20 most famous people from Venezuela who have shaped culture, sports and history

Venezuela is a South American country whose most famous people have left a lasting mark on global history. Icons like Gustavo Dudamel, Irene Sáez, and María Corina Machado represent a unique blend of entertainment, beauty pageants, and political revolution. Venezuelan expert Alejandro Velasco explained that these figures are more than just celebrities; they are legends who have impacted the nation’s identity both at home and abroad.

Key takeaways

• Many internationally famous figures from Venezuela come from baseball and beauty pageantry.
• One of Venezuela's earliest leaders, Juan Vicente Gomez, made the country one of the world's largest oil exporters.
• Famous political leaders in the country include Simón Bolívar, José María Vargas, Hugo Chávez, and Rómulo Gallegos, among others.
• Famous actors and actresses from Venezuela include Alicia Machado, Édgar Ramírez, Gaby Espino, and Patricia Velásquez, among others
• Famous sporting figures from the Latin American country include Yulimar Rojas, Jose Altuve, and Salomón Rondón.

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Most famous people from Venezuela

When compiling the list of the most famous Venezuelan men and women, we gathered information from various sources such as IMDb, Baseball Reference, Basketball Reference, Britannica, etc. While we strive for accuracy, profile details such as statistics and career achievements may change over time. Note that the list is in no particular order.

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1. Simón Bolívar

• Full name: Simón Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Ponte Palacios y Blanco
• Date of birth: 24 July 1783
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Date of death: 17 December 1830
• Profession: Politician, military officer

Bolívar is a Venezuelan statesman who began his career as a military officer. He is arguably the most famous person in Venezuela. While he claims multiple nationalities, Simón Bolívar is credited with leading his country of birth to independence from Spanish rule.

2. José María Vargas

• Full name: José María Vargas Ponce
• Date of birth: 10 March 1786
• Place of birth: La Guaira, Venezuela
• Date of death: 13 July 1854
• Profession: Politician, doctor

José María Vargas was among the most powerful doctors of medicine whose activism and political influence contributed to Venezuela's independence. Vargas held various positions in his life, including soldier, teacher, writer, and poet, before serving as the second president of Venezuela.

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3. Gustavo Dudamel

• Full name: Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez
• Date of birth: 26 January 1981
• Age: 45 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Barquisimeto, Venezuela
• Profession: Musical director, conductor

Born in the music capital of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel is internationally renowned as a conductor and music director. Since 2009, he has received global acclaim through orchestral performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

4. Jose Altuve

• Full name: Jose Carlos Altuve
• Date of birth: 6 May 1990
• Age: 35 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Maracay, Venezuela
• Profession: Professional baseball player

Jose Altuve is one of the most famous Venezuelans in America. The professional baseball player plays for the Houston Astros in the MLB. The second baseman has won various awards, including the 2017 AL MVP, 2015 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, and 3 AL Batting titles, among others.

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5. Teresa Carreño

• Full name: María Teresa Gertrudis de Jesús Carreño García
• Date of birth: 22 December 1853
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Date of death: 12 June 1917
• Profession: Pianist, singer, composer, conductor

Venezuelan pianist Teresa Carreño is a musical force celebrated as the Valkyrie of the piano. The virtuoso pianist spent her 54-year career composing more than 75 works for voice, piano, choir, orchestra, and instrumental ensembles.

6. Miguel Cabrera

• Full name: José Miguel Cabrera Torres
• Date of birth: 18 April 1983
• Age: 42 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Maracay, Venezuela
• Profession: Professional baseball player

Jose Altuve's predecessor, Miguel Cabrera, ranks highly among famous Venezuelan baseball players. The former first baseman, third baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter debuted in the MLB in June 2003 and retired in October 2023. He played for the Florida Marlins and the Detroit Tigers.

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7. Danny Ocean

• Full name: Daniel Alejandro Morales Reyes
• Date of birth: 5 May 1992
• Age: 33 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Singer, songwriter, producer

Danny Ocean is one of the most famous singers from Venezuela, with nearly two billion listens of the hit single, Me Rehúso. The singer, songwriter, and producer borrows his musical influence from Latin pop, reggaeton, dance-pop, and moombahton. Some of his most famous songs include Imagínate, Dembow, and Fuera del mercado.

8. Irene Sáez

• Full name: Irene Lailin Sáez Conde
• Date of birth: 13 December 1961
• Age: 64 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Politician, pageant queen

Before she entered politics, Irene Sáez was an actress, model, and beauty queen who won the 1981 Miss Venezuela and Miss Universe crowns. She served as the elected mayor of Chacao Municipality and governor of the state of Nueva Esparta between 1992 and 2000.

