Ramón Carrizales

Ramón Alonso Carrizales Rengifo (born 8 November 1952 in Zaraza) is a Venezuelan politician who was Vice President of Venezuela from January 2008 to January 2010. Carrizales was a Colonel of the Venezuelan Armed Forces (retired in 1994) and was educated at the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences, where he graduated in 1974.

He was appointed Vice President by President Hugo Chávez in January 2008 after previously serving as chair of the Fondo Nacional de Transporte Urbano (Fontur) from 2000 to 2004, Infrastructure Minister 2004 to 2006, and Housing Minister from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, Chavez appointed Carrizales to also serve as the Minister of Defense.

On 25 January 2010 Carrizalez resigned as both Defense Minister and Vice President for personal reasons.