Perseverant, industrious, hard-working, and creative are some of the characteristics that define these Venezuelans who, from each of their roles, lead the way to a country where civil, political, social, and economic rights are respected.

Just as they did with the contributions of ten Venezuelan women, Efecto Cocuyo and the drawings of Shari Avendaño open a new space to recognize the tenacious work of ten men who save, care for, and defend lives, or feed them arts and education.

The country owes a lot to them, and we thank them for everything they do.

Jorge Glem – Musician

A hit for Venezuela traditional music. “Tiempo al Tiempo”, a joint project between C4 Trío and the Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique took home the Grammy for Best Folk Album. We acclaim Jorge Glem, one of the members of C4 Trío along Hector Molina, Rodner Padilla, El Negro Álvarez, and Edward Ramirez, for bringing joy and pride to the country.

Glem was nominated for a Grammy for the first time in 2017. He is a cuatro player, mandolinist, arranger and music producer. He has accompanied several folk bands such as Ensamble Gurrufío, Serenata Guayanesa, and El Cuarteto, in addition to the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.

Jon Paul Rodriguez – Ecologist

A victory for the environment. Ecologist Jon Paul Rodríguez was awarded the Whitley Gold Award (known as the Green Oscar) for his work on rescuing the yellow-shouldered parrot from extinction in the Macanao Peninsula, Margarita Island. Rodriguez managed to raise the parrot population in the peninsula from 700 birds to 1,700 in 2019.

The members of the local community were directly included by the specialists involved in the project. They became Eco-guardians and protected the chicks during the breeding season from the threat of hunters.

Marino Alvarado – Human Rights Activist

2019 was a hectic year for human rights defenders, and Marino Alvarado has had no rest. A lawyer, founding member, and coordinator of the Venezuelan Education – Action on Human Rights Program (Provea), he has kept track of human rights violations in the country alongside his team.

Alvarado was awarded the National Human Rights Prize in 2015 by the Canadian Embassy. In his opinion, there has been a reversal and non-compliance by the ruling chavismo, who has ignored the commitments it made before the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during her visit to Venezuela in June 2019.

Rafael Arráiz Lucca – Writer and Historian

Dr. Rafael Arráiz Lucca’s work experience can be traced across laws, history, and academia. He is a lawyer, a Doctor of History from the Andrés Bello Catholic University (Ucab) and a Head Professor at the Metropolitan University. In November 2005 he was elected to occupy a chair in the Venezuelan Academy of Language.

In 2007, the Government of Spain granted him the Order of Isabella The Catholic as Commander. At the end of 2018, he published his latest book, “La otra búsqueda” (The Other Search), where he recounts his inner search and how he approached Eastern cultures. His work is made up of more than 80 titles of chronicles, books for children, poetry, biographies, history and more. Currently, he hosts Venezolanos, a radio show where he recalls the memories of the country.

Feliciano Reyna – Human Rights Activist

A hard-working man that pursues solutions. Feliciano Reyna has dedicated himself to being one of the spokespersons for the complex humanitarian emergency that Venezuela is experiencing. He is an architect and founder of the NGOs Civilis, Coalición de Organizaciones por el Derecho a la Salud y la Vida (The Coalition for the Right to Healthcare and the Right to Life, Codevida) and Asociación Civil Acción Solidaria en Venezuela (Solidary Action in Venezuela, ACSOL). He was awarded the Human Rights Prize of the Canadian Embassy in 2010.

He was the president of Red de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil (the Civil Society Organizations Network, Sinergia), which groups 54 organizations that promote the defense of human rights. He managed to include this organization in Mesa de Articulación (the Articulation Board), a coalition of Human Rights Organizations with a presence in the Inter-American Human Rights System.

José Balza – Writer and Essayist

After a vast career in literature, José Balza deposited his legacy in the Caja de las Letras (The Vault of Literature) of the Instituto Cervantes in September 2019. The old vault of the Institute -formerly part of a bank-, houses in its safe the legacies of about thirty writers, artists, and scientists. It received Balza’s works in a dark green package, becoming the first such deposit from Venezuela that is kept in this place. His work is composed of more than 70 titles that include stories, novels, and essays.

Eugenio Suárez – Baseball Player

On September 19, Eugenio Suarez emerged as the new king of the Venezuelan home run in the major league, beating Andrés ‘El Gato’ Galarraga’s record that lasted for 23 years. The Cincinnati Reds player hit his 48th home run to surpass the mark of 47 imposed by “The Big Cat” in 1996 when he played for the Colorado Rockies.

He debuted in the majors in June 2014, when he was 22 years old. He was signed by the Detroit Tigers, and after going through the minor categories, was called to the big team. In 2016 he became a head player in the Cincinnati team roster.

José Virtuoso – Jesuit Priest and Rector of the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB)

One can tell when Father José Virtuoso’s daily work begins, but not when it ends. From academia to the political debate, the Jesuit priest has done a commendable job on the formation of knowledge and social impact. He is a political scientist and the current rector of the Andrés Bello Catholic University (Ucab).

He was the director of the Centro de Investigación y Acción Social Jesuita en Venezuela (the Jesuit Research and Social Action Center in Venezuela), the Gumilla Center. He became ordained as a priest in 1990 and graduated in Political Sciences from Rafael Urdaneta University in 1986. He has been a university professor since 1994.

Óscar Noya – Parasitology Expert

Óscar Noya chaired the Center for Malaria Studies of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) for almost 30 years. This center has kept track of the spread and treatment of malaria in the country.

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that Venezuela registered up to 665 thousand cases of the disease. However, according to Noya, these numbers do not reflect the size of the epidemic. In the first four months of 2018 alone, this institution treated more than 1,400 cases, in comparison to only 27 patients being received in 2007.

Jacobo Borges – Artist

Jacobo Borges has been stirring our senses with his art for decades. His works have been exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Bronx Museum of Art in New York, in the Museum of Modern Art of Mexico, in the Adriana Schmidt Gallery in Cologne (Germany), in the Institute of Hispanic Culture in Madrid, Spain, in the Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, and many more. He represented Venezuela at the XLIII Venice Biennale. In 1995 the museum that bears his name in Catia (Caracas) was inaugurated. He is an exemplary Venezuelan.