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Azikiwe, Benjamin Nnamdi

(Encyclopedia)Azikiwe, Benjamin Nnamdi nämˈdē äzēkˈwā [key], 1904–96, Nigerian statesman, popularly known as Zik. After advanced studies in the United States (1925), he returned to Nigeria, founded a chain...

Pérez Jiménez, Marcos

(Encyclopedia)Pérez Jiménez, Marcos märˈkōs pāˈrās hēmāˈnās [key], 1914–2001, president of Venezuela (1952–58). As an army captain he took part in the coup that installed (1945) the Democratic Actio...

Lebrun, Charles François

(Encyclopedia)Lebrun, Charles François ləbröNˈ [key], 1739–1824, French statesman. A moderate member of the Constituent Assembly after the start of the French Revolution, he was imprisoned during the Reign o...

Buyoya, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Buyoya, Pierre, 1949–2020, Burundian political leader. An ethnic Tutsi, he had a successful military career before he overthrew President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza and became president of a Tutsi-led mil...

Bordaberry Arocena, Juan María

(Encyclopedia)Bordaberry Arocena, Juan María, 1928–2011, Uruguayan politician. Born into a wealthy and politically conservative family, he was elected (1962) senator as a member of the National party. Switching ...

Biya, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Biya, Paul bēyĕ [key], 1933–, Cameroonian political leader. Educated in Cameroon and France, where he studied at the Sorbonne and other institutions, he joined Cameroon's civil service in 1962. Af...

Yhombi-Opango, Jacques Joachim

(Encyclopedia)Yhombi-Opango, Jacques Joachim, 1939–2020, Congolese politician. An army colonel, he became president of the People's Republic of the Congo in 1977 after the assassination of President Ngouabi. Forc...

Primo de Rivera, Miguel

(Encyclopedia)Primo de Rivera, Miguel, 1870–1930, Spanish general and dictator. After a rapid and brilliant military career in Cuba, the Philippines, and Morocco, he became governor of Cádiz (1915), then in turn...

de la Rúa, Fernando

(Encyclopedia)de la Rúa, Fernando, 1937–2019, Argentinian political leader, president of Argentina (1999–2001). A lawyer and member of the Radical Civic Union, he won a senate seat in 1973, then ran unsuccessf...

Compaoré, Blaise

(Encyclopedia)Compaoré, Blaise blāz cŏmpôrˈrā [key], 1951–, Burkinabe military and political leader, president of Burkina Faso (1987–2014), b. Ouagadougou. An army captain and minister of justice under Pr...