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Carmen Leonor Santaella Tellería

b. 1952

Born
6 Jan 1952, Caracas
Country of birth
Venezuela

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

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Facts and their sources

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  • Birth6 Jan 1952, CaracasProbable1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Caracas

    Birth, Caracas

  2. Child born: María Margarita Vargas Santaella

    Birth, Caracas

What was it like?

The world around Caracas, 1952: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Carmen was born the same year as Steven Seagal, John Goodman, and Liam Neeson.

Born the same year

  • Steven Seagal

    American actor, martial artist, and film producer

  • John Goodman

    American actor

  • Liam Neeson

    actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)

  • Francesco Graziani

    Italian footballer

  • Vladimir Putin

    President of the Russian Federation

  • Orhan Pamuk

    Turkish novelist, academic and Nobel laureate (born 1952)

Fashion

Baptism invitations featured a silver coin

For baptisms in the 1950s, invitations often featured a small silver coin worth a 'mediecito' glued to the top corner, which children later removed to buy five candies.

Church dress code required veils

In the 1950s, women entering church were required to wear veils made of netting similar to mosquito mesh, and clergy often barred those wearing low-cut dresses or short skirts.

Music

Children Learn Challenging Music Early

Children often learn a traditional merengue called Compadre Pancho, which features a challenging five-beat time signature, as their musical foundation.

Christmas Parrandas Visit Homes

During Christmas, groups called parrandas visit home patios to play festive songs that blend popular and religious traditions, often accompanied by instruments like maracas and drums.

Getting around

Decline of rail and tram systems

By the early 1950s, Venezuela's rail network was in decline, and most urban tram systems had been replaced by gasoline-powered buses by 1947.

Faster commute to Caracas port

Italian engineers built a highway with tunnels through the mountains, reducing the travel time between Caracas and its port, La Guaira, from an hour and a half to just half an hour.

Daily life

Coffee costs and low teacher wages

A cup of strong coffee cost one locha, which was about one-twelfth of a Bolivar, or approximately ninety cents at the time. Education was often neglected, with primary school teachers in Caracas earning only $96 a month and many children not attending school at all.

Rapid transition in home cooking technology

Homes shifted rapidly from traditional cooking stoves (fogón) to kerosene and then gas stoves. Some lower-class dwellings in the city remained primitive, lacking basic water or sanitation services.

Food
Around 1954–1954

Street food prices in 1954

In 1954, a hot dog sold from a street cart in Caracas cost 0.50 Bolívares.

Around 1958–1958

Home delivery soda costs in 1958

In 1958, a crate of 24 sodas could be ordered for home delivery for 4.50 Bolívares, making each bottle cost less than 0.25 Bolívares.

Prices and wages
Around 1958–1958

Cost of footwear in late 1950s

In 1958, a high-quality pair of shoes cost at most 150 bolivars, while more affordable alternatives like chinelas cost between 2 and 4 bolivars and alpargatas cost about 1.25 to 1.50 bolivars.

Around 1958–1958

Everyday food prices in 1958

In 1958, a kilogram of meat cost between 12 and 15 bolivars, while a kilogram of precooked flour cost 1 bolivar and an arepa cost 1 bolivar.

Work

New independence for the urban middle class

During the 1950s boom, middle-class workers like clerks and secretaries enjoyed new financial independence, allowing some to afford their own cars or travel abroad for shopping.

Washing machines in homes without water

Even in households without running water, consumer culture flourished; women in hillside shanties used credit to buy U.S.-made washing machines, despite having to fill them by carrying buckets of water on their heads.

News and letters
Around 1953–1953

Air mail transit times to Caracas

In 1953, an air mail letter sent from London took three to four days to reach Caracas.

Telegraph service and costs in the 1950s

During the 1950s, telegraph operators were considered among the most important people in a town, earning 600 Bolívares per month. Sending a 20-word message cost 1.50 Bolívares, or 3.00 Bolívares for urgent telegrams.

During their lifetime

  1. 1961

    Macagua I Hydroelectric Plant Begins Operation

    The Macagua I hydroelectric plant began operations in 1961, marking a major step in the national electrification project.

  2. 1971

    Satellite Communication Network Connected in 1971

    In 1971, a satellite communications station in Camatagua connected Venezuela to the international INTELSAT network, significantly improving international telephone and audiovisual transmission.

  3. 1973

    Oil Boom and Nationalization in 1973

    Venezuela benefited from a massive oil boom in 1973, when the currency peaked against the US dollar and major industries were nationalized.

  4. 1989

    Economic Austerity and 1989 Riots

    In 1989, President Carlos Andres Perez implemented an austerity program, leading to widespread riots and state-imposed martial law.

Family

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.