Roberto Smith
Encyclopedia
Roberto Smith Perera is a Venezuela
n businessman and politician
.
, in Lara State
in 1958. He attended Colegio La Salle in Barquisimeto and Instituto Escuela in Caracas. He received a Bachelor's Degree
in Mathematics
from Universidad Simón Bolívar
in 1981. He went on to obtain his Master's Degree
and a Ph.D
in Public Policy at Harvard University
in Cambridge between 1983 and 1987. Roberto Smith is married to Marina Pocaterra since December 22, 1983; they met when they were studying at Universidad Simón Bolívar. They have three daughters: Maria Elisa, Maria Corina Smith and Maria Sofia.
Smith was president of the Students' Center and a student delegate to the Directive Council and Superior Council of the Universidad Simón Bolívar
. He was also coordinator of the "Seminario Venezuela" at Harvard and member of the board of directors of the Fundación Universidad Metropolitana and the Instituto de Ingeniería.
, Smith was appointed Minister of Transportation and Communications on July 26, 1990, a position where he would remain until January 10, 1992. During this period, he created the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) to promote private investments and modern government regulstion in this sector, and the Urban Transportation Fund (FONTUR) to promote the modernization fo publi transport in the country.
Roberto Smith served as ambassador
to the European Union
, Belgium
, and Luxembourg
between the years 1992 and 1996.
In October of 2004, Smith was a candidate in Vargas's gubernatorial election. He lost to the incumbent chavista governor, Antonio Rodríguez San Juan
receiving 13,598 votes, or 19.3 percent. In 2008 he competed again, obtaining 46,000 votes.
Roberto Smith served as president of IMPSAT Telecommunications in Caracas and the Sistema Satelital Andino Simón Bolívar. Smith helped create microjuris.com, an internet legal service for lawyers available in several countries in Latin America
. He helped to establish Venezuela's third and largest cellular telephone company, Digitel
in 1997. He served as its president between the years 1997 and 2002. He also founded Digicel, a cellular telephone company in El Salvador
and Guatemala
.
He is currently dedicated to found and develop new businesses in real estate and health services.
.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n businessman and politician
Politics of Venezuela
|The politics of Venezuela occurs in a framework explained in Government of Venezuela.There are currently two major blocs of political parties in Venezuela: the incumbent leftist bloc United Socialist Party of Venezuela , its major allies Fatherland for All and the Communist Party of Venezuela ,...
.
Early years & Education Activity
Roberto Smith was born in BarquisimetoBarquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, in Lara State
Lara (state)
Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...
in 1958. He attended Colegio La Salle in Barquisimeto and Instituto Escuela in Caracas. He received a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from Universidad Simón Bolívar
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar University or USB, is a public institution located in Miranda State, Venezuela with scientific and technological orientation....
in 1981. He went on to obtain his Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Public Policy at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in Cambridge between 1983 and 1987. Roberto Smith is married to Marina Pocaterra since December 22, 1983; they met when they were studying at Universidad Simón Bolívar. They have three daughters: Maria Elisa, Maria Corina Smith and Maria Sofia.
Smith was president of the Students' Center and a student delegate to the Directive Council and Superior Council of the Universidad Simón Bolívar
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar University or USB, is a public institution located in Miranda State, Venezuela with scientific and technological orientation....
. He was also coordinator of the "Seminario Venezuela" at Harvard and member of the board of directors of the Fundación Universidad Metropolitana and the Instituto de Ingeniería.
Political Activity
During the second presidential term of Carlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
, Smith was appointed Minister of Transportation and Communications on July 26, 1990, a position where he would remain until January 10, 1992. During this period, he created the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) to promote private investments and modern government regulstion in this sector, and the Urban Transportation Fund (FONTUR) to promote the modernization fo publi transport in the country.
Roberto Smith served as ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
between the years 1992 and 1996.
In October of 2004, Smith was a candidate in Vargas's gubernatorial election. He lost to the incumbent chavista governor, Antonio Rodríguez San Juan
Antonio Rodríguez San Juan
Antonio Rodriguez San Juan, is a Venezuela Politician. He was the governor of Vargas State from 2000 to 2008. He is a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela of Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez.-External links:*...
receiving 13,598 votes, or 19.3 percent. In 2008 he competed again, obtaining 46,000 votes.
Business person
After finishing his Ph.D., Roberto Smith worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co's energy group between 1987 and 1989. in Washington D.C. He the moved back to Caracas to work as national coordinator of the Eight National Development Plan in the Presidential Office for Coordination and Planning.Roberto Smith served as president of IMPSAT Telecommunications in Caracas and the Sistema Satelital Andino Simón Bolívar. Smith helped create microjuris.com, an internet legal service for lawyers available in several countries in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. He helped to establish Venezuela's third and largest cellular telephone company, Digitel
Corporación Digitel, C.A.
Digitel GSM is a mobile phone company in Venezuela, and the country's first to deploy a GSM network and to establish a per second charging scheme. Early in 2007, Digitel surpassed 3 million subscribers and is currently placed third, behind CANTV's Movilnet and Telefonica's Movistar.Digitel's growth...
in 1997. He served as its president between the years 1997 and 2002. He also founded Digicel, a cellular telephone company in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
He is currently dedicated to found and develop new businesses in real estate and health services.
Venezuelan presidential election
Smith was proposed to be the presidential pre-candidate for his Venezuela de Primera ("Venezuela First") political organization in the December 2006 election. On August 24, 2006, Smith withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed the unified opposition's presidential candidacy of Manuel RosalesManuel Rosales
Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero is a Venezuelan educator and politician and was the most prominent opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential election, losing to incumbent Hugo Chávez...
.