Aristóbulo Istúriz

Aristóbulo Istúriz Almeida (20 December 1946 – 27 April 2021) was a Venezuelan politician and academic. He was vice president of the Constituent Assembly of Venezuela (in August 2017) as well as vice president of Venezuela (from January 2016 to January 2017).

Life and career Istúriz Almeida was a professor at the Centro de Estudios del Desarrollo (CENDES) of the Universidad Central de Venezuela. He was elected to Parliament several times for Acción Democrática, representing the Federal District (now the Capital District), before joining the Radical Cause in 1986. He was leader of the Venezuelan teachers' association SUMA for a time.

In the 2012 regional elections, he was elected Governor of Anzoátegui.

On 6 January 2016, President Nicolás Maduro appointed Istúriz as Vice President of Venezuela. He remained in office for one year, until Tareck El Aissami was appointed to succeed him on 4 January 2017. In October 2017, Istúriz ran again for governor of Anzoátegui. He lost to MUD/AD candidate Antonio Barreto Sira.

Death Istúriz died on 27 April 2021, following complications from open-heart surgery.

Controversy Sanctions Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including Istúriz, in September 2017. Canada's foreign affairs department said the sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people were killed in the 2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship"; Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Minister said, "Canada will not stand by silently as the government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic rights."