked bank accounts and hushed-up government probes. In July 2007 preliminary charges were filed against Villepin, who denied any wrongdoing. He was acquitted in January 2010. He intended to be a candidate in the 2012 presidential election, but failed to secure the necessary 500 signatures from elected officials.

Villeré, Jacques P(hilippe) (b. April 28, 1761, in present St. John the Baptist parish, La. - d. March 7, 1830, "Conseil" plantation, St. Bernard parish, La.), governor of Louisiana (1816-20).

Villeroy, Augusto Ximeno de (b. March 22, 1862, Rio Grande do Sul province [now state], Brazil - d. Jan. 22, 1942, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor of Amazonas (1890).

Villey-Desmeserets, Achille (Joseph Henri) (b. Nov. 6, 1878, Caen, Calvados, France - d. Dec. 8, 1955, Paris, France), prefect of the départements of Rhône (1932-34) and Seine (1934-40). He was also prefect of Hautes-Pyrénées (1918), Loir-et-Cher (1918), Aube (1921-22), and Saône-et-Loire (1922-32).

Villiers, Georges (b. 1899 - d. April 13, 1982), mayor of Lyon (1941-43). Villiers, who spent two years in the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau during the German occupation, founded the National Council of French Employers in 1946 and served as its first president until 1966. He was an enthusiastic advocate of European unity.

Villiers, Sir (John) Michael (b. June 22, 1907 - d. Jan. 1, 1990), lieutenant governor of Jersey (1964-69); knighted 1962.

Villiger

Villiger, Kaspar (b. Feb. 5, 1941, Pfeffikon, Luzern, Switzerland), defense minister (1989-95), finance minister (1996-2003), and president (1995, 2002) of Switzerland.

Villot

Villot, Jean(-Marie) Cardinal (b. Oct. 11, 1905, Saint-Amant-Tallende, France - d. March 9, 1979, Vatican City), Vatican secretary of state (1969-79). Ordained in 1930, he completed his studies at the Angelicum University in Rome and became professor and later director of the Grand Seminary of Clermont-Ferrand (1934-39). He was then professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of Lyons (1939-42) and secretary-general of the French Episcopal Conference (1950-54). In 1954 he was appointed bishop auxiliary in Paris and in 1965 became archbishop of Lyon. On Feb. 22, 1965, Pope Paulus VI created him cardinal and in May 1969 appointed him secretary of state - the first Frenchman and only the third non-Italian to hold the office. Made camerlengo (chamberlain) on Oct. 16, 1970, he administered church affairs after the deaths of Pope Paulus VI and Pope Ioannes Paulus I. Pope Ioannes Paulus II reappointed Villot his secretary of state on Oct. 25, 1978. Villot often acted behind the scenes as a conciliator, attempting to mediate theological disputes and conflicts between church groups. He died in office.

Vilms

Vilms, Jüri (b. March 13 [March 1, O.S.], 1889, Kabala, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. April 13, 1918, Helsinki, Finland), Estonian politician. When the Germans occupied Estonia in February 1918, Vilms, a member of the Estonian Salvation Committee who was named justice minister and deputy prime minister in the provisional government, was sent abroad to gain recognition for Estonian independence. Together with three other persons he left for Finland across the frozen sea. According to the official version, they were arrested by Germans at their arrival in Finland. The German troops were involved in the civil war in Finland at the time. All four were shot in Helsinki. Seppo Zetterberg, a Finnish historian, has put this version in serious doubt, however.

Vilner, Meir, original name Ber Kovner (b. Oct. 23, 1918, Vilnius, Lithuania - d. June 5, 2003, Tel Aviv, Israel), Israeli politician. He came to Palestine in 1938 to study history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he became involved with the then-underground Communist Party of Palestine. He adopted the alias of Vilner, and eventually officially changed his name after the party was legalized. After the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, he served as a lawmaker until 1990. He was the last living signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence. He served as secretary-general of Israel's Communist party from 1965 to 1988, leading the party through a number of transformations, including the 1977 creation of Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality). All the while, he remained committed to the idea of Jewish and Arab coexistence. He was instrumental in getting the party to adopt a platform in 1965 saying any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must consider the rights of both nations. In 1967, he survived a stabbing by a member of the right-wing Herut party who objected to the Communists' opposition to Israel's conquest of the West Bank.

Vilovic, Ranko (b. March 29, 1957, Zagreb, Croatia), Croatian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2009-13) and ambassador to Germany (2013-17).

Vilsack

Vilsack, Tom, byname of Thomas James Vilsack (b. Dec. 13, 1950, Pittsburgh, Pa.), governor of Iowa (1999-2007). He was elected mayor of Mount Pleasant in 1987 after his friend and predecessor was shot, and to the state Senate in 1992. In 1998 he was an upset winner in both the Democratic primary and in the general election for governor. In the primary, he was endorsed by the United Auto Workers and defeated better-known former state Supreme Court justice Mark McCormack, who ran as a moderate, 51%-48%. With his 52%-47% victory over the heavily favoured Republican candidate, former congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot, he ended 30 years of Republican control of the office. Vilsack called for upgrading education and attracting agribusinesses to make Iowa "the Silicon Valley of food," while Lightfoot, who even aides admitted disliked campaigning, ran mainly on the tax cut and ended with ham-handed negative ads. The legislature, however, remained in Republican hands, so Vilsack did not achieve some of his goals - such as an increase in the minimum wage. But he did push through laws to reduce classroom size in the early grades and to crack down on methamphetamine addiction and also got increases in teacher pay and greatly increased the number of children in the children's health insurance program. In 2002 he became the first Democratic governor of Iowa to be reelected since 1966. He defeated Doug Gross, who had been a staffer for Gov. Robert Ray and chief of staff to Gov. Terry Branstad, 53%-45%. But Republicans again retained control of both houses of the legislature. He said during the campaign, as he had in 1998, that he would seek only two terms. In November 2006 he launched a bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, but abandoned it already in February 2007. In 2009-17 he was agriculture secretary in Pres. Barack Obama's cabinet and he took the same post again under Pres. Joe Biden in 2021.

Vimieiro, Sancho de Faro e Souza, (2º) conde de (b. Jan. 6, 1659, Lisbon, Portugal - d. Oct. 13, 1719, Bahia, Brazil), governor-general of Brazil (1718-19).

Vinagre, Francisco Pedro (b. 1793, Belém, Grão-Pará [now Pará], Brazil - d. Nov. 2, 1873, Belém), president (cabano) of Pará (1835).

Viñas Román, Víctor Elby (b. 1925? - d. Sept. 4, 2004, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), chairman of the Provisional Junta of the Dominican Republic (1963). He was minister of the armed forces in 1962-65.

Vinaver, Maksim (Moiseyevich), originally Majer Hil Winawer (b. Dec. 1, 1862, Warsaw, Poland - d. Oct. 10, 1926, Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Haute-Savoie, France), foreign minister of Crimea (1918-19). He was also a member of the Russian State Duma (1906).

Vincent, Sténio (Joseph) (b. Feb. 22, 1874, Port-au-Prince, Haiti - d. Sept. 3, 1959, Port-au-Prince), president of Haiti (1930-41). He was also mayor of Port-au-Prince (1908-09), minister of the interior and public works (1916-17), and president of the Senate (1917).

Vincetic, Ivo (b. Feb. 16, 1962, Donja Mahala [now in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]), governor (1996) and premier (2001-07) of Posavina.

Vinci, Piero (b. Nov. 25, 1913, Briey, France - d. July 17, 1985, Ischia, Italy), Italian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1964-73, 1975-79) and ambassador to the Soviet Union (1973-75).

Vinelli (Ramilla), Manuel A(urelio Fidel) (b. June 16, 1881, Arequipa, Peru - d. July 11, 1941, Lima, Peru), finance minister of Peru (1931). He was also minister of development (1918-19).

Vinhas (Tavares Gabriel), Rui (Manuel) (b. Dec. 17, 1964, Lisbon, Portugal), Portuguese diplomat. He has been permanent representative to the United Nations (2024- ).

Vinnichenko

Vinnichenko, Nikolay (Aleksandrovich) (b. April 10, 1965, Oktyabrsky village, Vostochno-Kazakhstan oblast, Kazakh S.S.R.), Russian politician; plenipotentiary of the president in Uralsky (2008-11) and Severo-Zapadny (2011-13) federal districts.

Vinnikov

Vinnikov, Aleksandr (Aronovich) (b. Oct. 6, 1955, Krasny Yar, Khabarovsk kray, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Yevreyskaya autonomous oblast (2010-15). In 1999-2010 he was mayor of Birobidzhan.

Vinogradov, Nikolay (Vladimirovich) (b. April 22, 1947, Vladimir, Russian S.F.S.R.), head of the administration of Vladimir oblast (1996-2013).

Vinogradov, Sergey (Aleksandrovich) (b. May 25 [May 12, O.S.], 1907, Khvalynsk [now in Saratov oblast], Russia - d. Aug. 27, 1970, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet politician. He was ambassador to Turkey (1940-48), France (1953-65), and Egypt (1967-70) and chairman of the Committee for Broadcasting of the Council of Ministers (1950-53).

Vinogradov, Vladimir (Mikhailovich) (b. Aug. 2, 1921, Vinnitsa, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. June 21, 1997, Moscow, Russia), foreign minister of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1982-90). He was also Soviet ambassador to Japan (1962-67), Egypt (1970-74), and Iran (1977-82).

Vinokurov, Ilya (Yegorovich) (b. Jan. 1, 1896 [Dec. 19, 1895, O.S.], Lensky nasleg [village], Yakutsk oblast [now in Sakha republic], Russia - d. Jan. 4, 1957, Yakutsk, Yakut A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R. [now Sakha republic, Russia]), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars/Council of Ministers (1943-46) and first secretary of the Communist Party committee (1946-51) of the Yakut A.S.S.R. He was also people's commissar of health (1938-39) and deputy premier (1939-43).

Vinokurov, Ivan (Nikolayevich) (b. March 25 [March 13, O.S.], 1893, Botorussky ulus, Yakutsk oblast [now in Sakha republic], Russia - d. Jan. 15, 1935, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Yakut A.S.S.R. (1924-25). He was also people's commissar of education (1923-2...), health (192...-24), trade and industry (1928-29), and supply (1932-33) and deputy premier (1923-24, 1930).

Vinroot, Richard (Allen) (b. April 14, 1941, Charlotte, N.C.), mayor of Charlotte (1991-95).

Vinson, Fred M., in full Frederick Moore Vinson (b. Jan. 22, 1890, Louisa, Ky. - d. Sept. 8, 1953, Washington, D.C.), U.S. secretary of the treasury (1945-46) and chief justice of the Supreme Court (1946-53).

Vintovkin, Kapiton (Dmitriyevich) (b. 1906 - d. ...), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Buryat-Mongol A.S.S.R. (1948-50). He was also finance minister (194...-48).

Viñuales Pardo, Agustín (b. Aug. 7, 1881, Huesca, Spain - d. Nov. 14, 1959, Madrid, Spain), finance minister of Spain (1933).

Viola

Viola (Prevedini), Roberto Eduardo (b. Oct. 13, 1924, Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. Sept. 30, 1994, Buenos Aires), president of Argentina (1981). He was the second of four military presidents who ruled after the 1976 coup that overthrew Pres. Isabel Perón. In 1985, two years after democracy was restored, he received a 16-year prison sentence on torture, kidnapping, and robbery charges. He was freed when Pres. Carlos Menem pardoned key figures from the dictatorship in December 1990.

Viollette, Maurice (Gabriel) (b. Sept. 3, 1870, Janville, Eure-et-Loir, France - d. Sept. 9, 1960, Dreux, Eure-et-Loir), governor-general of Algeria (1925-27). He was also mayor of Dreux (1908-40, 1944-59) and French minister of general supply and maritime transports (1917).

Viotti, Maria Luiza Ribeiro (b. March 27, 1954, Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Brazilian diplomat. She was permanent representative to the United Nations (2007-13) and ambassador to Germany (2013-16). In 2023 she was appointed ambassador to the United States.

Vira, Dharma (b. Jan. 20, 1906, Patiala [now in Punjab], India - d. Sept. 16, 2000, New Delhi, India), chief commissioner of Delhi (1963-64) and governor of Punjab (1966-67), Haryana (1966-67), West Bengal (1967-69), and Mysore (1969-72). He was also Indian ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1954-56).

Virachai Plasai (b. June 9, 1960, Bangkok, Thailand - d. March 16, 2019, Baltimore, Md.), Thai diplomat. He was ambassador to the Netherlands (2009-15) and the United States (2018-19) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-18).

Virant, Gregor (b. Dec. 4, 1969, Ljubljana, Slovenia), interior minister of Slovenia (2013-14). He was also speaker of the National Assembly (2011-13).

Virasoro (Ferré), Valentín (b. Sept. 6, 1842, Corrientes, Argentina - d. June 18, 1925, Buenos Aires, Argentina), foreign minister of Argentina (1893) and governor of Corrientes (1893-97).

Virata

Virata (y Aguinaldo), Cesar (Enrique) (b. Dec. 12, 1930, Manila, Philippines), prime minister of the Philippines (1981-86); great-grandnephew of Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1965 newly elected Pres. Ferdinand Marcos invited Virata to join his transition team and to help solve problems of the rice industry. Virata performed this task and returned to the academic world, only to be summoned by Marcos once more in March 1967. Three years later he became secretary (from 1978 minister) of finance, a post he continued to hold in 1981 when he became prime minister of the fourth Philippine republic, which began formally in Manila on July 28, 1981. Modeled after the French parliamentary system, the fourth republic represented a return to political normality after more than eight years of martial law rule.

Virgin, Claes Ludvig (b. April 13, 1776, Orreholmen, Skaraborg [now in Västra Götaland], Sweden - d. Sept. 8, 1850, Göteborg, Sweden), governor of Halland (1824-43).

Virgin, Otto Wilhelm (b. Feb. 21, 1852, Stockholm, Sweden - d. Jan. 26, 1922, Stockholm), war minister of Sweden (1903-05).

Virkkunen, Henna (Maria) (b. June 4, 1972, Joutsa, Finland), Finnish politician. She has been minister of education (2008-11), public administration and local government (2011-14), and transport and local government (2014) and an executive vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, and commissioner for digital and frontier technologies (2024- ).

