Miguel Ángel Burelli Rivas

Miguel Ángel Burelli Rivas
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
1994–1999
President Rafael Caldera
Preceded by Fernando Ochoa Antich
Succeeded by José Vicente Rangel
Ambassador of Venezuela to the United States
In office
1974–1976
Personal details
Born 8 July 1922
La Puerta, Venezuela
Died 22 October 2003 (aged 81)
Washington DC, United States
Nationality Venezuelan
Profession lawyer, diplomat, politician

Miguel Ángel Burelli Rivas (8 July 1922 – 22 October 2003), was a Venezuelan lawyer, diplomat and politician, presidential candidate in 1968 and 1973, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, between 1994 and 1999.

Burelli Rivas, was born in La Puerta, Venezuela, graduated as lawyer with a post-graduate degree in Political Sciences in University of Florence and a post-graduate degree in Law from the University of Madrid, Spain. He was Director General of the Ministry of Interior Affairs.

He served as Director of the National Electoral Council (CNE); Minister of Justice; Ambassador of Venezuela to the United States; Ambassador of Venezuela to Colombia; Ambassador of Venezuela to the United Kingdom. He ran for the Presidency of the Republic (1968 election and 1973 election); President of the Commission in charge of organizing the Third United Nations Conference on Maritime Law (1973-1974); Director of the Institute for Latin America Higher Studies of the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas) and author of several books.

He was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Foreign Affairs Ministry; Foreign Minister of Venezuela (19941999).

He was forced into exile in Spain in the mid-1950s under Marcos Pérez Jiménez.

After retiring from politics, he died peacefully in Washington DC, USA, after suffering from lung cancer.