Henri Falcón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henri Falcón
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Falcón in 2018
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| President of Progressive Advance | |
| In office 27 June 2012 – 22 March 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Semtei |
| Governor of Lara | |
| In office 13 December 2008 – 16 October 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Luis Reyes Reyes |
| Succeeded by | Carmen Meléndez |
| Mayor of Iribarren Municipality | |
| In office 30 July 2000 – 13 December 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Macario González |
| Succeeded by | Amalia Saez |
| Member of the 1999 Constituent Assembly for Lara State |
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| In office 3 August 1999 – 20 November 1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 June 1961 Nirgua, Yaracuy, Venezuela |
| Political party | HF Venezuela (2024-present) Progressive Advance (2012–2022) Fatherland for All (2010-2012) United Socialist Party of Venezuela (2007-2010) Fifth Republic Movement (1997-2007) |
| Other political affiliations |
Unitary Platform (2022-present) Democratic Alliance (2020-2022) Agreement for Change (2018-2020) Democratic Unity Roundtable (2012-2018) |
| Spouse | Marielba Díaz de Falcón |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Universidad Santa María Bolivarian Military Technical Academy |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer, military officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Venezuela |
| Branch/service |  Venezuelan Army |
Henri Falcón Fuentes (born on June 19, 1961) is a Venezuelan politician and lawyer. He used to be a military officer. He served as the mayor of Barquisimeto for eight years, from 2000 to 2008. After that, he became the Governor of Lara State and held that position until 2017. In 2018, he ran for president of Venezuela.
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About Henri Falcón
Henri Falcón was born in Nirgua, a town in Venezuela. He started his studies in Valencia before joining the Venezuelan army in Caracas. He left the army as a "Maestro Técnico de Primera," which is a high rank for a non-commissioned officer. In 1987, he married Marielba Díaz, and they have four children. Later, he studied political science at Simón Bolívar University.
His Political Journey
While studying in Caracas, Henri Falcón met Hugo Chávez, who later became president. Through Chávez, he also met Luis Reyes Reyes, who was a governor of Lara State. In 1999, Falcón was chosen to be a representative for Lara State in the National Constituent Assembly. This group helped write a new constitution for Venezuela.
Becoming a Mayor
In the year 2000, Henri Falcón was elected as the mayor of Barquisimeto. This city is the third largest in Venezuela. He won with more than half of the votes. People liked his work, and he was re-elected as mayor in 2004 with even more votes.
Serving as Governor
In 2008, Falcón was elected as the governor of Lara State. He was part of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) at that time. He won with a large number of votes. As governor, he did not support a change to the Venezuelan constitution in 2009, even though the public later approved it. He was re-elected as governor in 2012. This time, he ran as a candidate for the opposition group called the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). He won against the former governor, Luis Reyes Reyes.
Changing Political Parties
In 2007, the political party Falcón belonged to, the Fifth Republic Movement, changed into the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). However, in 2010, Governor Falcón decided to leave the PSUV. He joined a different party called Patria Para Todos (Fatherland for All). He explained that he felt there wasn't enough chance for leaders like him to share their ideas or disagree with the president. He believed that decisions should be discussed more openly.
In 2012, Falcón started his own political party called Progressive Advance. This party worked with the opposition group, the MUD. They supported Henrique Capriles in the 2012 presidential election against Hugo Chávez. In 2018, Henri Falcón announced that he would run for president himself. The election was first planned for April but was moved to May 2018.
His Political Ideas
Henri Falcón has shared his thoughts on how Venezuela should be governed.
Views on Venezuela's Government
Falcón once supported the "Chavista" movement, which followed Hugo Chávez's ideas. But he later disagreed with its direction. When he left the PSUV in 2010, he said the party had problems like too much bureaucracy and not enough discussion. He felt that leaders should be able to share their different ideas. He also believed that the government's way of doing things was "finished." However, he warned against sudden, extreme changes. Because he had experience with both the government and opposition groups, some people thought he could be important in helping Venezuela move forward.
Views on International Relations
Henri Falcón has also had different views on international matters compared to some other opposition leaders. For example, in 2015, when the U.S. President issued an order about Venezuela, Falcón called it "threatening" and "unfriendly." He felt it was disrespectful to all Venezuelans and interfered with the country's internal affairs.
His Party: From "Futuro" to "HF Venezuela"
In March 2022, Falcón announced a new political group called "Futuro." However, in March 2024, he stated that the name of his party, "Futuro," had been taken by a small group of leaders connected to the government. He said that he and his team are still committed to working for change and support María Corina Machado, who won the primary elections in October 2023. Falcón explained that his group does not recognize or support the candidate registered under the "Futuro" name by the ruling party. Because of this, he announced that his organization would now be called "HF Venezuela."
See also
In Spanish: Henri Falcón para niños