J. Virolainen

Virolainen, Johannes (b. Jan. 31, 1914, Vyborg, Russia - d. Dec. 11, 2000, Lohja, Finland), prime minister of Finland (1964-66). A leading member of the Centre Party - formerly the Agrarian League - he also held government portfolios longer than any other minister: education (1953, 1954, 1956-57, 1968-70), foreign affairs (1954-56, 1957, 1958), agriculture (1961-63, 1976-79), finance (1972-75), and deputy prime minister (1957, 1957, 1958, 1962-63, 1968-70, 1977-79). He was a legislator for 42 years, between 1945 and 1991, longer than anyone else since Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917. He was speaker of parliament in 1966-68 and 1979-83. Virolainen was born in Karelia, which belonged to the 11% of Finnish territory ceded to the Soviet Union as part of the peace terms following two Finnish-Soviet wars from 1939 to 1944. During the Cold War the Karelia question was taboo in neutral Finland, which had good ties with the Soviet Union, but Virolainen said the land should be returned. However, as a leading politician, he could not take an official stand in the matter.

Virolainen, Voldemar (Matveyevich) (b. 1901, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. November 1983, Leningrad [St. Petersburg], Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Karelo-Finnish S.S.R. (1947-50).

Virtanen, Viljo (Artturi) (b. Jan. 28, 1912, Pyhäjärvi Ul, Finland - d. July 2, 1989), governor of Mikkeli (1970-78).

Viscarra, Guillermo, interior and justice minister of Bolivia (1929-30).

Visco

Visco, Vincenzo (b. March 18, 1942, Foggia, Italy), finance minister (1993, 1996-2000) and treasury and budget minister (2000-01) of Italy. He served as finance minister for a few days under Carlo Azeglio Ciampi in 1993 before resigning in protest at parliament's decision to block a major corruption inquiry into former Socialist premier Bettino Craxi. Under Romano Prodi, he devoted himself to reforming Italy's tax system, introducing a new regional tax and changing income tax. He also had the thankless job in 1997 of introducing the euro-tax - a one-off levy imposed on citizens to help Italy qualify for Europe's single currency. He pledged to start paying back around 60% of the tax from the beginning of 1999.

Visconti-Venosta, Marchese Emilio (b. Jan. 22, 1829, Milan, Austria [now in Italy] - d. Nov. 28, 1914, Rome, Italy), foreign minister of Italy (1863-64, 1866-67, 1869-76, 1896-98, 1899-1901). He was granted the marquess title in 1876.

Visentini, Bruno (b. Aug. 1, 1914, Treviso, Italy - d. Feb. 13, 1995, Rome, Italy), finance minister of Italy (1974-76, 1983-87). He was also budget minister (1979).

Viseur, Jean-Jacques (b. Dec. 2, 1946, Charleroi, Belgium), finance minister of Belgium (1998-99). He was also mayor of Charleroi (2007-12).

Viskovic

Viskovic, Radovan (b. Feb. 1, 1964, Buljevici, near Vlasenica [now in Republika Srpska], Bosnia and Herzegovina), prime minister of the Republika Srpska (2018- ).

Viskovský, Karel (b. July 8, 1868, Susice, Austria [now in Czech Republic] - d. Nov. 20, 1932, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), justice minister (1925-26) and defense minister (1929-32) of Czechoslovakia.

Visoianu, Constantin (b. Feb. 4, 1897, Urlati municipality, Prahova county, Romania - d. Jan. 3, 1994, Chevy Chase, Md.), foreign minister of Romania (1944-45). He was also minister to the Netherlands (1933-35) and Poland (1935-36).

Visser, Johannes Anthonie de (b. April 28, 1883, Leusden, Utrecht, Netherlands - d. Aug. 28, 1950, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands), justice minister of the Netherlands (1939); son of Johannes Theodoor de Visser.

Visser, Johannes Theodoor de (b. Feb. 9, 1857, Utrecht, Netherlands - d. April 14, 1932, The Hague, Netherlands), Dutch politician. He was minister of education, arts, and sciences (1918-25).

Visser, Sim(on Hendrik) (b. Jan. 3, 1908, Eierland, Texel island, Noord-Holland, Netherlands - d. April 13, 1983, Den Helder, Noord-Holland), defense minister of the Netherlands (1959-63). He was also mayor of Den Helder (1967-73).

Vissering, Simon (b. June 23, 1818, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. Aug. 22, 1888, Ellecom, Rheden municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands), finance minister of the Netherlands (1879-81).

Viswanathan, Kambanthodath Kunhan (b. Nov. 4, 1914, Mattancherry, Kerala, India - d. Aug. 17, 1992), governor of Gujarat (1973-78).

Viswanathan, Venkata (b. Jan. 25, 1909, Malabar district, Madras province [now in Kerala state], India - d. Jan. 16, 1987, New Delhi, India), chief commissioner of Bhopal (1950-52) and Delhi (1964-66), lieutenant governor of Himachal Pradesh (1966-67), and governor of Kerala (1967-73).

Vital, Albert Camille (b. July 18, 1952, Toliara, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (2009-11). He was also ambassador to Switzerland (2012-13) and a presidential candidate (2013). In 2019 he was appointed ambassador to Mauritius.

Vital, João Carlos (b. March 11, 1900, Porto Alegre, Brazil - d. April 16, 1984, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), prefect of Distrito Federal (1951-52).

Vital, Olympio Manoel dos Santos (b. Jan. 15, 1839, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil - d. Feb. 19, 1910, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil), president of Sergipe (1888).

Vitaly, secular name Vladimir (Fyodorovich) Vvedensky (b. July 20 [July 8, O.S.], 1870, Peskovatoye, Tula province, Russia - d. March 25, 1950, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), metropolitan of the Renewal Church (1930-41). He was also Orthodox bishop of Yepifan (1920-22) and archbishop of Tula (1944-46) and Dmitrov (1946-50) and Renewal archbishop (1922-24) and metropolitan (1924-41) of Tula and metropolitan of Moscow (1930-41).

Vitaly, secular name Rostislav (Petrovich) Ustinov (b. March 31 [March 18, O.S.], 1910, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Sept. 25, 2006, Magog, Que.), metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (1986-2001 and in opposition 2001-06). He was also bishop of Montevideo (1951-55), Edmonton (1955-57), and Montreal (1957-58) and archbishop of Montreal (1958-2001).

Vitavas Srivihok, Thai diplomat. He was ambassador to Laos (2010-12) and the Czech Republic (2012-15) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2018-21).

Viteri (Jiménez de Villamar), Cynthia (Fernanda) (b. Nov. 19, 1965, Guayaquil, Ecuador), Ecuadorian presidential candidate (2006, 2017). She was also mayor of Guayaquil (2019-23).

Viteri (Acaiturri), María Elsa (b. Feb. 25, 1965, Guayaquil, Ecuador - d. Nov. 18, 2021, Guayaquil), finance minister (2008-10) and economy and finance minister (2018) of Ecuador.

Viteri Lafronte, Homero (b. Jan. 27, 1892, Ambato, Ecuador - d. Nov. 10, 1976, Santiago, Chile), foreign minister of Ecuador (1926-29). He was also minister of public instruction (1926), minister to the United States (1929-33), Peru (1933-36), and Brazil (1939-41), ambassador to Chile (1942-44), the United Kingdom (1946-47), Mexico (1950-52), and Venezuela (1953-59), and permanent representative to the United Nations (1947-50).

Vitetti, Leonardo (b. Dec. 15, 1894, Locri, Reggio Calabria, Italy - d. May 14, 1973), Italian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1956-58) and ambassador to France (1958-61).

Vitharana, Tissa (b. Aug. 30, 1934, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), governor of North Central province (2019-20). He was also Sri Lankan minister of science and technology (2004-10).

Vithaya Sourinho (b. Feb. 5, 1937, Phiafay, Laos - d. April 22, 1995), Laotian diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires (1977-79) and permanent representative (1979-82) to the United Nations.

Vithayathil

Vithayathil, Varkey Cardinal (b. May 29, 1927, North Paravur, Ernakulam district, Cochin [now in Kerala], India - d. April 1, 2011, Ernakulam, Kerala), Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, head of the Syro-Malabar Church (1999-2011). After finishing his intermediate studies at the University College, Thiruvananthapuram, he graduated from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchchirappalli, in what was then Madras province. Even though he wanted to become a priest, he did not take any concrete steps toward that goal till he heard a lecture by a group of Redemptist priests from Ireland. After hearing them, he decided to join the Redemptist church. He took the holy vow to become a priest on Aug. 2, 1947. He was ordained as a priest on Jan. 12, 1954. After his ordination, Vithayathil got his doctorate from the Saint Aquinas University in Rome and then returned to India, where for the next 25 years he taught at various church seminaries. In between he also secured a master's degree in philosophy from Karnataka University. Returning to his home state in 1996, Vithayathil found himself elevated to senior posts in quick succession. Within two months of his return to Kerala, he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Syro-Malabar Church and in December 1999 he was elevated as the major archbishop. Asked what he held responsible for the spate of attacks against Christians and their institutions in some parts of the country, Vithayathil said: "I wouldn't blame any particular group for this. It is some religious fundamentalist groups which are behind this. They probably are under the misconception and are having a fear that the entire India is going to be converted to Christianity." He was appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on Jan. 20, 2001, becoming only the third cardinal from Kerala and the sixth from India.

Vithynos, Ioannis, Turkish Yanko Vitinos Bey (b. 1847 - d. 1912), governor of Samos (1904-06).

Vítolo, Alfredo Roque (b. July 30, 1910, Godoy Cruz, Mendoza, Argentina - d. June 26, 1967, Buenos Aires, Argentina), interior minister (1958-62) and acting foreign minister (1959, 1961) of Argentina.

Vitorino, António (Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira) (b. Jan. 12, 1957, Lisbon, Portugal), defense minister of Portugal (1995-97) and director-general of the International Organization for Migration (2018-23). He was also European commissioner for justice and home affairs (1999-2004).

N. Vitrenko

Vitta

Vitrenko, Nataliya (Mykhaylivna) (b. Dec. 28, 1951, Kiev, Ukrainian S.S.R.), Ukrainian presidential candidate (1999, 2004).

Vitrenko, Yuriy (Volodymyrovych), Ukrainian diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (2019-20).

Vitta, Christian (b. Dec. 25, 1972, Locarno, Ticino, Switzerland), president of the Council of State of Ticino (2019-20, 2024- ).

Vitte

Vitte, Graf (Count) Sergey (Yulyevich), often transcribed Witte (b. June 29 [June 17, O.S.], 1849, Tiflis, Russia [now Tbilisi, Georgia] - d. March 13 [Feb. 28, O.S.], 1915, Petrograd [St. Petersburg], Russia), prime minister of Russia (1905-06); grandson of Andrey Fadeyev. He entered the railway administration and in 1889 was invited to establish a railway department in the Ministry of Finance. He advanced to become minister of communications (February 1892) and then minister of finance (August 1892). He promoted an unparalleled industrial expansion by protective tariffs and government orders, attracted foreign capital by stabilizing the currency and introducing the gold standard, and by various expedients doubled state revenue in ten years. He overestimated the peasants' ability to withstand increased taxation, but his belated efforts to eliminate some of the major impediments to efficient peasant farming met with obstruction from conservative landed interests. He was hated in reactionary circles and Emperor Nikolay II listened with increasing readiness to his enemies, including Interior Minister Vyacheslav Pleve. Vitte advocated gradual economic penetration into China, while his nationalist opponents favoured the less subtle tactics of military occupation, and expansion into Korea, which led to war with Japan. In August 1903 he was dismissed as finance minister and relegated to a decorative post of chairman of the Committee of Ministers. He became a count on Oct. 1, 1905. When Russia's defeats provoked a wave of revolutionary violence, he pressed Nikolay to promise representative government and was appointed Russia's first constitutional prime minister. He veered erratically between conciliation and repression, but each success in overcoming the revolutionary threat encouraged the reactionaries to intrigue more openly against him. He was forced to resign in 1906 and spent the rest of his life in the political wilderness.

Vittorio Amedeo II, in full Vittorio Amedeo Francesco (b. May 14, 1666, Turin, Savoy [now in Italy] - d. Oct. 31, 1732, Moncalieri, near Turin), duke of Savoy (1675-1720) and king of Sardinia (1720-30).

Vittorio Amedeo III, in full Vittorio Amedeo Maria (b. June 26, 1726, Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia [now in Italy] - d. Oct. 16, 1796, Moncalieri, near Turin), king of Sardinia (1773-96); son of Carlo Emanuele III.

Vittorio Emanuele II

Vittorio Emanuele II, in full Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso (b. March 14, 1820, Turin, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia [now in Italy] - d. Jan. 9, 1878, Rome, Italy), king of Sardinia (1849-61) and of Italy (1861-78). The elder son of Carlo Alberto, who became king of Sardinia in 1831, he was brought up in the bigoted and chilling atmosphere of the Piedmontese court at Turin. In 1842 he married his first cousin Maria Adelaide, daughter of the Austrian archduke Rainer. When war broke out with Austria in 1848, he was given command of a division and showed himself to be a brave soldier but a poor commander. He became king when his father abdicated after the defeat at Novara. He arranged an armistice with the Austrian field marshal Joseph Radetzky and signed a treaty with Austria over the parliament's opposition. His premier from 1852, Count Cavour, skillfully managed to make parliament and not the king the chief force in the constitution. In 1859, after the French-Sardinian victories over Austria in the battles of Magenta and Solferino and the following armistice of Villafranca, Cavour wanted to go on fighting without France, but the king used the opportunity to get rid of Cavour, though he had to reappoint him in 1860. In that year he first secretly encouraged Giuseppe Garibaldi in the conquest of Sicily, but then accepted Cavour's policy and led his army in person through the papal states to take over the whole of southern Italy. As a result he was excommunicated by Pope Pius IX but in March 1861 was proclaimed the first king of a united Italy. Cavour's death in June 1861 allowed him to reintroduce greater monarchical authority. Venetia was acquired with Prussian help in 1866, and Rome, the remaining papal possession, was taken in 1870 after the withdrawal of the French garrison. He and the pope then dwelt side by side in Rome without ever meeting.

Vittorio Emanuele III

Vittorio Emanuele III, in full Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro (b. Nov. 11, 1869, Naples, Italy - d. Dec. 28, 1947, Alexandria, Egypt), king of Italy (1900-46) and of Albania (1939-43) and emperor of Ethiopia (1936-41). Son of Umberto I and Margherita of Savoy-Genoa, he had a mainly military education, then entered the army and soon was appointed to command an army corps. In 1896 he married Princess Elena Petrovic-Njegos, daughter of Nikola I of Montenegro; she bore him four daughters and a son. Acceding to the throne on the assassination of his father, he at once proved a far more constitutional monarch than Umberto and his acceptance of the Liberals restored confidence in the monarchy. His military instincts helped to push Italy into war against Turkey in 1911 and, in World War I, against Austria in 1915. On the night preceding the Fascist "march on Rome" (Oct. 28, 1922), the cabinet decided to proclaim martial law, but he did not sign the decree, opening the road to Benito Mussolini's dictatorship. He was then reduced to a figurehead and by the time of World War II was taking a very small part in the Italian affairs of state. Only in 1943, after the Allied invasion of Sicily, did he arrest Mussolini, but he installed Marshal Pietro Badoglio in his place to form a nonpolitical government still allied to Germany. This antagonized both Italians and the Allies. On June 5, 1944, the day after the Allies entered Rome, he relinquished his power, though not his title as king, by naming his son, Crown Prince Umberto, lieutenant general of the realm. On May 9, 1946, he belatedly abdicated in favour of Umberto, hoping to influence a plebiscite which was to decide between monarchy and republic. He immediately left for exile in Egypt. On June 2, the people voted for the republic, and Umberto also had to leave.