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9. Carolina Herrera

• Full name: Carolina Herrera
• Date of birth: 8 January 1939
• Age: 87 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Fashion designer

Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer who joined the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame in 1980. Herrera's bridal and lifestyle clothing collections, coupled with fragrances, oils, eyewear, and make-up lines, make her work a cut above the rest.

10. Édgar Ramírez

• Full name: Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano
• Date of birth: 25 March 1977
• Age: 48 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: San Cristobal, Venezuela
• Profession: Actor

Famous Venezuelan actor, Édgar Ramírez, has made a name for himself in Hollywood with works such as Gold, Point Break, Borderlands, Florida Man, Yes Day, and many more. The former journalist and soldier has consistently pushed the envelope with performances that have earned him numerous wins and award nominations.

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11. Lele Pons

• Full name: Eleonora Pons Maronese
• Date of birth: 25 June 1996
• Age: 29 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: YouTuber, actress, singer

Lele Pons, a social media influencer, actress, and singer, is one of the most famous women in Venezuela. As of February 2026, the former viner or skit maker has 17.9 million subscribers on YouTube, 53.7 million followers on Instagram, 8.4 million on Facebook, 33.2 million on TikTok, and 1.7 million followers on X (Twitter).

12. Yulimar Rojas

• Full name: Yulimar Rojas Rodríguez
• Date of birth: 21 October 1995
• Age: 30 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Athlete

Known as La Reina Del Triple Salto or the queen of the triple jump, Yulimar Rojas is an Olympic champion and world record holder. The Caracas native has won multiple awards, including four world outdoor championships, three indoor world championships, and an Olympic gold and silver medal.

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13. Rómulo Gallegos

• Full name: Rómulo Ángel del Monte Carmelo Gallegos Freire
• Date of birth: 2 August 1884
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Date of death: 5 April 1969
• Profession: Politician, author

Rómulo Gallegos was a novelist, teacher, and politician. The writer of classics such as Doña Barbara, El Milagro del año, La rebelión, y otros cuentos, Sobre la misma tierra, and El forastero is regarded as the Venezuelan novelist of the 20th century. He also led the nation for nine months in 1948 as the first presidential leader of the 20th century.

14. Óscar Torres

• Full name: Óscar Jose Torres Martinez
• Date of birth: 18 December 1976
• Age: 49 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Professional basketball player

Óscar Torres is a former shooting guard who played for the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in the NBA. Other basketball teams he has played for include SS Basket Napoli, Billings Rim Rockers, CSKA Moscow, BC Khimki Moscow, and Marinos de Oriente. Torres has also represented the Venezuelan national team in the Olympics and FIBA tournaments.

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15. Baruj Benacerraf

• Full name: Baruj Benaceraff Larsy
• Date of birth: 29 October 1920
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Date of death: 2 August 2011
• Profession: Immunologist

According to the American Association of Immunologists, Dr. Baruj Benacerraf's work as an immunologist was inspired by his struggles with asthma as a child. His 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was shared between three scientists: George Snell, Jean Dausset, and himself.

The award recognised his pioneering study on how genetic factors regulate an individual's immune responses. The discovery brought to light the association between certain autoimmune diseases and particular MHC antigens.

16. Jacinto Convit

• Full name: Jacinto Convit García
• Date of birth: 11 September 1913
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Date of death: 12 May 2014
• Profession: Physician, immunologist

Jacinto Convit set the world ablaze with hope after the invention of the leprosy vaccine. In addition to preventing leprosy, the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize winner actively worked to create a cancer immunotherapy protocol that is still shaping treatment strategies through the Jacinto Convit World Organization (JCWO).

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17. Humberto Fernández-Morán

• Full name: Humberto Fernández-Morán Villalobos
• Date of birth: 18 February 1924
• Place of birth: Maracaibo, Venezuela
• Date of death: 17 March 1999
• Profession: Civil servant, physician, research scientist

At the height of his career, Venezuelan inventor Humberto Fernández-Morán was a pioneer in the field of electron microscopy. His role in the invention of the diamond scalpel significantly advanced the development of electromagnetic lenses for electron microscopy.

Before his expulsion from the country, he furthered scientific and medical research. His efforts include founding the Venezuelan Institute of Neurology and Brain Research.

18. have

• Full name: María Corina Machado Parisca
• Date of birth: 7 October 1967
• Age: 58 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Politician, engineer

María Corina Machado, also known as The Iron Lady of Venezuela, is an industrial engineer turned political icon. She's the prominent leader of the Venezuelan opposition and won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and was also listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2025.

