José Rafael Pocaterra

Who is José Rafael Pocaterra?

José Rafael Pocaterra was a Venezuelan writer, journalist and politician. He was imprisoned in 1907 to 1908 for his work on the opposition newspaper Caín, and again from 1919 to 1922 after participating in Luis Rafael Pimentel's attempt to overthrow the dictator Juan Vicente Gómez. Whilst in prison he wrote the history book Memorias de un venezolano de la decadencia and the novel La casa de los Ábila. Later he participated in Román Delgado Chalbaud's ill-fated 1929 Falke expedition aimed at over-throwing Juan Vicente Gómez. Under Eleazar López Contreras he was Minister of Communications, and then held a variety of ambassadorial posts until he resigned as Ambassador to Washington in 1950 following the assassination of Carlos Delgado Chalbaud.

He was a contributor to El Heraldo de Cuba, amongst other publications.