Vivanco (e Iturralde), Manuel Ignacio de (b. Jan. 31, 1806, Lima, Peru - d. Sept. 16, 1873, Santiago, Chile), supreme director (1843-44) and prime minister (1865) of Peru. He was also minister to Chile (1863).

Vivas (Velasco), (Ramón) Darío (b. June 12, 1950, San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela - d. Aug. 13, 2020, Caracas, Venezuela), chief of government of Distrito Capital (2020).

Vivas, Mario S., Colombian politician. He was president of the Senate (1968-69).

Vivas Lara, Juan Jesús (b. 1953, Ceuta, Spain), president of Ceuta (2001- ).

Viveiros, José Francisco (de) (b. Dec. 24, 1840, Alcântara, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Sept. 5, 1903, São Luís, Maranhão), acting president (1874, 1875, 1886) and member of the Governing Junta (1889) of Maranhão.

Vivero (y Merino), Domingo de (b. March 17, 1853, Lima, Peru - d. May 17, 1901, Lima), acting foreign minister of Peru (1887). He was also chargé d'affaires in Ecuador (1887).

Vivero, Tomás de, finance minister of Peru (1865).

Vives (y Planes), Francisco Dionisio, (from 1833) conde de Cuba (b. 1755, Oran, Algeria - d. April 15, 1840, Madrid, Spain), governor of Cuba (1823-32).

Vives Balmaña, Elisenda (b. Barcelona, Spain), Andorran diplomat. She has been ambassador to Italy and Morocco (2000-01) and the United States (2016- ) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-24).

J.E. Vives

Vives Sicília, Joan Enric (b. July 24, 1949, Barcelona, Spain), co-prince of Andorra (2003- ).

Vivian, John C(harles) (b. June 30, 1887, Golden, Colo. - d. Feb. 10, 1964, Denver, Colo.), governor of Colorado (1943-47).

Y. Vivian

Vivian, (Mititaiagomene) Young (b. Nov. 12, 1935), premier of Niue (1992-93, 2002-08). He began his political career as the elected representative of Hakupu village in 1969. He was minister of tourism (1969-75) and education, agriculture, and economic development (1969-79), then took on a wider regional role in 1979-82 when he served as secretary-general of the South Pacific Commission. On returning to Niue, he again served as a minister in the Robert Rex administration, holding the finance portfolio in 1990-93. He first became premier in 1992 following the death in office of long-serving leader Rex. Vivian had also been the acting premier during Rex's long illness. Following the February 1993 elections he was replaced by Frank Lui. In becoming premier again in 2002, he replaced his fellow Niue People's Party (NPP) member Sani Lakatani under whom he had served as deputy prime minister since 1999. Initially he headed a coalition government of the NPP and independent MPs, but the NPP, Niue's only political party, was dissolved in 2003. He was reelected premier in 2005, but after the 2008 elections he was challenged and defeated by Toke Talagi. He lost his Hakupu seat in 2017.

Viviani, (Jean Raphaël Adrien) René (b. Nov. 8, 1863, Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria - d. Sept. 6, 1925, Le Plessis-Robinson, Seine [now in Hauts-de-Seine], France), prime minister of France (1914-15). He was also minister of labour and social security provisions (1906-10), public instruction and fine arts (1913-14, 1916-17), foreign affairs (1914, 1915), and justice (1915-17).

Vizarrón y Eguiarreta, Juan Antonio de (b. Sept. 2, 1682, El Puerto de Santa María, Spain - d. Jan. 25, 1747, Mexico City, New Spain [now in Mexico]), viceroy of New Spain (1734-40).

Vizcaíno Leal, Humberto (b. Dec. 5, 1911, Guatemala City, Guatemala - d. July 13, 1992, Guatemala City), Guatemalan diplomat. He was ambassador to Spain (1954-59), Taiwan (1961-63), Italy (1974-78), and Egypt (1974-75) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1963-66).

Vizcaíno Silva, Indira (b. Jan. 14, 1987, Cuauhtémoc, Colima, Mexico), governor of Colima (2021- ).

Vizcarra, Dionisio, finance minister of Peru (1823, 1828).

M. Vizcarra

Vizcarra (Cornejo), Martín (Alberto) (b. March 22, 1963, Lima, Peru), first vice president (2016-18) and president (2018-20) of Peru. He was also president of Moquegua region (2011-14), minister of transport and communications (2016-17), and ambassador to Canada (2017-18). Succeeding Pres. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who was forced to resign under threat of impeachment over corruption allegations in 2018, Vizcarra became popular but was himself impeached and dismissed by Congress in 2020 over allegations he took kickbacks from developers when he was president of Moquegua in 2014, charges he denied.

Vizol (b. Nov. 16, 1914, Viswema village, Kohima district, Assam [now in Nagaland], India - d. March 3, 2008, Kohima, Nagaland, India), chief minister of Nagaland (1974-75, 1977-80). He served the Royal Indian Air Force during 1941-46 and took part in World War II. In the 1950s he joined overground Naga politics at the height of Naga militancy. He was imprisoned twice for political reasons in 1956 and 1957 and became vice-president (1957-60) of the Naga National Convention which had signed the 16-point agreement with the Union government leading to the foundation of Nagaland. In 1964 he was elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and became leader of the opposition. He was reelected to the Assembly in 1974 and served as chief minister for the first time; he was again chosen uncontested to the Nagaland Assembly in 1977 and became chief minister again. In 1992-97 he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the co-founder of the Democratic Party of Nagaland which later became the Nagaland People's Council and in 2002 the Nagaland People's Front, of which he was chairman until 2005. He was known for his austerity and his personal efforts to bring Naga undergrounds, particularly the legendary A.Z. Phizo, to the negotiating table.

Vlad, Aurel A. (b. Jan. 27, 1875, Orastie, Hungary [now in Romania] - d. July 1, 1953, Sighet [now Sighetu Marmatiei], Romania), finance minister (1919-20) and interior minister (1919) of Romania.

Vladár, Gábor (b. Oct. 14, 1881, Bia, Hungary - d. July 19, 1972, Budapest, Hungary), justice minister of Hungary (1944).

Vladescu, Sebastian (Teodor Gheorghe) (b. April 3, 1958, Bucharest, Romania), finance minister of Romania (2005-07, 2009-10).

Vladimir, secular name Vasily (Nikiforovich) Bogoyavlensky (b. Jan. 13 [Jan. 1, O.S.], 1848, Malaya Morshka, Tambov province, Russia - d. [killed] Feb. 7 [Jan. 25, O.S.], 1918, Kiev, Ukraine), metropolitan of Moscow (1898-1912), St. Petersburg (1912-15), and Kiev (1915-18). He was also bishop of Staraya Russa (1888-91) and Samara (1891-92) and exarch of Georgia (1892-98).

Vladimir, secular name Vasily (Grigoryevich) Sokolovsky-Avtonomov (b. Jan. 12, 1853 [Dec. 31, 1852, O.S.], Senkovtsy, Poltava province, Russia [now Senkivtsi, Cherkasy oblast, Ukraine] - d. Nov. 27, 1931, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Russian Orthodox bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska (1887-91). He was also bishop of Ostrogozhsk (1891-96), Orenburg (1896-1903), and Yekaterinburg (1903-10) and archbishop of Yekaterinoslav (1921-26).

Vladimir II, secular name Viktor (Markianovich) Sabodan (b. Nov. 23, 1935, Markovtsy village, Vinnitsa oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now in Khmelnytskyi oblast, Ukraine] - d. July 5, 2014, Kiev, Ukraine), metropolitan of Kiev (1992-2014). He was also bishop of Zvenigorod (1966-68), Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky (1968-69), and Chernigov (1969-73), bishop (1973) and archbishop (1973-82) of Dmitrov, metropolitan of Rostov (1982-92), and chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate (1987-96).

Vladimirov, Pyotr (Parfenovich), actual surname Vlasov (b. 1905, Khrenovoye, Voronezh province, Russia - d. Sept. 10, 1953, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet diplomat. He was consul-general in Shanghai (1948-51) and ambassador to Burma (1952-53).

V. Vladimirov

Vladimirov, Vladimir (Vladimirovich) (b. Oct. 14, 1975, Georgiyevsk, Stavropol kray, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Stavropol kray (2013- ).

Vladimirsky, Mikhail (Fyodorovich) (b. March 4 [Feb. 20, O.S.], 1874, Arzamas, Russia - d. April 2, 1951, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (1919). He was also people's commissar of health of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1930-34).

Vladoianu, Barbu (b. 1812 - d. 1876), war minister of Walachia (1859). He was also mayor of Bucharest (1864-65, 1872-73).

Vlah

Vlah, Irina (b. Feb. 26, 1974, Comrat, Moldavian S.S.R.), governor of Gagauzia (2015-23). She was a Moldovan presidential candidate in 2024.

Vlahovic, Miodrag (b. Nov. 15, 1961, Djakovica, Kosovo, Serbia), foreign minister of Montenegro (2004-06). He was also ambassador to the United States (2006-10), Canada (2007-10), and the Vatican (2017-21).

Vlajkovic, Radovan (b. 1922 - d. Nov. 12, 2001), president of the People's Assembly (1963-67) and president of the Presidency (1974-81) of Vojvodina and president of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1985-86).

Vlasák, Bohumil (b. Feb. 21, 1871, Príbram, Austria [now in Czech Republic] - d. May 31, 1945, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), finance minister of Czechoslovakia (1928-29).

Vlaskalic, Tihomir (b. 1923 - d. Dec. 27, 1993), chairman of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Serbia (1972-82).

Vlasov, Aleksandr (Vladimirovich) (b. Jan. 20, 1932, Babushkin, Buryat-Mongol A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R. [now Buryatia, Russia] - d. June 9, 2002, Moscow, Russia), interior minister of the Soviet Union (1986-88) and chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1988-90). He was also first secretary of the party committees of the Chechen-Ingush A.S.S.R. (1975-84) and Rostov oblast (1984-86).

Vlasov, Ivan (Alekseyevich) (b. Sept. 10 [Aug. 28, O.S.], 1903, Nikolayevka, Tambov province, Russia - d. 1969, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1943-44 [acting], 1946-50). He was also first secretary of the party committee (1938-42) and chairman of the Executive Committee (1942-43) of Saratov oblast.

Vlasov, Valentin (Stepanovich) (b. Aug. 20, 1946, Arkhangelsk, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. July 5, 2020, Moscow, Russia), acting head of the administration of Arkhangelsk oblast (1996) and acting head of the republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia (1999). He was also mayor of Arkhangelsk (1993-94) and Russian ambassador to Malta (2002-06) and Kyrgyzstan (2006-12).

Vlasov, Vladimir (Aleksandrovich) (b. Feb. 13, 1958, Asbest, Sverdlovsk oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the government of Sverdlovsk oblast (2012). He was also mayor of Asbest (1996-2005).

Vlasov, Yury (Petrovich) (b. Dec. 5, 1935, Makeyevka, Donetsk oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Makiyivka, Ukraine] - d. Feb. 13, 2021), Russian politician; son of Pyotr Vladimirov. A famous weightlifter who was the Soviet flag-bearer at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a gold medal in 1960 and a silver in 1964, he was a minor presidential candidate in 1996.

Vlasov, Yury (Vasilyevich) (b. June 22, 1961, Prikumsk, Stavropol kray, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. Jan. 9, 2019), head of the administration of Vladimir oblast (1991-96).

Vlastov, Georgy (Konstantinovich) (b. April 25, 1827, Shishkovo, Yaroslavl province, Russia - d. Oct. 24, 1899, St. Petersburg, Russia), governor of Stavropol (1868-72).

Vleeschauwer (van Braekel), (Jozef) Albert ([from 1954:] baron) de (b. Jan. 1, 1897, Nederbrakel, Belgium - d. Feb. 24, 1971, Kortenberg, Belgium), justice minister (1940-42) and interior minister (1949-50) of Belgium. He was also minister of colonies (1938-39, 1939-45), education (1942-44), and agriculture (1958-60).

Vlerick, André (Jozef Arthur), baron (b. Sept. 11, 1919, Courtrai [Kortrijk], Belgium - d. Dec. 3, 1990, Beernem, Belgium), finance minister of Belgium (1972-73). He was made baron in 1985.

Vlora, Eqrem Bej (b. Dec. 1, 1885, Vlorë, Ottoman Empire [now in Albania] - d. March 29, 1964, Rome, Italy), foreign and justice minister of Albania (1944). He was also minister to the United Kingdom (1927-29) and Greece (1929).

Vo Chi Cong, also known as Vo Toan (b. Aug. 7, 1913, Tam Xuan commune, Quang Nam-Da Nang province, southern Vietnam - d. Sept. 8, 2011, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), Vietnamese politician. He was an active participant since 1930 in the Cochinchinese revolutionary movement under Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh. During World War II he participated in the underground resistance against Japan and the French. Arrested by the latter in 1942, he was, according to one report, kept under surveillance but acted as an "adviser" to revolutionary groups; another report stated that he was sentenced to life imprisonment and actually jailed, but released in 1945. When the initial victories of the Viet Minh in the South proved of brief duration, he resumed his clandestine revolutionary activities. He emerged as one of the founders of the National Liberation Front (1960) and the People's Revolutionary Party (1962) in South Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, he was confirmed to have been directly linked to North Vietnam. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1976, he became a deputy premier (1976-82, 1986-87) and minister of fisheries (1976-77) and of agriculture (1977-79) in the national government. He was regarded as a supporter rather than an innovator of popular reforms which offered material incentives to peasants and workers to stimulate production. He was also a full member of the Politburo of the Vietnamese Communist Party from 1976 to 1991 and chairman of the State Council (president) from 1987 to 1992.

