Jorge Antonio Rodríguez

Jorge Antonio Rodríguez (February 16, 1942 – July 25, 1976) was a Venezuelan student leader and politician. He was a leader of the Revolutionary Left Movement and, later, founder of the Socialist League. He became known in the 1970s for leading the kidnapping of the American executive William Niehous.

On February 27, 1976, a guerrilla commando kidnapped William Niehous, the local president of Owens-Illinois, from his residence in Caracas. The kidnappers, members of the Revolutionary Organization (OR), a faction derived from the MIR and linked to the Socialist League, justified their act by arguing that Niehous was an enemy of Venezuela. Niehous's kidnapping, which lasted three years and four months, is considered one of the longest in Venezuelan history. Rodríguez was arrested for his involvement in the kidnapping and died under torture while being interrogated by the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP), a fact that led to the dismissal of several officials, including director Arístides Lander.

Rodríguez is the father of the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, and Jorge Rodríguez, who also held high positions in the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.