César González Martínez

Dr. César González Martinez (14 December 1904 in San Cristóbal, Táchira – 9 July 1984 in Caracas) was a Venezuelan lawyer. He also served as Minister of the Interior and Justice.

González was also an Ambassador of Venezuela to several countries. At an early age he served as deputy to the national congress, Vice President to the Chamber of Representatives of Congress (1929–1932), Senator for the State of El Tachira and Minister of the Interior and Justice (1942–1943), forming part of President Isaías Medina Angarita's Cabinet. His diplomatic career included being Ambassador of Venezuela in Mexico (1943–1945), Permanent Representative of Venezuela at the United Nations (1946–1952) and Ambassador of Venezuela in the United States (1952–1958).

Early life

González's father, Dr. Rubén González Cárdenas, was a lawyer, politician, and prominent Minister of Public Education and Minister of the Interior during the regime of General Juan Vicente Gómez. His mother, Dolores Martínez de González, was the first-born of a Tachira family of four (César, Blanca, Tulia and Ana Clotilde). He described his father as a man that "knew how to put aside his daily chores and, inflexibly, forbade the family [from] being involved or to be the instrument of political events".

He was fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Italian.

Political life

Cabinet of General Isaías Medina Angarita in 1942.

Cabinet of General Isaías Medina Angarita in 1942.-MinistryNameInterior Relations MinisterDoctor César GonzálezSecretary to the PresidentDoctor Arturo Uslar PietriMinister of the TreasuryDoctor Alfredo MachadoDevelopment MinisterMr. Eugenio MendozaEducation Minister Doctor Gustavo HerreraExterior relations MinisterDoctor Caracciolo Parra PérezWar and Navy MinisterColonel Juan de Dios Celis ParedesLabor MinisterDoctor Héctor CuencaAgriculture MinisterMr. Rodolfo RojasSanitation and Social Assistance MinisterDr. Félix LairetPublic Works MinisterEng. Manuel SilveiraCapital District GovernorLt.Col. Francisco Leonardi

National Identity Program under the Government of General Isaías Medina Angarita

In 1943, González initiated the first National Identity program. He received the second National Identity Card, after the president.

Foreign Service

González served as Ambassador of Venezuela in Mexico, 1943–1945; Ambassador in Ecuador, 1945; Venezuela Delegate at the Interamerican Conference for Matters of War and Peace, 1945; Chief of the Political Section at United Nations 1946–1950; Ambassador of Venezuela at the United Nations 1950–1952; Ambassador of Venezuela to the United States 1952–1958; Venezuela Delegate for the X Interamerican Conference in Caracas 1954; Representative for the Venezuelan President at the Interamerican Nations Conference and President of the Conference, 1956.

Statues of Simon Bolivar González promoted the commissioning of statues, busts, and plaques of Simon Bolivar in the countries where he served as a diplomat. Such was the case of the equestrian statue in Mexico City (1944). González expressed appreciation for the president of Venezuela, who approved his suggestion to provide all the cities and towns that had the name of Bolívar with a bronze bust, plaque, or statue in Simon Bolivar's honor. In the United States, fourteen settlements are named Bolívar. The project included commissioning sculptor Felix de Weldon of the Iwo Jima Memorial to create the Equestrian of Simón Bolívar in Washington D.C.

Activities as consulter, advisor, and historian

During his seven-year stay in Mexico (1958–1965), he served as legal advisor to the Mexican Housing Institute and Official Chronicler of Distrito Capacho, Estado Táchira.

Activities in genealogy and heraldry

González authored The Old Families of Tachira "If we must recognize a trait of President Isaias Medina Angarita it was his North and vision on Venezuela, he was a man of discipline and restrain ", General Medina surrounded himself with capable young men, such as myself and Dr. Arturo Uslar Pietri, who had all the right to be the next president of this country due to his career, executions and by being the man with most sympathy within the regime".