Vo Nguyen Giap, original name Vo Giap (b. Aug. 25, 1911, Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province, Vietnam - d. Oct. 4, 2013, Hanoi, Vietnam), interior minister (1945-46), defense minister (1946-47, 1948-80), and a vice premier (1955-91) of (North) Vietnam. In 1926, he joined a clandestine nationalist movement, and four years later French security police in Hue arrested him on suspicion of revolutionary agitation and jailed him for several months. He joined the Indochinese Communist Party in the early 1930s; after it was outlawed in 1939, he joined Ho Chi Minh in China and helped to organize the Viet Minh forces. Returning with Ho to Indochina in 1944, he fought to oust the Japanese in World War II and joined the government of the newly proclaimed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. When the French refused to give up their claims to Vietnam, a "national war of resistance" was declared in 1946 and he became defense minister. A master of guerrilla warfare, he was credited with the decisive defeat of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. He later masterminded the military strategy in the Vietnam War, with particular success in the Tet Offensive of 1968, ultimately forcing the U.S. forces to leave South Vietnam in 1973, leading to the collapse of the South in 1975 and the reunification of Vietnam in 1976. He was a member of the Politburo from 1951 to 1982. His People's War, People's Army (1962) became a textbook for revolutionaries.

Vo Thi Anh Xuan (b. Jan. 8, 1970), vice president (2021- ) and acting president (2023, 2024) of Vietnam. She was also secretary of the party committee of An Giang province (2015-21).

Vo Van Kiet

Vo Van Kiet (b. Nov. 23, 1922, Vinh Long province, Vietnam - d. June 11, 2008, Singapore), prime minister of Vietnam (1991-97). He fought the French and Americans for almost four decades, joining the nationalist movement against French colonial rule at the age of 16. He became a member of the Indochinese Communist Party in 1939. After the French were defeated in 1954, the party turned its efforts to reuniting the country under Communist rule. He became the underground party secretary in the area of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam's U.S.-backed government, and a political leader of the Viet Cong guerrilla movement. After Communist forces captured Saigon in April 1975, he held a series of top posts in the city, which was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. His mission was to introduce socialist reforms in the capitalist bastion, but he advocated gradualism and allowed the private sector to flourish. By 1978, he and other liberal officials in the south came under intense criticism and a hardliner, Deputy Premier Do Muoi, was brought in to shut down the south's private sector and build up state shops and industry. Kiet was transferred to Hanoi in 1982 to become a deputy premier and chairman of the State Planning Commission. He was among a group of reformers who moved to the fore in the late 1980s. Spurred by the near-collapse of Vietnam's economy, they began the difficult transition from a highly centralized, Soviet-style system to one allowing private enterprise and market-set prices. As prime minister, he helped craft policies that attracted billions of dollars in foreign investment, vastly expanded trade, and enabled the economy to grow at an annual rate of better than 8%. He also was a firm supporter of normalizing relations with the United States, finally achieved in 1995. He stepped down in 1997 at age 74, saying the country badly needed a transfer of power to younger leaders.

Vo Van Thuong

Vo Van Thuong (b. Dec. 13, 1970, Hai Duong, North Vietnam [now in Vietnam]), president of Vietnam (2023-24).

Vochel, Lucien (Fernand Alphonse) (b. July 19, 1919, Évreux, Eure, France - d. March 14, 2018), prefect of Paris département (1981-84). He was also prefect of Mayenne (1964-67), Vienne (1970-77), and Bouches-du-Rhône (1977-81).

Vodenicharov, Stefan (Borisov) (b. Sept. 1, 1944, Sofia, Bulgaria - d. June 8, 2020), Bulgarian politician. He was president of the Academy of Sciences (2012-16) and minister of education, youth, and science (2013).

Vodicka, Jindrich (b. July 22, 1952, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), interior minister of the Czech Republic (1997-98). He was also minister of labour and social affairs (1992-97).

Vodrázka, Ladislav (b. Sept. 14, 1932, Skýcov, Czechoslovakia [now in Slovakia] - d. March 22, 2010), a deputy premier of Czechoslovakia (1989). He was also minister of metallurgy, engineering, and electrical engineering (1989-90).

Voelcker, Francis William (b. Oct. 9, 1896 - d. May 22, 1954), administrator/high commissioner of Western Samoa (1946-49).

Voet, Jan Hendrik (b. March 17, 1793, Zutphen, Gelderland, Netherlands - d. June 20, 1852, Rijswijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands), war minister of the Netherlands (1848-49).

Vogae, Bernard (b. 1940 - d. March 2000), premier (1978-87, 1993-95) and governor (1997-2000) of West New Britain. He was also Papua New Guinean minister of civil aviation (1988-91).

Vogel, Bernhard (b. Dec. 19, 1932, Göttingen, Prussia [now in Niedersachsen], Germany), minister-president of Rheinland-Pfalz (1976-88) and Thüringen (1992-2003); brother of Hans-Jochen Vogel.

H.-J. Vogel

Vogel, Hans-Jochen (b. Feb. 3, 1926, Göttingen, Prussia [now in Niedersachsen], Germany - d. July 26, 2020, Munich, Germany), German politician. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1950. Ten years later, after an impressive performance in municipal and regional politics, he was elected lord mayor of Munich. He supervised many major developments, which helped bring the Olympic Games to Munich in 1972. A few months before the Games took place, Vogel, weary of battles with the left, withdrew from office. This interlude was short. He accepted Chancellor Willy Brandt's invitation to become federal minister of housing and town planning in August 1972, and four years later, under Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, he was appointed minister of justice. In 1981 Vogel was sent to West Berlin as mayor, replacing Dietrich Stobbe, who had resigned in the wake of a series of scandals in the city's SPD. Vogel coped well, but the malaise in the party had gone too deep, and in June 1981, after the SPD's poor showing in a city election, he resigned to make way for a Christian Democrat mayor. After the breakup of the coalition of Social Democrats and Free Democrats in September 1982, Vogel was chosen as the Social Democrats' chancellor candidate in the federal election of March 6, 1983. The decision of the former chancellor, Schmidt, not to stand again caused many centrist voters to withdraw their support from the SPD. This was one of the main reasons why the SPD suffered a heavy defeat. Vogel was an able and intelligent politician, but his efforts to attract the left cost his party many votes. This strategy, recommended by the SPD's chairman, Brandt, ill befitted Vogel, traditionally a firm centrist. After the election, Vogel was opposition leader in the Bundestag until 1991 and chairman of the SPD in 1987-91. He remained in the Bundestag until 1994.

Vogel, Sir Julius (b. Feb. 24, 1835, London, England - d. March 12, 1899, East Molesey, Surrey, England), premier of New Zealand (1873-75, 1876); knighted 1875. He was also treasurer (1869-72, 1872-75, 1876, 1884, 1884-87), postmaster-general (1869-72, 1872-76, 1884, 1884-87), and minister of immigration (1873-74) and marine (1887).

Voges, Wilfred Russell (b. Oct. 11, 1943, Sint Maarten), administrator of Sint Maarten (1992-94).

Vogoridis, Stephanos (Greek), Romanian Stefan Vogoride, Turkish Stefanaki Bey, Bulgarian Stefan Bogoridi, originally Stoyko Tsonkov Stoykov (b. 1774, Kotel, Ottoman Empire [now in Bulgaria] - d. Aug. 1, 1859, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]), princely lieutenant of Moldavia (1821-22) and governor of Samos (1833-50).

Vogt, Nils (Petersen) (b. April 15, 1817, Christiania [now Oslo], Norway - d. Nov. 8, 1894, Kristiania [now Oslo]), governor of Søndre Bergenhus (1850-60), Lister og Mandal (1860-71), and Buskerud (1884-90) and interior minister (1871-72, 1873-75, 1876-78, 1879-82, 1883-84) and justice minister (1879) of Norway.

Vohidov, Alisher (b. Dec. 24, 1951), Uzbek diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1997-2009).

Vohor

Vohor (Rialuth), Serge (b. April 24, 1955, Port Olry, Espiritu Santo island, New Hebrides [now Vanuatu] - d. Nov. 22, 2024, Luganville, Espiritu Santo), foreign minister (1991-93, 1999-2001, 2002-03, 2015) and prime minister (1995-96, 1996-98, 2004, 2011) of Vanuatu. On Sept. 26, 2004, the Appeal Court dismissed a charge of contempt filed against him after he made disparaging comments in parliament about the chief justice. He could have been jailed for up to a year and faced a hefty fine if convicted, but the court ruled that his remarks were personal abuse and did not necessarily constitute contempt of court. In November he caused a political storm when he made an unannounced mission to Taipei and signed a communiqué recognizing Taiwan. His Council of Ministers renounced the deal. He was also accused of physically assaulting China's ambassador, Bao Shusheng, by punching him on the shoulder after Bao complained that the flag of Taiwan was still flying in a hotel where Taiwan had temporarily established an embassy. He was ousted in a no-confidence vote in December. He was also minister of economic affairs (1993-95), trade (2001-02), telecommunications and external trade development (2002-03), infrastructure and public utilities (2007, 2010-11), and health (2013-14) and deputy prime minister (2001-03). In 2015 he was found guilty of corruption, along with half the government; he was sentenced to three years' jail. He was released in 2017 after serving 18 months.

Vohra

Vohra, Narinder Nath (b. May 5, 1936), governor of Jammu and Kashmir (2008-18).

Voicu, Pavel (b. Jan. 29, 1973, Frasinesti, Moldavian S.S.R.), defense minister (2019) and interior minister (2019-21) of Moldova.

Voinea, Liviu (b. June 26, 1975), acting finance minister of Romania (2014).

Voinovich

Voinovich, George V(ictor) (b. July 15, 1936, Cleveland, Ohio - d. June 12, 2016, Cleveland), governor of Ohio (1991-98). He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1967-71), Cuyahoga county auditor (1971-76), Cuyahoga county commissioner (1977-78), and lieutenant governor of Ohio (1979). The Republican was an unassuming man who over and again won the votes of Democrats, a career politician who cast himself successfully as a reformer while mayor of Cleveland (1979-89). He seemed to enjoy public policymaking and had great success balancing competing values. He slowed state budget growth from 8% annually to 6%, but backed one tax increase in 1992. He put a six month limit on General Assistance, but did not zero it out, as did Michigan's John Engler. He boasted that his JOBS program had enrolled more welfare recipients than any other state's, and that he cut welfare rolls. He cut higher education spending but raised it for Head Start and primary and secondary schools, and bragged of higher test scores. He sponsored a managed healthcare plan, OhioCare, for Medicaid and the uninsured, and continued Democratic Gov. Richard Celeste's program for state investment in businesses. He was opposed to abortion but recognized Roe v. Wade as the law and said, "Let's deal in the real world." He was a strong advocate of allowing state governments more leeway, and his own record was evidence that states could cut costs and improve services better on their own than under federal dictation. But in 1994, he raised $7 million and, when it became clear he had only nuisance opposition, gave $2.7 million to other Republicans, to help produce their statewide sweep. He was able to boast of 150,000 new private-sector jobs: "The Rust is off the Belt," he liked to say. In 1998 he was elected to the U.S. Senate; he did not run again in 2010.

Voionmaa, (Kaarle) Väinö, original surname (until 1906) Wallin (b. Feb. 12, 1869, Jyväskylä, Finland - d. May 24, 1947, Helsinki, Finland), foreign minister of Finland (1926-27, 1938). He was also minister of trade and industry (1937-39).

Voirol, Théophile, baron (b. Sept. 6, 1781, Tavannes, Bern, Switzerland - d. 1853), military commander of Algeria (1833-34).

Voisin, Charles (Henri Joseph) (b. Oct. 29, 1887, Flobecq, Hainaut province, Belgium - d. Nov. 20, 1942, Tournai [Doornik], Belgium), governor of Ruanda-Urundi (1930-32).

Voisin, Félix (b. Dec. 3, 1832, Paris, France - d. Jan. 28, 1915, Paris), prefect of police of Paris (1876-77).

Voitec, Stefan (b. June 19, 1900, Corabia, Olt county, Romania - d. Dec. 4, 1984, Bucharest, Romania), a deputy premier of Romania (1948-49, 1956-61). He was also minister of education (1944-47), internal trade (1955-56), and consumer goods industry (1957-59), member of the Presidium of the Romanian People's Republic (1947-48), president of the Grand National Assembly (1961-74), and a vice president of the State Council (1961-65, 1974-84).

Voitellier, Pierre (Claude Paul) (b. Nov. 16, 1910, Paris, France - d. Dec. 20, 2003, Paris), prefect of French Guiana (1957-58).

Voizard, Pierre (Jean Paul Charles Édouard) (b. Aug. 22, 1896, Toul, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France - d. Dec. 21, 1982, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France), minister of state of Monaco (1950-53) and resident-general of Tunisia (1953-54). He was also prefect of the French départements of Aude (1936-39) and Seine-et-Marne (1939-41).

Vokic, Ante (b. Aug. 23, 1909, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary - d. [killed in prison] April/May 1945, Lepoglava, Croatia), armed forces minister of Croatia (1944). He was also minister of transport (1943-44).

Vokouma, Prosper (b. Aug. 4, 1955, Ziniaré, Oubritenga province, Upper Volta [now Burkina Faso]), foreign minister of Burkina Faso (1989-91). He was also ambassador to Switzerland (2008-15).

Volchkov, Ivan (Fadeyevich) (b. 1897, Bazdrevo, Tula province, Russia - d. 1980), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous oblast (1938).

Volcker

Volcker, Paul A(dolph) (b. Sept. 5, 1927, Cape May, N.J. - d. Dec. 8, 2019, New York City), chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (1979-87). He was an economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1953-57) and for the Chase Manhattan Bank (1957-61), a deputy undersecretary in the Department of the Treasury (1963-65), and a vice-president of Chase Manhattan Bank (1965-68). As Pres. Richard Nixon's undersecretary for monetary affairs in the Treasury Department (1969-74), he coordinated Nixon's suspension of the gold standard in 1971 and the devaluations of the dollar in 1971 and 1973. He served as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 1975-79 before Pres. Jimmy Carter appointed him to head the Federal Reserve System at a time when inflation had reached almost 13%. He pursued a monetarist strategy by targeting the growth of the money supply rather than interest rates. As a result, interest rates rose over 20%, plunging the economy into the worst recession (1981-82) since the Great Depression, but inflation was brought under control, remaining low when monetary targeting was abandoned in 1982; interest rates then dropped sharply, which helped restimulate economic growth. Appointed by Pres. Ronald Reagan to a second four-year term in 1983, his performance was widely praised. He declined a third term in 1987. In 2000 he became chairman of trustees of the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation. In the wake of the Enron bankruptcy, he headed an independent oversight board at Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that was responsible for auditing Enron. He also led an international committee to investigate the Swiss bank accounts of victims of the Nazi holocaust and in 2004 was asked by UN secretary-general Kofi Annan to chair the Independent Inquiry Committee investigating allegations of corruption in the UN Oil-for-Food Program.