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19. Sascha Fitness

• Full name: Sascha Barboza
• Date of birth: 19 December 1984
• Age: 41 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Maracaibo, Venezuela
• Profession: Fitness influencer

Sascha Barboza, also known as Sascha Fitness, has moulded her career in fitness and nutrition into the most recognised fitness influencer in Latin America. Her fitness and nutrition-inspired books include Las Recetas De @Sascha Fitness, Los Secretos de Sascha Fitness: Logra Un Nuevo Estilo de Vida, and Las Recetas de @Saschafitness.

20. Evaluna Montaner

• Full name: Evaluna Mercedes Reglero Rodríguez de Echeverry
• Date of birth: 7 August 1997
• Age: 28 years as of February 2026
• Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
• Profession: Actress, singer, dancer, TV presenter, social media influencer

Evaluna Montaner is a multifaceted entertainer. As per her IMDb profile, she is best known for her reality TV show, The Montaners, and roles in films and TV shows such as Hot Pursuit, Club 57, Koati, and Grachi.

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Venezuelan icons who shaped national identity

Many of the Venezuelans best known internationally are baseball stars and Miss Universe winners, but that visibility does not always reflect who has had the deepest impact on the country itself. According to Alejandro Velasco, an Associate Professor of Modern Latin America at New York University, global recognition often depends on what foreign audiences already associate with Venezuela rather than influence at home.

He explained that figures from entertainment and sports are not just mere celebrities, but they are woven into the country’s industrial and social fabric:

After the nationalization of oil in 1976, the oil tankers that were owned by Venezuela were named after beauty queens of Venezuela. Many baseball figures in Venezuela have stadiums, streets, and plazas named after them, people like Andrés Galarraga, Oswaldo Guillén, or Chico Carrasquel.

And so clearly that speaks to a kind of resonance that extends beyond just the field of entertainment and bleeds over into a larger kind of popular culture that becomes really significant to thinking about what matters in terms of Venezuelan national identity and how it projects internationally.

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Beyond the limelight, Professor Velasco shares a few leaders who have impacted Venezuelan’s life, politics, and culture, such as:

1. Rómulo Betancourt: Known as the Father of Venezuelan Democracy, he led the nation’s transition from dictatorship in 1958.
2. Literacy giants: Figures like Rómulo Gallegos and Teresa de la Parra defined Latin American literature.
3. Hugo Chávez: A figure whose presidency reshaped the country’s political landscape.

Domestic heroes: influential icons beyond global fame

When comparing international fame with local significance, Professor Velasco said the difference often comes down to "reach", not just importance. He shared some of the most influential figures in Venezuela who are deeply rooted in national life despite being relatively unknown abroad:

1. Andrés Bello: a 19th-century educator and philosopher who spent much of his life in Chile, but there are universities and educational systems named after him. He remains a foundational figure in Latin American pedagogy.
2. José Gregorio Hernández: known as the Doctor of the Poor, he was officially canonised by the Catholic Church in October 2025.
3. María Lionza: a mythical figure at the heart of the Marialioncismo religion, a spiritual tradition deeply rooted in Venezuelan culture.

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These are very famous internally, so that people from young children to older adults know who they are and their influence in Venezuela. But you would never know them outside of Venezuela.

Who is the most famous singer in Venezuela?

Venezuela is well known for its tapestry of music genres and subgenres. Iconic musicians who have borrowed from the genres include Oscar De León, Simón Díaz, Nella, and Danny Ocean

Who is the most famous actor from Venezuela?

The Bourne Ultimatum actor, Édgar Ramírez, is at the top of his game as a Hollywood actor. Other famous actors and actresses from Venezuela include Patricia Velasquez, Andrew Divoff, Gaby Espino, and Majandra Delfino, among others.

Who is the most famous athlete from Venezuela?

At the time of writing, track star Yulimar Rojas enjoys peak fame, success, and performance. In baseball, the MLB boasts of past and present superstars such as Miguel Cabrera, Luis Aparicio, Bobby Abreu, Omar Vizquel, and José Altuve.

Famous people from Venezuela hold influence in different fields. The birthplace of iconic political figures such as Simón Bolívar and José María Vargas Ponce, the South American country continues to produce famous people in new and emerging fields. These include Lele Pons in social media influence and Jose Altuve in the sporting world.

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The rise of Yetunde Barnabas: From beauty queen to Nollywood star

Legit.ng published an article listing the most famous people around the world. While it may be challenging to point out and measure fame, the ranking covers influential individuals with contributions to everyday life.

These include people in the performing arts, sports, politics, business, science, and innovation. The list includes some of the most internet-famous individuals. Read on and discover the story behind some of the most popular people around the world.

Source: Legit.ng