Henrique Capriles

Henrique Capriles
Governor of Miranda
In office 15 January 2013 – 17 October 2017
Preceded by	Adriana D'Elia
Succeeded by	Héctor Rodríguez
In office 29 November 2008 – 6 June 2012
Preceded by	Diosdado Cabello
Succeeded by	Adriana D'Elia
4th Mayor of Baruta
In office 30 July 2000 – 26 November 2008
Preceded by	Ivonne Attas
Succeeded by	Gerardo Blyde
Vice President of Congress
In office 23 January 1999 – 22 December 1999
Preceded by	Ixora Rojas
Succeeded by	Position abolished
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 23 January 1999 – 22 December 1999
Preceded by	Ixora Rojas
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Zulia State
In office 23 January 1999 – 22 December 1999
Personal details
Born	Henrique Capriles Radonski (1972-07-11) 11 July 1972 (age 52) Caracas, Venezuela
Political party	Copei (Before 2000) Justice First (2000–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Unity Roundtable (2008–2021)
Alma mater	Andrés Bello Catholic University Central University of Venezuela
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Henrique Capriles Radonski (Spanish pronunciation: [enˈrike kaˈpɾiles raˈðonski]; born 11 July 1972) is a Venezuelan politician and lawyer, who served as the 36th Governor of Miranda from 2008 to 2017.

Born in Caracas, he received a degree in law from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, and later in tax law from the Central University of Venezuela. He first ventured into politics at age 26, when he became the youngest member ever elected to the Venezuelan parliament. He secured a seat in the Chamber of Deputies in the 1998 parliamentary elections, under the Christian Democratic Party (Copei). He served as vice president of the Congress and president of the Chamber of Deputies until their dissolution by the Constituent Assembly in August 1999.

In 2000, he co-founded the political party Primero Justicia, alongside politicians Julio Borges and Leopoldo Lopez, and ran successfully for the mayorship of the Baruta municipality in the regional elections held in July 2000, and later for the governorship of the Miranda state in 2008. Capriles became the opposition candidate at the 2012 and 2013 presidential elections, and faced then-President Hugo Chávez and Vice President Nicolás Maduro respectively.

His defeat in 2012 marked the first loss of his political career. Maduro narrowly defeated Capriles in the 2013 elections, a result that sparked controversy and debate amid the opposition's claims of electoral fraud.^[1] Between both presidential campaigns, Capriles successfully secured his re-election as Governor of Miranda during the 2012 regional elections. He has repeatedly been the target of smear campaigns by political opponents who seek to capitalize on homophobic and antisemitic currents in Venezuelan society.^[2]

Capriles Radonski is of Sephardi Jewish and Ashkenazi Jewish descent – his grandparents immigrated from German and Russian occupied Poland during World War II; however, he self-describes as Catholic, revealing that his greatest hero in history was Jesus Christ. He dated Venezuelan actress Erika de la Vega between his first and second tenure as Mayor. Prior to his political career, he worked in the public and private sectors at several tax and law firms of Venezuela. Capriles is a member of the International Fiscal Association.

On 5 April 2017, Capriles was formally banned for 15 years from political activity accused by the Venezuelan government of alleged "administrative irregularities" which had occurred under his governorship.^[3] He ceased to be the Governor of Miranda in October after the 2017 regional elections, and subsequently declared his intent to leave the Democratic Unity Roundtable in protest against what he considered its legitimizing the Maduro government.^[4]