Voldemaras, Augustinas (b. April 4, 1883, Dysna, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. Dec. 16, 1942, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), prime minister (1918, 1926-29) and foreign minister (1918-20, 1926-29) of Lithuania. After a coup attempt by his supporters in 1934, he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. He was released and exiled in 1938. After the Soviet takeover in 1940, he returned but was arrested and sent to Russia, where he died in prison.

Volio Brenes, Marina (b. Aug. 31, 1944, San José, Costa Rica), Costa Rican politician; daughter of Jorge Volio Jiménez. She was minister of culture, youth, and sports (1978-82) and a minor presidential candidate (1998).

F. Volio J.

Volio Jiménez, Fernando (b. Oct. 29, 1924, Cartago, Costa Rica - d. May 21, 1996, San José, Costa Rica), foreign minister of Costa Rica (1982-83); son of Fernando Volio Sancho. He was also permanent representative to the United Nations (1962-65), president of the Legislative Assembly (1968-69, 1987-88), and minister of education (1974-77) and the presidency (1977-78).

Volio Jiménez, Jorge (Víctor Ramón de Jesús) (b. Aug. 26, 1882, Cartago, Costa Rica - d. Oct. 20, 1955), second vice president of Costa Rica (1924-28).

Volio Sancho, Fernando (b. Dec. 6, 1902, Cartago, Costa Rica - d. June 30, 1969, San José, Costa Rica), foreign minister of Costa Rica (1956-57).

Volkonsky, Knyaz Dmitry (Mikhailovich) (b. 1770 - d. May 19 [May 7, O.S.], 1835, Moscow, Russia), Russian ruler of Georgia (1804-05).

Volkonsky, Knyaz Grigory (Semyonovich) (b. Feb. 5 [Jan. 25, O.S.], 1742 - d. July 29 [July 17, O.S.], 1824, St. Petersburg, Russia), military governor of Orenburg (1803-17).

Volkonsky, Knyaz Pyotr (Mikhailovich) (b. April 6 or May 7 [March 26 or April 26, O.S.], 1776, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Sept. 8 [Aug. 27, O.S.], 1852, Petergof [now part of St. Petersburg], Russia), Russian official; son-in-law of Knyaz Grigory Volkonsky. He was chief of the General Staff (1815-23) and minister of the imperial court and imperial lands (1826-52). He was made svetleyshy knyaz (serene prince) in 1834.

Volkov, Aleksandr (Aleksandrovich) (b. Dec. 25, 1951, Bryansk, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. May 20, 2017, Germany), prime minister (1993-95), chairman of the State Council (1995-2000), and president (2000-14) of Udmurtia. He was also mayor of Glazov (1987-89).

Volkov, Aleksandr (Pavlovich) (b. April 23, 1810 - d. March 15, 1886), governor of Poltava (1853-66).

Volkov, Aleksandr (Petrovich) (b. Sept. 20 [Sept. 7, O.S.], 1910, Virogoshch, Tver province [now oblast], Russia - d. Dec. 27, 1990, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet politician. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of Moscow oblast (1952-56), chairman of the Soviet of the Union (1954-56), and chairman of the State Committee for Labour and Wages (1956-74).

Volkov, Aleksey (Alekseyevich) (b. Jan. 7, 1890 [Dec. 26, 1889, O.S.], Dmitriyevo, Ryazan province, Russia - d. March 4, 1942, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Belorussian S.S.R. (1937-38). He was also mayor of Tashkent (1920-21) and chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (1938) and first secretary of the party committee (1938-40) of the Chuvash A.S.S.R.

Volkov, Nikolay (Mikhailovich) (b. Dec. 19, 1951), head of the administration of Yevreyskaya autonomous oblast (1991-2010).

Volkov, Nikolay (Pavlovich) (b. Dec. 8, 1812 - d. Nov. 7, 1867, St. Petersburg, Russia), governor of Olonets (1856-60); brother of Aleksandr (Pavlovich) Volkov; husband of illegitimate daughter of Graf Vasily Musin-Pushkin-Bryus.

Volkov, Vladilen (Vladimirovich) (b. July 7, 1939), chairman of the State Council (1997) and head of the republic (1997-98) of Altay.

Vladimir Volkov

Volkov, Vladimir (Dmitriyevich) (b. Sept. 7, 1954, Novoye Arakcheyevo, Mordovian A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R.), prime minister (1995-2012) and head of the republic (2012-20) of Mordovia.

Volkov, Vladimir (Fyodorovich) (b. July 17, 1954, Mokshansky rayon, Penza oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting chairman of the government of Penza oblast (2015).

Volkov, Yevgeny (Nikolayevich) (b. June 28 [June 16, O.S.], 1864 - d. 1933, Nice, France), governor of Chernomorskaya (1901-05) and Tavrida (1905-06); grandnephew of Aleksandr (Petrovich) Samsonov.

Volkovich, Daniil (Ivanovich) (b. April 18, 1900, Zanemansk, Grodno province, Russia [now in Belarus] - d. [executed] Nov. 26, 1937), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Belorussian S.S.R. (1937).

Vollebæk

J. van Vollenhoven

Vollebæk, Knut (b. Feb. 11, 1946, Søndre Land, Oppland [now in Innlandet], Norway), foreign minister of Norway (1997-2000). A career diplomat, he served as deputy in the Foreign Ministry between 1989 and 1990 under the then minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, and later became foreign minister under Prime Minister Bondevik. He was ambassador to Costa Rica (1991-93) and the United States (2001-07) and OSCE high commissioner on national minorities (2007-13).

Vollenhoven, Cornelis (b. Feb. 3, 1778, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. Nov. 14, 1849, The Hague, Netherlands), acting interior minister of the Netherlands (1846).

Vollenhoven, Joost van (b. July 21, 1877, Kralingen [now part of Rotterdam], Netherlands - d. [killed in war] July 20, 1918, near Parcy-Tigny, Aisne, France), acting governor of French Guinea (1907) and Senegal (1907), acting governor-general of French Indochina (1913-15), and governor-general of French West Africa (1917-18).

Volodin, Vyacheslav (Viktorovich) (b. Feb. 4, 1964, Alekseyevka, Khvalynsky rayon, Saratov oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), Russian politician. He has been secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party (2005-10), head of the Government Apparatus and a deputy prime minister (2010-11), and chairman of the State Duma (2016- ).

Vologodsky, Pyotr (Vasilyevich) (b. Jan. 30, 1863, Komarovo, Yeniseysk province [now in Krasnoyarsk kray], Russia - d. Oct. 19, 1925, Harbin, China), chairman of the Council of Ministers (1918-19) and foreign minister (1918-19) of Russia ("White" government). He was also chairman of the Provisional Siberian Government (1918).

Voloshyn, Avhustyn (Ivanovych) (b. March 17, 1874, Kelecsény, Hungary [now Kelechyn, Ukraine] - d. July 19, 1945, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of Ministers (1938-39) and president (1939) of the Carpatho-Ukraine.

Volpe, John A(nthony) (b. Dec. 8, 1908, Wakefield, Mass. - d. Nov. 11, 1994, Nahant, Mass.), governor of Massachusetts (1961-63, 1965-69) and U.S. secretary of transportation (1969-73). He was also ambassador to Italy (1973-77).

Volpi, Giuseppe, conte di Misurata (b. Nov. 19, 1877, Venice, Italy - d. Nov. 16, 1947, Rome, Italy), governor of Tripolitania (1921-25) and finance minister of Italy (1925-28).

Volpinari

Vondra

Volpinari, Antonio Lazzaro (b. Oct. 2, 1943, Domagnano, San Marino), captain-regent of San Marino (1973-74, 1977, 2002). He was also minister of agriculture, communications, and transport (1976-78), agriculture and commerce (1978-83), territory and environment (1983-86), and internal affairs (1992-2000).

Volzhin, Aleksandr (Nikolayevich) (b. May 8, 1860, Bereza village, Kursk province, Russia - d. Jan. 2, 1933, Nice, France), Russian official. He was governor of Siedlce (1904-13) and Kholm (1913-14) and chief procurator of the Holy Synod (1915-16).

Vondeling, Anne (b. March 2, 1916, Appelscha, Ooststellingwerf municipality, Friesland, Netherlands - d. Nov. 22, 1979, Mechelen, Belgium), finance minister and a deputy prime minister of the Netherlands (1965-66). He was also minister of agriculture, fisheries, and food provision (1958), political leader (1962-66) and chairman (1969-71) of the Labour Party, and chairman of the Second Chamber (1972-79).

Vondra, Alexandr (b. Aug. 17, 1961, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), foreign minister (2006-07), a deputy prime minister (2007-09), and defense minister (2010-12) of the Czech Republic. In 1997-2001 he was ambassador to the United States.

Vongsey Vissoth (b. Feb. 18, 1965), a deputy prime minister of Cambodia (2023- ). He is also minister of the Office of the Council of Ministers (2023- ).

Vonhoff, Henk, byname of Hendrik Johan Lubert Vonhoff (b. June 22, 1931, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. July 24, 2010, Hilversum, Netherlands), queen's commissioner of Groningen (1980-96). He was also mayor of Utrecht (1974-80).

Voorhees, Foster M(acGowan) (b. Nov. 5, 1856, Clinton, N.J. - d. June 4, 1927, High Bridge, N.J.), governor of New Jersey (1898 [acting], 1899-1902).

Voorhoeve, Joris (Jacob Clemens) (b. Dec. 22, 1945, The Hague, Netherlands), defense minister of the Netherlands (1994-98). He was also minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba affairs (1994-98).

Voorst tot Voorst, Alexander Eppo baron van (b. Aug. 30, 1880, Zwolle, Netherlands - d. May 27, 1965, Rotterdam, Netherlands), queen's commissioner of Overijssel (1925-41, 1945-46); nephew of Jan Joseph Godfried baron van Voorst tot Voorst and Arthur Eduard Joseph baron van Voorst tot Voorst.

Voorst tot Voorst, Arthur Eduard Joseph baron van (b. Dec. 13, 1858, Elden, Elst municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands - d. July 27, 1928, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands), queen's commissioner of Noord-Brabant (1894-1928); brother of Jan Joseph Godfried baron van Voorst tot Voorst.

Voorst tot Voorst, Berend-Jan (Marie) baron van (b. Feb. 7, 1944, Beek, Gelderland, Netherlands - d. Nov. 6, 2023), queen's commissioner of Limburg (1993-2005).

Voorst tot Voorst, Jan Joseph Godfried baron van (b. Sept. 16, 1846, Elden, Elst municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands - d. Jan. 17, 1931, Arnhem, Netherlands), Dutch politician. He was chairman of the First Chamber (1914-29).

Vora, Motilal (b. Dec. 20, 1928, Nagaur [now in Rajasthan], India - d. Dec. 21, 2020, Delhi, India), chief minister of Madhya Pradesh (1985-88, 1989) and governor of Uttar Pradesh (1993-96). He was also Indian minister of civil aviation (1988) and health and family welfare (1988-89).

Võrklaev, Mart (b. May 30, 1984, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), finance minister of Estonia (2023-24).

Vorobyov, Aleksey (Olegovich) (b. July 6, 1964, Ulyanovsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), prime minister of Ingushetia (2009-11).

Vorobyov, Aleksey (Petrovich) (b. March 30, 1950, Dumino, Vyshnevolotsky rayon [now urban district], Kalinin [now Tver] oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the government of Sverdlovsk oblast (1996, 1996-2007).

Andrey Vorobyov

Vorobyov, Andrey (Yuryevich) (b. April 14, 1970, Krasnoyarsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Moscow oblast (2012- ).

Vorobyov, Georgy (Ivanovich) (b. April 15 [April 2, O.S.], 1914, Kideksha, Vladimir province, Russia - d. March 21, 2002, Moscow, Russia), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Udmurt A.S.S.R. (1957-59). He was also chairman of the Executive Committee of Leningrad oblast (1954-57), first secretary of the party committee of Krasnodar kray (1960-66; rural in 1963-64), and chairman of the Soviet State Committee of Forestry (1970-84).

Vorokov, Skhatby (Salikhovich) (b. May 30, 1946, Blechepsin, Koshekhablsky rayon, Adygey autonomous oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting prime minister of Adygeya (2004).

Voronchikhin, Ivan (Tikhonovich) (b. Aug. 16 [Aug. 3, O.S.], 1903 - d. ...), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Udmurt A.S.S.R. (1938-39). He was also people's commissar of education (1937-38).

Voronin, Lev (Alekseyevich) (b. Feb. 22, 1928, Perm, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. June 24, 2008), Soviet politician. He was a deputy premier and chairman of the State Committee for Material and Technical Supply (1985-89) and a first deputy premier (1989-91).

V. Voronin

Voronin, Vladimir (Nicolae) (b. May 25, 1941, Corjova village, Chisinau county, Moldavian S.S.R.), president of Moldova (2001-09). He was active in local committees of the Communist Party of the Moldavian S.S.R., becoming first secretary of the party committee of Bender city (1985-89) and interior minister of the Moldavian S.S.R. (1989-90). After the party lost power, he worked in the Police Academy of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1991-93. In 1993 he served as co-chairman of the organizing committee of a new Communist Party of Moldova (the old party had been declared illegal in 1991), and in 1994 he became first secretary of the party. Although the Communists and Voronin did not openly question the independence of Moldova, they called for Moldova's close cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and for the introduction of Russian as an official language, and they distanced themselves from Romania and the Western countries. In the 1996 presidential election he won 10% of the votes. Following a split, the party changed its name to Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) in 1997 and he became chairman. In 1998 it became the largest party in parliament, and in 2001 it won a sweeping victory; the new parliament elected him president. He saw Russia as Moldova's main partner and did not seek a rapprochement with the West. He also did not insist on the withdrawal of Russian troops from separatist Transnistria. However, relations with Moscow cooled in 2003 after he abandoned a proposal to grant autonomy to Transnistria. Reelected in 2005, he was ineligible for a third term in 2009 but remained in office for several months beyond the expiry of his term while parliament (of which he was also chairman for most of this time) failed to elect a successor.

Voronov, Gennady (Ivanovich) (b. Aug. 31 [Aug. 18, O.S.], 1910, Rameshki, Tver province, Russia - d. April 1, 1994, Moscow, Russia), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1962-71). He was also first secretary of the party committees of Chita city (1948-50) and Chita (1948-55) and Chkalov/Orenburg (1957-61) oblasti and chairman of the People's Control Committee of the U.S.S.R. (1971-73).

Voronov, Ivan (Yemelyanovich) (b. June 17 [June 4, O.S.], 1911, Maryanovo, Mogilyov province, Russia [now in Vitsebsk voblasts, Belarus] - d. May 8, 1969, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet politician. He was a deputy premier (1962-65) and minister of forestry (1965-68) of the Russian S.F.S.R.

