Benjamín Rausseo Rodríguez (born January 26, 1961) is a

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n artist,

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

and career humorist best known for his character El Conde del Guácharo (translation: "The Count of Guacharo").

Biography

Benjamín Rausseo was born into poverty in the rural community of Musipán in the state of

Monagas ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas'' , image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_m ...

. He pursued university studies as an actor and, in 1981, presented as his graduation thesis a comedic monologue "el Conde del Guácharo." The "Conde" or Count became a TV personality and made Rausseo one of Venezuela's most successful stand-up comedians. Beyond comedy he was also a dare-devil and stunt performer in the television variety show '' Sabado Sensacional''. In 2006 Rausseo was studying law and was one semester from graduating with a JD from the Universidad Santa María de Caracas. Rausseo owns a

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

Isla Margarita Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the northeastern coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. History ...

called Musipán.

Presidential aspirations

In July 2006, he announced that he was running for president under his newly formed "Piedra Party," as a protest against the state of politics in Venezuela, and to challenge the presidency of

Hugo Chavez Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

. Three weeks before

the election ''The Election'' () is a political drama series produced by Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV). With a budget of HK$15 million, filming started in July 2014 and wrapped up on 28 October 2014. Popularly voted to be the inaugural drama of ...

, in accordance with a campaign pledge he had made earlier (to stand down if not placed first or second in the opinion polls), he withdrew his candidacy without endorsing either Chávez or Rosales, telling his supporters to vote for either.''Terra'
Dimite opositor que figuraba en encuestas tras Rosales y Chávez
Retrieved 15 Nov 2006

References

External links

Musipan Theme Park Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rausseo, Benjamin People from Monagas Venezuelan humorists 1961 births Living people Venezuelan politicians Venezuelan satirists Venezuelan businesspeople Black comedy