Roberto Smith

Infobox Venezuela Cabinet official
name=Roberto Smith Perera


order=10th
title=Minister of Transport & Communications
term_start=July 26, 1990
term_end=January 10, 1992
predecessor=Edgar Elias Osuna
successor=Fernando Martinez Mottola
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birth_date=1958
birth_place=Barquisimeto, Lara State
death_date=
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party=Venezuela de Primera
spouse=Marina Pocaterra
profession=politician, businessperson

Roberto Smith Perera (b. 1958 in Barquisimeto, Lara State) is a Venezuelan politician.

Early years & Education Activity

Roberto Smith was born in Barquisimeto, in Lara State in 1958. He attended Instituto Escuela. 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 Policies from Harvard University in 1987. Roberto Smith is married to Marina Pocaterra; they met when they were studying at Universidad Simón Bolívar. They have three daughters: Maria Elisa, Maria Corina 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".

Political Activity

During the second presidential term of Carlos Andrés Pérez, 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 helped create the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) and the Urban Transportation Fund (FONTUR).

Roberto Smith served as ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg between the years 1992 and 1995.

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.

Business person

Smith founded Venezuela's third 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 served as president of IMPSAT Telecommunications and the Sistema Satelital Andino Simón Bolívar. Roberto Smith created Microjuris.com, an internet service for people looking for judicial information available in several countries in Latin America.

Venezuelan presidencial election

Smith was the presidential candidate for his Venezuela de Primera ("First-class Venezuela") political organization in the 3 December 2006 presidential election. He, along with Teodoro Petkoff, Benjamin Rausseo, and Jesús Caldera Infante were opposed to the presidential primaries that the civil association, Súmate had organized. The reason for this was, he claimed, was that he supported neither the Venezuelan opposition nor President Hugo Chávez. In a news conference held on August 24 2006, Smith officially withdrew from the presidencial race and endorsed the candidacy of Manuel Rosales.

Works

*"Venezuela, Visión o Caos" (Planeta:1995) ISBN 980-271-247-7

External links

* [http://www.robertosmith.org/ Roberto Smith]
* [http://www.venezueladeprimera.org.ve/ Venezuela de Primera]
* [http://www.infraestructura.gov.ve:7784/servlet/page?_pageid=3866,3880&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30 List of ministers of Transport & Communications in Venezuela]