Voronovich, Mikhail (Mikhailovich) (b. 1868, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 1918), governor of Bessarabia (1915-17). He was also Ukrainian minister of worship (1918).

Voronovich, Yevstafy (Pavlovich) (b. March 1890, Bolshoy Molokish, Podolia province, Russia [now Molochisul Mare, Transnistria, Moldova] - d. [executed] 1937), chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Moldavian A.S.S.R. (1926-37).

Voronovsky, Nikolay (Anatolyevich) (b. Nov. 25 [Nov. 12, O.S.], 1914, Kursk, Russia - d. Nov. 28, 1973, Cheboksary, Chuvash A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R.), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Chuvash A.S.S.R. (1968-73).

Vorontsov, Graf (Count) Aleksandr (Romanovich) (b. Sept. 4, 1741, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Dec. 3, 1805), foreign minister of Russia (1802-04); son of Graf Roman Vorontsov. He was also chargé d'affaires in Austria (1761), minister to the Netherlands (1761-62, 1764-68) and Great Britain (1762-64), and president of the Collegium of Commerce (1773-94).

Vorontsov, Graf (Count) Mikhail (Illarionovich) (b. July 12, 1714, Moscow?, Russia - d. Feb. 15, 1767, Moscow), president of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs (1758-63) and chancellor (1758-65) of Russia. He was made a count in 1744.

Vorontsov, Knyaz (Prince) Mikhail (Semyonovich) (b. May 30 [May 19, O.S.], 1782 - d. Nov. 18 [Nov. 6, O.S.], 1856, Odessa, Russia [now in Ukraine]), governor-general of Novorossiya and Bessarabia (1823-54) and viceroy of the Caucasus (1845-54); son of Graf Semyon Vorontsov.

Vorontsov, Graf (Count) Roman (Illarionovich) (b. July 17, 1717 - d. Nov. 30, 1783), governor-general of Vladimir (1778-82), Tambov (1779-81), Penza (1780-81), and Kostroma (1782-83); brother of Graf Mikhail Vorontsov. He was made a count in 1760.

Vorontsov, Graf (Count) Semyon (Romanovich) (b. June 15, 1744, Moscow, Russia - d. July 9, 1832, London, England), Russian diplomat; son of Graf Roman Vorontsov; brother of Graf Aleksandr Vorontsov. He was minister to Venice (1782-84) and Great Britain (1784-1800, 1801-06).

Vorontsov, Yuly (Mikhailovich) (b. Oct. 7, 1929, Leningrad, Russian S.F.S.R. [now St. Petersburg, Russia] - d. Dec. 12, 2007, Moscow, Russia), Russian diplomat. A Soviet diplomat from 1952, he served as ambassador to India (1977-83), France (1983-86), and Afghanistan (1988-89). He was sent as Soviet envoy to the United Nations in 1990 and, after the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, continued representing Russia until 1994. He was then made Russian ambassador to Washington, where he stayed until 1999. In 2000 UN secretary-general Kofi Annan appointed him special UN envoy dealing with repatriation of Kuwaiti nationals or their remains, and recovery of Kuwaiti property, from Iraq, which had occupied Kuwait in 1990-91.

Vorontsov-Dashkov, Graf (Count) Illarion (Ivanovich) (b. June 8 [May 27, O.S.], 1837, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Jan. 28 [Jan. 15, O.S.], 1916, Alupka, near Yalta, Russia [now in Ukraine]), Russian official; son of Graf Ivan Vorontsov-Dashkov. He was head of the Chief Administration of State Horse Breeding (1881-97), minister of the imperial court and imperial lands (1881-97), and viceroy of the Caucasus (1905-15). He was a great-great-grandfather of French actress Anne Wiazemsky.

Vorontsov-Dashkov, Graf (Count) Ivan (Illarionovich), surname until 1807 Vorontsov (b. June 13 [June 2, O.S.], 1790 - d. July 8 [June 26, O.S.], 1854), Russian diplomat; second nephew of Graf Aleksandr Vorontsov and Graf Semyon Vorontsov. He was chargé d'affaires in Tuscany (1821-22) and minister to Bavaria (1822-27) and Sardinia (1827-32).

Vörös, János (b. March 25, 1891, Csabrendek, Hungary - d. July 23, 1968, Balatonfüred, Hungary), defense minister of Hungary (1944-45). He was also chief of the General Staff (1944, 1945-46).

Voroshilov

Voroshilov, Kliment (Yefremovich) (b. Feb. 4 [Jan. 23, O.S.], 1881, Verkhneye, Russia [now in Ukraine] - d. Dec. 2, 1969, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), Soviet politician. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1903, organized the workers of Lugansk in the revolution of 1905, and suffered frequent arrest and deportation from then till 1917. After the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, he helped organize the Soviet secret police, and during the 1918-20 civil war he was a Red Army commander and police chief in southern Russia and the Ukraine. While defending Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) in 1919, he became closely associated with Iosif Stalin, who was then the political commissar in that region. In 1925 Stalin made him people's commissar for defense. He entered the Politburo of the Communist Party in 1926 and was named a marshal of the Soviet Union in 1935. In 1940 he was removed as defense commissar and made a vice premier. After the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, he was in July made commander of the northwest armies charged with the defense of Leningrad, but, suffering many defeats, was stripped of his command in September. He continued to hold various responsible positions throughout the war. In 1945-46, he headed the Soviet Control Commission in Hungary. After Stalin's death in 1953, he became chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state). In 1960 he retired from this post and from the party Presidium (as the Politburo was then called). In October 1961 he was expelled from the Central Committee and denounced as a member of the "anti-party group" which in 1957 attempted to remove Nikita Khrushchev from power. Following Khrushchev's ouster in 1964, he was reelected to the Central Committee in 1966.

Vorotnikov, Vitaly (Ivanovich) (b. Jan. 20, 1926, Voronezh, Russian S.F.S.R. - d. Feb. 19, 2012, Moscow, Russia), chairman of the Council of Ministers (1983-88) and chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1988-90) of the Russian S.F.S.R. He was also chairman of the Executive Committee of Kuybyshev oblast (1967-71), first secretary of the party committees of Voronezh oblast (1971-75) and Krasnodar kray (1982-83), and Soviet ambassador to Cuba (1979-82).

Vorster, B(althazar) J(ohannes), also called John Vorster (b. Dec. 13, 1915, Jamestown, Cape province [now in Eastern Cape], South Africa - d. Sept. 10, 1983, Cape Town, South Africa), prime minister (1966-78) and state president (1978-79) of South Africa. After the outbreak of World War II he helped to form the militantly anti-British Ossewa Brandwag (Oxwagon Sentinel), becoming "general" of its extremist Stormjaers wing. Detained for undermining the Allied war effort (1942-44), he was at first rejected by the National Party when he tried to enter politics after the war. In 1948 he was narrowly defeated, but in 1953, by then an established party member, he was elected to parliament and made a junior minister. In the 1950s he was allegedly admitted to the influential Broederbond secret society, supporting Hendrik F. Verwoerd's successful candidature for the premiership in 1958. Vorster was then appointed deputy minister of education, arts and science, and social welfare, enforcing the rigidly segregationalist Bantu Education Act. In 1961 he was made minister of justice, police, and prisons, and indiscriminately harried all opponents of the apartheid policy. After Verwoerd's assassination (1966), he was chosen to become the new prime minister. Although he eased some of the petty aspects of apartheid, South Africa experienced burgeoning black unrest (as in Soweto in 1976) and had to adjust to the fall of Portugal's African empire and the rise of Marxist governments on its borders. In 1978 he resigned, pleading ill health, and in October took the largely ceremonial post of president. In November the Information Department scandal, involving a multimillion-dollar slush fund to finance a worldwide propaganda offensive, caught up with him. In June 1979 he resigned in disgrace, after an investigating commission reported he "knew everything" about the fund.

Vos van Steenwijk, (from 1820, Jonkheer; from 1821, Baron) Carel de, heer van Dikninge en de Hogenhof (b. 1759 - d. 1830), president of the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic (1797).

Vos van Steenwijk, Jacob Evert baron de (b. April 30, 1889, Zwolle, Netherlands - d. July 16, 1978, Hoofddorp, Noord-Holland, Netherlands), queen's commissioner of Noord-Holland (1945-54). He was also mayor of Zwolle (1933-37) and Haarlem (1937-41).

Vos van Steenwijk (van den Havixhorst), Jan Arend Godert baron de (b. Feb. 7, 1799, De Wijk, Drenthe, Batavian Republic [now Netherlands] - d. March 7, 1872, Zwolle, Netherlands), governor (1846-50) and king's commissioner (1850-66) of Drenthe. He was also chairman of the First Chamber of the Netherlands (1874-80).

Vos van Steenwijk, Jan Arend Godert baron de (b. Sept. 25, 1818, De Wijk, Drenthe, Netherlands - d. Oct. 17, 1905, Brummen, Gelderland, Netherlands), king's commissioner of Utrecht (1880-82). He was also mayor of Zwolle (1856-67).

Vos van Steenwijk, Joan Arend de, heer van Nijerwal, Oldenhof, Welland en Serooskerke (b. 1746 - d. 1813), president of the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic (1796).

Vos van Steenwijk, Reint Hendrik baron de (b. Nov. 8, 1885, Zwolle, Netherlands - d. June 13, 1964, Zwolle), queen's commissioner of Drenthe (1931-43, 1945-51).

Vos van Steenwijk, Willem Lodewijk baron de (b. July 10, 1859, Dalfsen, Overijssel, Netherlands - d. April 12, 1947, The Hague, Netherlands), Dutch politician; son of Jan Arend Godert baron de Vos van Steenwijk. He was chairman of the First Chamber (1929-46).

Voscherau

Voskresensky

Voscherau, Henning (b. Aug. 13, 1941, Hamburg, Germany - d. Aug. 23/24, 2016, Hamburg), first mayor of Hamburg (1988-97). He was president of the Bundesrat in 1990-91.

Vose, Richard H(ampton) (b. Nov. 8, 1803, Northfield, Mass. - d. Jan. 19, 1864, Augusta, Maine), acting governor of Maine (1841).

Vosganian, Varujan (b. July 25, 1958, Craiova, Romania), finance minister of Romania (2007-08). He was also minister of economy (2006-08, 2012-13) and trade (2006-07) and is known as a writer.

Voshchevsky, Valeriy (Mykolayovych) (b. June 12, 1956, Galitsa, Chernigov oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Halytsya, Chernihiv oblast, Ukraine]), a deputy prime minister of Ukraine (2014-15).

Voskanov, Ruben (Ayrapetovich) (b. June 1 [May 20, O.S.], 1891, Askhabad, Russia [now Ashgabat, Turkmenistan] - d. [executed] Oct. 29, 1938, Saratov, Russian S.F.S.R.), executive secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Bashkir A.S.S.R. (1923-24). He was also people's commissar of transport and communications of the Armenian S.S.R. (1920-21), executive secretary of the party committees of Altay province (1924-25) and Guryev okrug (1929-30), and first secretary of the party committee of Yuzhno-Kazakhstan oblast (1932-33).

Voskanyan, Grant (Mushegovich) (b. May 15, 1924, Aradzhadzor, Armenian S.S.R. - d. Oct. 19, 2005, Yerevan, Armenia), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian S.S.R. (1985-90). He was also first secretary of the party committee of Kirovakan city (1965-67).

Voskresensky, Stanislav (Sergeyevich) (b. Sept. 29, 1976, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Ivanovo oblast (2017- ).

Voss, Augusts, Russian Avgust (Eduardovich) Voss (b. Oct. 30 [Oct. 17, O.S.], 1916, Saltykovo [now in Tyumen oblast], Russia - d. Feb. 8, 1994, Moscow, Russia), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Latvian S.S.R. (1966-84). He was also chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. (1984-89).

Voss-Schrader, Carl (Emil Fredrik) (b. Oct. 9, 1880, Helsinki rural municipality [now Vantaa], Finland - d. Feb. 7, 1955), interior minister of Finland (1919).

Votintsev, Vasily (Petrovich) (b. 1897, Syursovay, Vyatka province [now in Udmurtia republic], Russia - d. Oct. 13, 1983), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Udmurt A.S.S.R. (1949-52). He was also mayor of Izhevsk (1927-28, 1936-38) and deputy premier (1935-36).

Votintsev, Vsevolod (Dmitriyevich) (b. Nov. 24 [Nov. 12, O.S.], 1892, Verny, Russia [now Almaty, Kazakhstan] - d. [executed] Jan. 19, 1919, Tashkent, Russia [now in Uzbekistan]), chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Turkestan S.F.R. (1918-19).

Voto-Bernales Gatica, Jorge (Pablo) (b. Jan. 19, 1944, Lima, Peru), Peruvian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2006-09) and ambassador to Colombia (2009-11).

Vouel, (Jean Baptiste) Raymond (b. April 8, 1923, Rumelange, Luxembourg - d. Feb. 12, 1987), deputy prime minister and finance minister of Luxembourg (1974-76). He was also European commissioner for competition (1976-81).

Vougt, Allan (Georg Fredrik) (b. April 28, 1895, Stockholm, Sweden - d. Jan. 24, 1953), defense minister of Sweden (1945-51) and governor of Malmöhus (1951-53).

Voulgaris, Dimitrios (Georgiou) (b. Jan. 1, 1803 [Dec. 20, 1802, O.S.], Hydra, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] - d. Jan. 10, 1878 [Dec. 29, 1877, O.S.], Athens, Greece), prime minister (1855-57, 1862-63 [president of provisional government], 1863-64, 1865, 1866, 1868-69, 1872, 1874-75) and member of the provisional triumvirate (1862-63) of Greece. He was also minister of marine (1832-33, 1847-48), finance (1848-49), interior (1855-57, 1863-64, 1865, 1866, 1868-69, 1874-75), and foreign affairs (1872).

Voulgaris, Georgios (Dimitriou) (b. 1844 - d. 1892), Greek politician; son of Dimitrios Voulgaris. He was minister of marine (1880).

Voulgaris, Petros (b. Sept. 13, 1883, Hydra, Greece - d. Nov. 26, 1957, Athens, Greece), prime minister of Greece (1945). He was also minister of aviation (1943-44 [in exile], 1945), military (1945), marine (1945), interior (1945), and foreign affairs (1945) and commander-in-chief of the navy (1944-45).

Voutilainen, Uuno (Henrikki) (b. May 30, 1922 - d. March 6, 2002), governor of Mikkeli (1979-89).

Voyevodsky, Stepan (Arkadyevich) (b. April 3 [March 22, O.S.], 1859, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Aug. 18, 1937, Vichy, France), Russian navy minister (1909-11).

Voyevodsky, Stepan (Vasilyevich) (b. 1805, Yuryevo, Smolensk province, Russia - d. Sept. 29 [Sept. 17, O.S.], 1884, St. Petersburg, Russia), governor of Russian America (1854-59).

Vraalsen, Tom (Eric) (b. Jan. 26, 1936, Oslo, Norway - d. Sept. 13, 2021, Oslo), Norwegian politician. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1982-89), minister of development cooperation (1989-90), ambassador to the United Kingdom (1994-96), the United States (1996-2001), and Finland (2001-03), and UN secretary-general's special envoy for humanitarian affairs for The Sudan (1998-2004).

Vrabie, Vitalie (b. Oct. 2, 1964, Costuleni, Moldavian S.S.R.), defense minister of Moldova (2007-09). He was also minister of local public administration (2006-07) and a deputy prime minister (2006-07).

Vranckx, Alfons (Willem) (b. Jan. 24, 1907, Kessel-Lo [now part of Louvain], Belgium - d. June 30, 1979, Louvain), interior minister (1965-66) and justice minister (1968-73) of Belgium.

Vrandecic, Ivo (b. May 11, 1927, Pucisce, near Split, Yugoslavia [now in Croatia]), president of the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia (1986-87).

Vrangel, Baron Aleksandr (Yegorovich) (b. March 23?, 1833, near Narva, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. Sept. 12, 1915, Dresden, Germany), Russian diplomat. He was minister-resident (1897-98) and minister (1898-1906) to Saxony.

Vrangel, Baron Aleksandr (Yevstafyevich) (b. June 5 [May 24, O.S.], 1804, Livonia - d. Jan. 11, 1881 [Dec. 30, 1880, O.S.], St. Petersburg, Russia), governor of Kaspiyskaya oblast (1844-46) and Shemakha province (1846-50).

Vrangel, Baron Andrey (Ivanovich), Swedish in full Heinrich Johann friherre Wrangel af Adinal (b. Dec. 9, 1736 - d. May 23, 1813, Sompäh, Russia [now Sompa, Estonia]), governor of Reval (1786-96).

Vrangel, Baron Ferdinand (Petrovich), German Ferdinand Friedrich Georg Ludwig von Wrangel (b. Jan. 9, 1797 [Dec. 29, 1796, O.S.], Pskov, Russia - d. June 6 [May 25, O.S.], 1870, Dorpat, Russia [now Tartu, Estonia]), Russian navy minister (1855-57). He was also governor of Russian America (1830-35).

Vrangel, Baron Mikhail (Yegorovich) (b. Dec. 29, 1836, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. Oct. 1, 1899, St. Petersburg), governor of Plock (1866-72) and Livonia (1872-74); brother of Baron Aleksandr (Yegorovich) Vrangel.

Vrangel, Baron Pyotr (Nikolayevich) (b. Aug. 27 [Aug. 15, O.S.], 1878, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, Russia [now Zarasai, Lithuania] - d. April 25, 1928, Brussels, Belgium), "White" governor of South Russia (1920); nephew of Baron Mikhail Vrangel and Baron Aleksandr (Yegorovich) Vrangel. Scion of an old Swedish noble family (Wrangel af Ludenhof), he served in the Russian imperial army and continued after the revolution of March 1917, but resigned in August. After the Bolshevik revolution of November, he joined the White forces of Gen. Anton Denikin and succeeded him as commander in April 1920. But his cause was lost, and in November he was evacuated from the Crimea. He thereafter lived in exile in western Europe.

Vranicar Erman, Mateja (b. Nov. 7, 1965), finance minister of Slovenia (2016-18).

Vranitzky

Vranitzky, Franz (b. Oct. 4, 1937, Vienna, Austria), chancellor of Austria (1986-97). After a period in industry he joined the Austrian National Bank. He was deputy head of Creditanstalt from 1976 to 1981 and chief of the country's then second biggest bank, Länderbank, from 1981 to 1984. His banking career led one editor to dub him the "pin-striped socialist." He took over the Austrian government in 1986 and his career was shadowed by that of far-right leader Jörg Haider, who was elected to head the Freedom Party the same year. The urbane, soft-spoken Vranitzky was given credit for Austria's economic upswing during his first four years in office. One of Vranitzky's most triumphant moments came in June 1994 when more than two-thirds of the Austrian electorate voted in a referendum to join the European Union. But the economic picture began to turn sour as the government grappled with an enormous budget deficit in 1995. The coalition argued and then collapsed, forcing a snap election in December. The Social Democrats did better than expected after raising the spectre of Haider coming to power. But the euphoria was short-lived. The writing appeared to be on the wall for Vranitzky after his party's disastrous results in the October 1996 European elections. Pollsters said half of the traditional Social Democrat working class vote had gone to the far right. In January 1997 he resigned as chancellor after months of speculation over his future. He was Austria's most popular politician for most of his 10½ years in power and did much to restore the country's image after the tarnished presidency of Kurt Waldheim, who came under attack for his wartime record in Hitler's Wehrmacht. Vranitzky made his mark as a statesman by acknowledging that Austria shared responsibility for the Nazi Holocaust.

Vrankic, Dragan (b. Jan. 23, 1955, Trebizat village, near Capljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina - d. Oct. 6, 2019, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina), governor of Herzegovina-Neretva (2002).

Vratusa(-Vran), Anton (b. Feb. 21, 1915, Dolnji Slaveci, Austria [now in Slovenia] - d. July 30, 2017), chairman of the Executive Council of Slovenia (1978-80). He was also Yugoslav permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to Jamaica (1967-69) and a deputy premier (1971-78).

Vredeling, Henk, byname of Hendrikus Vredeling (b. Nov. 20, 1924, Amersfoort, Netherlands - d. Oct. 27, 2007, Huis ter Heide, Zeist municipality, Netherlands), defense minister of the Netherlands (1973-76). He was also European commissioner for employment and social affairs (1977-81).

Vredenburch, Ewoud baron van (b. Dec. 12, 1779, Delft, Netherlands - d. June 12, 1861, The Hague, Netherlands), governor/queen's commissioner of Noord-Brabant (1823-26) and Zeeland (1826-53). He became a baron in 1847.

Vredenburch, H(endrik) F(rederik) L(odewijk) K(arel) van, original name (until Oct. 5, 1928) Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Carl Rosarius Caspar Melchior Baltasar van Vredenburch (b. Oct. 31, 1905, Vienna, Austria - d. Nov. 17, 1981, Chéserex, Switzerland), administrator of Tangier (1948-51).

Vreedzaam, Werner (H.W.), Surinamese politician. He was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (c. 1987) and minister of regional development (1988-90).

Vreven, Alfred (Marie Daniël Ghislain Joseph), byname Freddy Vreven (b. March 24, 1937, Sint-Truiden, Belgium - d. June 15, 2000, Jette, Belgium), defense minister of Belgium (1981-85).

Vrevsky, Baron Aleksandr (Borisovich) (b. June 12 [May 31, O.S.], 1834, Golubovo, Pskov province, Russia - d. Nov. 9, 1910, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France), governor-general of Turkestan (1889-98).

Vrhovec, Josip (b. Feb. 9, 1926, Zagreb, Yugoslavia [now in Croatia] - d. Feb. 15, 2006, Zagreb, Croatia), foreign minister of Yugoslavia (1978-82) and secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia (1983-84). In 1984-89 he was a member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia.

Vrière, Adolphe (Pierre Aloïs), baron de (b. April 9, 1806, Bruges, France [now in Belgium] - d. July 16, 1885, Laeken, Belgium), foreign minister of Belgium (1857-61). He was also chargé d'affaires in Denmark (1841-45) and Portugal (1845-47), minister to Portugal (1847), and governor of Namur (1847-48), Hainaut (1848-49), and West Flanders (1849-57).

Vries, Gerrit de, Azn. (Azn. stands for Abrahamszoon) (b. Feb. 22, 1818, Haarlem, Netherlands - d. March 4, 1900, The Hague, Netherlands), justice minister of the Netherlands (1872-74).

Vries, Henri Lucien de (b. Dec. 12, 1909, Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana [now Suriname] - d. April 6, 1987, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands), governor of Suriname (1965-68). He was also chairman of the Staten (parliament) in 1947-49.

Vries, Klaas (George) de (b. April 28, 1943, Hoensbroek, Limburg, Netherlands), interior minister of the Netherlands (2000-02). He was also minister of social affairs and employment (1998-2000).

Vries Czn., Simon de (Czn. for Corneliszoon) (b. Jan. 9, 1869, Zaandam, Netherlands - d. Sept. 27, 1961, Wassenaar, Netherlands), finance minister of the Netherlands (1918-21).

Vrioni, Aziz Pashë (b. 1859, Berat, Ottoman Empire [now in Albania] - d. 19...), finance minister of Albania (1913-14). He was also minister of agriculture and commerce (1914).

Vrioni, Dylber (Irfan) (b. June 4, 1946, Berat, Albania), finance minister of Albania (1994-96). He was also governor of the Bank of Albania (1993-94), a deputy prime minister (1994-96), and minister of privatization (1996-97).

Vrioni, Hysen Bej, foreign minister of Albania (1925-27, 1931-32); cousin of Iliaz Bej Vrioni. He was also justice minister (1921-23).

Vrioni, Iliaz Bej (b. 1882 - d. March 17, 1932, Paris, France), prime minister (1920-21, 1924, 1924-25) and foreign minister (1920-21, 1924, 1924-25, 1927-29) of Albania. He was also minister to France (1925-27, 1929-32) and the United Kingdom (1926-27, 1929-32).

Vrioni, Qemal Bej (b. 1884 - d. 1946, Burrel, Albania), finance minister of Albania (1940-41).

Vrioni, Sami Bej (b. 1876 - d. 1947, Albania), Albanian politician; son-in-law of Esat Pashë Toptani. He was minister of agriculture and public works (1918-20).

Vrolijk, Maarten (b. May 14, 1919, Scheveningen, Netherlands - d. Feb. 7, 1994, The Hague, Netherlands), queen's commissioner of Zuid-Holland (1972-84). He was also Dutch minister of culture, recreation, and social work (1965-66).

Vrolik, Agnites (b. Feb. 28, 1810, Amsterdam, Holland [now in Netherlands] - d. June 8, 1894, Arnhem, Netherlands), finance minister of the Netherlands (1854-58).

Vronchenko, Graf Fyodor (Pavlovich) (b. 1779, Kopys, Mogilyov province, Russia [now in Vitsebsk voblasts, Belarus] - d. April 18 [April 6, O.S.], 1852, St. Petersburg, Russia), finance minister of Russia (1844-52). He was made a Graf (count) in 1849.

Vroom, Peter D(umont) (b. Dec. 12, 1791, Hillsboro, N.J. - d. Nov. 18, 1873, Trenton, N.J.), governor of New Jersey (1829-32, 1833-36). He was also U.S. minister to Prussia (1853-57).

Vrublevsky, Cheslav (Iosifovich) (b. Oct. 7 [Sept. 24, O.S.], 1900, Riga, Russia [now in Latvia] - d. May 1986, Kharkov, Ukrainian S.S.R. [now Kharkiv, Ukraine]), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of Mari autonomous oblast/A.S.S.R. (1935-37).

Vrublevsky, Mykola (Yevtykhiyovych) (b. Feb. 16 [Feb. 4, O.S.], 1897, Runkoshev, Russia [now Runkoshiv, Khmelnytskyi oblast, Ukraine] - d. Dec. 25, 1918), member of the All-Ukrainian Bureau for Directing the Partisan Resistance Against the German Occupiers (1918).

Vsevolozhsky, Andrey (Nikitich) (b. 1840 - d. 1893), governor of Tavrida (1881-90); nephew of Nikolay Zherebtsov; great-grandson of Nikita Beketov.

Vu Dinh Hoe (b. June 1, 1912, Do Lo village, Thanh Oai district, Ha Dong province [now part of Hanoi], Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. Jan. 29, 2011, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), justice minister of North Vietnam (1946-60). He was also minister of education (1945-46).

Vu Dinh Lieu, also known as Tu Binh (b. April 10, 1918, Khanh Thon commune, My Loc district, Nam Dinh province, Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. June 17, 2005, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), a deputy premier of Vietnam (1982-87). He was also mayor of Ho Chi Minh City (1977-79) and secretary of the party committee of Hau Giang province (1979-82).

Vu Duc Dam (b. Feb. 3, 1963, Hai Duong province, North Vietnam [now in Vietnam]), a deputy prime minister of Vietnam (2013-23). He was also chairman of the People's Committee (2008-10) and the party committee (2010-11) of Quang Ninh province, minister-chairman of the Government Office (2011-13), and head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (2020-21).

Vu Khoan (b. Oct. 7, 1937, Phu Xuyen district, Ha Dong province [now part of Hanoi], Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. June 21, 2023, Hanoi), a deputy prime minister of Vietnam (2002-06). He was also minister of trade (2000-02).

Vu Trong Khanh (b. March 13, 1912, Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. Jan. 22, 1996, Haiphong, Vietnam), justice minister of North Vietnam (1945-46). He was also mayor of Haiphong (1945).

Vu Tuan (b. 1922, Hai Duong province, Tonkin [now in Vietnam]), finance minister of Vietnam (1986-87). He was also minister of light industry (1975-77, 1987-90), the prime minister's office (1977-81), and food industry (1981-82).

Vu Van Mau (b. July 25, 1914, Hanoi, Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. Aug. 20, 1998, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France), prime minister of South Vietnam (1975). He served as foreign minister (1955-63) under Pres. Ngo Dinh Diem and as ambassador to Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands (1964-65). He was president of South Vietnam's pacifist Forces for National Reconciliation party before the country's collapse. He was the last prime minister of South Vietnam; North Vietnam's Communist forces overran Saigon two days after he was appointed on April 28, 1975. He remained in Vietnam until 1988, when he settled in France.

Vu Van Ninh (b. Feb. 23, 1955, Nam Dinh province, North Vietnam [now in Vietnam]), finance minister (2006-11) and a deputy prime minister (2011-16) of Vietnam.

Vucevic

Vucevic, Milos (b. Dec. 10, 1974, Novi Sad, Serbia), defense minister and a deputy prime minister (2022-24) and prime minister (2024- ) of Serbia. He has also been mayor of Novi Sad (2012-22) and president of the Serbian Progressive Party (2023- ).

Vucheva, Hristina (Angelova) (b. Feb. 15, 1937, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria - d. Oct. 15, 2020), finance minister and a deputy prime minister of Bulgaria (1994-95).

A. Vucic

Vucic, Aleksandar (b. March 5, 1970, Belgrade, Serbia), prime minister (2014-17) and president (2017- ) of Serbia. He was also information minister (1998-2000), president of the Serbian Progressive Party (2012-23), defense minister (2012-13), and first deputy prime minister (2012-14).

Vucic, Borka (b. April 4, 1926, Komiric, near Valjevo, Yugoslavia [now in Serbia] - d. [car accident] Aug. 1, 2009, Belgrade-Nis highway, near Lapovo, Serbia), acting president of the National Assembly of Serbia (2007). She was Yugoslav minister for cooperation with the international financial organizations in 1999-2000.

Vucinic, Boro (b. Sept. 1, 1954, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), defense minister of Montenegro (2006-12). He was also minister of environmental protection and urban planning (2004-06) and head of the National Security Agency (2012-14).

Vucinic, Milutin (b. April 24 [April 12, O.S.], 1869, Gornji Rogami, Montenegro - d. Sept. 14, 1922, Rome, Italy), defense minister (1919-22) and prime minister and finance minister (1921-22) of Montenegro in exile.

Vucinic, Vladimir (b. March 11, 1982, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), Montenegrin diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (2023-24).

Vuillaume, Paul (b. 1896 - d. June 9, 1975), governor of Gabon (1943-44).

Vujanovic

Vujanovic, Filip (b. Sept. 1, 1954, Belgrade, Serbia), justice minister (1993-95), interior minister (1995-98), prime minister (1998-2003), parliament speaker and acting president (2002-03), and president (2003-18) of Montenegro.

Vujic, Mihailo (V.) (b. Nov. 7 [Oct. 26, O.S.], 1853, Belgrade, Serbia - d. March 14 [March 1, O.S.], 1913, Susak, Austria [now in Croatia]), foreign minister (1901-02) and prime minister (1901-02) of Serbia. He was also finance minister (1887, 1889-91, 1893-94, 1896-97) and minister to France (1900-01), Austria-Hungary (1903-06), Germany (1906-09), and Italy (1909-13?).

Vujovic, Irena (b. April 3, 1983, Belgrade, Serbia), Serbian politician. She has been environment minister (2020- ) and a deputy prime minister (2024- ).

Vujovic, Milorad, byname Miso Vujovic (b. May 17, 1956, Mikulici, Montenegro), a deputy prime minister of Montenegro (2016).

Vukaj, Helga (Hasanlliu) (b. July 14, 1978), finance minister of Albania (2017).

Vukaj, Shaqir (Bejto) (b. Aug. 20, 1942, Shkodër, Albania), defense minister of Albania (1997). He was also chargé d'affaires in Bulgaria (late 1970s), minister of trade and tourism (1997-98), and ambassador to Russia (1998-2001) and the Czech Republic (2002-05).

Vukasinovic, Milos, Bosnian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-18).

Vukcevic, Dragan K. (b. Jan. 8, 1958, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), foreign minister of Montenegro (1989-91).

Vukcevic, Krunoslav, byname Kruno Vukcevic (b. April 21, 1933, Podgorica, Yugoslavia [now in Montenegro] - d. April 3, 2018, Belgrade, Serbia), a deputy prime minister of Montenegro (1992-96).

Vukcevic, Risto (Dj.) (b. Jan. 7, 1929, Lijesnje, near Podgorica, Yugoslavia [now in Montenegro] - d. Oct. 25, 1994, Podgorica), Montenegrin politician. He was president of the Skupstina (1990-94).

Vukelic, Branko (b. March 9, 1958, Cerovac Vukmanicki, Croatia - d. May 3, 2013, Karlovac, Croatia), defense minister of Croatia (2008-10). He was also minister of economy, labour, and entrepreneurship (2003-08).

Vukic, Zdenko (b. June 14, 1959, Novi Travnik [now in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]), premier of Central Bosnia (1999-2001).

Vukmanovic-Tempo, Svetozar (b. Aug. 3, 1912, Podgor, Montenegro - d. Aug. 6, 2000, Rezevici, Montenegro), Yugoslav politician. He was minister of mines (1948-50), chairman of the Council for Energy and Extractive Industry (1950-51), the Council for Industry and Construction (1951-53), and the Economic Council (1953-58), a deputy premier (1954-58), and president of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia (1958-67).

Vukovic, Miodrag (b. Jan. 14, 1955, Kotor, Montenegro - d. Sept. 15, 2022, Podgorica, Montenegro), a deputy prime minister of Montenegro (1996-98).

Vukovic, Novica, finance minister of Montenegro (2023- ).

Vukovics, Sebö (b. July 20, 1811, Fiume, France [now Rijeka, Croatia] - d. Nov. 19, 1872, London, England), justice minister of Hungary (1849).

Vuksanovic-Stankovic, Draginja (b. April 7, 1978, Bar, Montenegro), Montenegrin politician. She was a presidential candidate (2018, 2023) and leader of the Social Democratic Party (2019-21).

Vulchev, Daniel (Vasilev) (b. Aug. 10, 1962, Burgas, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. He was a deputy prime minister and minister of education and science (2005-09).

Vulcheva, Drazha (Deleva) (b. Oct. 10, 1930, Gorna Mahala, Bulgaria - d. May 26, 2016, Sofia, Bulgaria), a deputy premier of Bulgaria (1979-81). She was also first secretary of the Communist Party committee of Plovdiv district (1971-77) and minister of education (1977-79).

Vulin, Aleksandar (b. Oct. 2, 1972, Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia), defense minister (2017-20) and interior minister (2020-22) of Serbia. He has also been a minister without portfolio (2013-14), minister of labour, employment, veteran and social issues (2014-17), chief of the Security Information Agency (2022-23), and a deputy prime minister (2024- ).

Vulkanov (Ivanov), Velko (b. Nov. 16, 1927, Elhovo, Bulgaria - d. Nov. 26, 2016), Bulgarian presidential candidate (1992).

Vulkov, Ivan (Vulkov) (b. Jan. 19, 1875, Kazanluk, Ottoman Empire [now in Bulgaria] - d. April 20, 1962), war minister of Bulgaria (1923-29). He was also minister to Italy (1929-34).

Vulkov, Mishko (Hristov) (b. Nov. 14, 1919, Sofia, Bulgaria - d. May 15, 1993, Sofia), justice minister of Bulgaria (1992-93).

Vulkov, Viktor (Georgiev) (b. April 3, 1936, Sofia, Bulgaria - d. July 6?, 2022), foreign minister of Bulgaria (1990-91). He was also ambassador to Turkey (1993-98) and Croatia (2002-06).

Vult von Steyern, Nils Henrik (b. Dec. 29, 1839, Landeryd, Östergötland, Sweden - d. May 27, 1899, Stockholm, Sweden), justice minister of Sweden (1880-88).

Vunagi

Vunagi, Sir David (Okete Vuvuiri) (b. Sept. 5, 1950, Samasodu, Santa Isabel island, Solomon Islands), governor-general of the Solomon Islands (2019-24); knighted 2019. He was Anglican archbishop of Melanesia (2009-15).

Vunibobo

Vunibobo, Berenado (b. Sept. 24, 1932, Nukutubu village, Fiji - d. Dec. 27, 2015, Suva, Fiji), foreign minister of Fiji (1997-99). He was also permanent representative to the United Nations (1976-80 [also ambassador to the U.S. and Canada], 2008-10) and minister of trade and commerce (1988-92), home affairs and immigration (1994), and finance and economic development (1994-97).

Vuong Dinh Hue (b. March 15, 1957, Nghi Xuan commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province, North Vietnam [now in Vietnam]), finance minister (2011-13) and a deputy prime minister (2016-20) of Vietnam. He has also been chief state auditor (2006-11), secretary of the party committee of Hanoi (2020-21), and chairman of the National Assembly (2021- ).

Vuong Van Bac (b. May 6, 1927, Bac Ninh, Tonkin [now in Vietnam] - d. June 20, 2011, Paris, France), foreign minister of South Vietnam (1973-75). He was also ambassador to the United Kingdom (1972-73).

Vural, Volkan (b. Dec. 29, 1941, Istanbul, Turkey), Turkish diplomat. He was ambassador to Iran (1987-88), the Soviet Union/Russia (1988-93), Germany (1995-98), and Spain (2003-07) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1998-2000).

Vuralhan, (Mehmet) Ercan (b. 1943, Malatya, Turkey - d. [killed] April 18, 2018, Istanbul, Turkey), defense minister of Turkey (1987-89). He was also ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1987).

Vurbenov, Dimitur (Hristov) (b. 1884, Pleven, Bulgaria - d. 1961, Sofia, Bulgaria), justice minister of Bulgaria (1931-32).

Vurobaravu

Vurobaravu, Nikenike (b. Dec. 3, 1951), president of Vanuatu (2022- ). He was also permanent representative to the United Nations (1985-89) and high commissioner to Fiji (2014-15, 2017-22).

Vutov, Petur (Georgiev) (b. Oct. 2, 1917, Burkach, Bulgaria - d. Nov. 6, 1993), Bulgarian diplomat/politician. He was chargé d'affaires in the United States (1948-50), minister to India (1955-56) and the United States (1960-62), permanent representative to the United Nations (1956-59), chairman of the Committee of Culture and Arts (1963-66), and ambassador to the United Kingdom (1966-69), the Netherlands (1969-72), and Egypt (1974-78).

Vyapoory

Vyapoory, Barlen, byname of Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory (b. 1945?), vice president (2016-18) and acting president (2018-19) of Mauritius. He was also high commissioner to South Africa (2015-16).

Vyas, Ram Kishore (b. May 8, 1908 - d. April 16, 1981, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India), lieutenant governor of Pondicherry (1980-81).

Vyazemsky, Knyaz (Prince) Aleksandr (Alekseyevich) (b. Aug. 14 [Aug. 3, O.S.], 1727 - d. Jan. 19 [Jan. 8, O.S.], 1793, St. Petersburg, Russia), Russian prosecutor-general (1764-92); son-in-law of Knyaz Nikita Trubetskoy.

Vyazemsky, Knyaz (Prince) Leonid (Dmitriyevich) (b. Aug. 19, 1848, Lotarevo estate, Tambov province [now in Lipetsk oblast], Russia - d. Nov. 24, 1909, Lausanne, Switzerland), governor of Astrakhan (1888-90); son-in-law of Graf Vladimir Levashov. He was also great-grandfather of French actress Anne Wiazemsky (and great-grandfather-in-law of her husband, French film director Jean-Luc Godard).

Vyazmitinov, Graf Sergey (Kuzmich) (b. Oct. 18 [Oct. 7, O.S.], 1744, Rylsky district, Belgorod province, Russia - d. Oct. 27 [Oct. 15, O.S.], 1819, St. Petersburg, Russia), governor of Mogilyov (1790-93), governor-general of Simbirsk and Ufa (1794-96), military governor of Orenburg (1796), Kamenets-Podolsky (1796), and Chernigov (1796-97), minister of land forces (1802-08) and police (1812-19) of Russia, and military governor (1805-08, 1812-16) and military governor-general (1816-18) of St. Petersburg. He was made a Graf (count) in 1818.

Výborný, Marek (b. July 10, 1976, Hermanuv Mestec, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), Czech politician; son of Miloslav Výborný. He has been agriculture minister (2023- ).

Výborný, Miloslav (b. Feb. 19, 1952, Chrudim, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), defense minister of the Czech Republic (1996-98). He was also minister-chairman of the Legislative Council (1998).

Vynnychenko

Vynnychenko, Volodymyr (Kyrylovych) (Ukrainian), Russian Vladimir (Kirillovich) Vinnichenko (b. July 28, 1880, Veliky Kut village, Yelizavetgrad district, Kherson province, Russia [now Velyky Kut, Ukraine] - d. 1951, Mougins, near Cannes, France), chairman of the Directory of the non-Communist Ukraine (1918-19).

Vyshinsky

Vyshinsky, Andrey (Yanuaryevich), Vyshinsky also spelled Vishinsky (b. Dec. 10 [Nov. 28, O.S.], 1883, Odessa, Russia [now in Ukraine] - d. Nov. 22, 1954, New York City), Soviet statesman. Joining the Menshevik branch of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party in 1903, he was active in the revolution of 1905 and imprisoned briefly thereafter. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1920. He was a prosecutor at the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. (1923-25) and prosecutor of the Russian S.F.S.R. (1931-33) and was involved in several famous trials of alleged saboteurs and counterrevolutionaries. He became deputy prosecutor (1933-35) and prosecutor (1935-39) of the Soviet Union and attracted international attention during the Metro-Vickers trial (1933), in which several British engineers were accused of trying to wreck Soviet hydroelectric construction, and during the Great Purge trials (1936-38), in which he relentlessly prosecuted many prominent former Soviet leaders for treason and the defendants outdid each other in the magnitude of their "confessions." Becoming deputy commissar of foreign affairs (Sept. 7, 1940), as well as a member of the party's Central Committee, he supervised the absorption of Latvia by the Soviet Union (1940) and helped to bring Romania under Communist control (1945). In 1949 he became foreign minister. Representing the Soviet Union at the United Nations, he was known, particularly after the outbreak of the Korean War, for vituperative attacks on the West and especially the United States as the leading "warmonger." Immediately after Iosif Stalin's death in 1953, Vyshinsky was demoted to first deputy foreign minister but remained at the United Nations as the permanent Soviet representative, now adopting an unusually conciliatory attitude.

Vyshnegradsky, Ivan (Alekseyevich) (b. Jan. 1, 1832 [Dec. 20, 1831, O.S.], Vyshny Volochok, Tver province [now oblast], Russia - d. April 6 [March 25, O.S.], 1895, St. Petersburg, Russia), finance minister of Russia (1887-92).

Vystrcil

Vystrcil, Milos (b. Aug. 10, 1960, Dacice, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), governor of Vysocina kraj (2004-08). He has also been president of the Senate of the Czech Republic (2020- ).

Vyurtembergsky, Gertsog Aleksandr (Fridrikh Karl), also spelled Virtembergsky, German Alexander Friedrich Karl Herzog von Württemberg (b. April 24, 1771, Mömpelgard, Württemberg [now Montbéliard, Doubs, France] - d. July 4, 1833, Gotha, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [now in Thüringen, Germany]), Russian official; brother of Friedrich I; brother-in-law of Pavel I. He was military governor of Vitebsk and Mogilyov (1811-12, 1815-22) and head of the Chief Administration of Communications (1822-32).

Vyvere, Aloïs (Joannes Maria Jozef/Jean Marie Joseph), burggraaf/vicomte van de (b. June 8, 1871, Tielt, Belgium - d. Oct. 22, 1961, Paris, France), finance minister (1914-18, 1925), justice minister (1921), and prime minister (1925) of Belgium. He was also minister of agriculture (1911-12, 1925-26), public works (1911-12), railways (1912-14), and economic affairs (1920-24). He became burggraaf in 1929.