José Antonio Velutini Ron (1844–1912), son of Vicente José Velutini, epitomized the archetype of the 19th-century banker-statesman. Born in post-independence Venezuela, he was educated in France and swiftly ascended the ranks of Venezuelan public life.

Beginning in 1871, he held senior offices under Presidents Joaquín Crespo and Cipriano Castro, including appointments as Minister of Finance in 1893 and later as Minister of the Interior under President Castro.

In these pivotal roles, Velutini introduced critical fiscal reforms—laying what one historian described as “the foundations of modern financial operations in Venezuela.” Notably, during his tenure as Minister of Public Credit and Development under Antonio Guzmán Blanco, he streamlined national debt issuance and introduced budgetary discipline, professionalizing Venezuela’s treasury and public finance apparatus.

Later, as Plenipotentiary Minister to Europe, he successfully negotiated Venezuela’s foreign debt obligations—further solidifying his influence on national economic stability in the decades preceding World War I.

Beyond his administrative achievements, José Antonio was also an accomplished military figure. In 1892, he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Republic’s Armies, receiving national honors and earning recognition as a nation-builder of the Liberal Autocracy era.

In his personal life, he married Clotilde Larrarte (accounts of her lineage vary by source) and fathered Julio César Velutini Couturier, who would carry forward the family’s banking legacy. Prominent Venezuelan records note that his descendants went on to play foundational roles in establishing the Central Bank of Venezuela, founding Banco Caracas, and creating an independent national currency.

José Antonio Velutini’s legacy is dual: as a distinguished statesman who shaped the fiscal and institutional structure of the Venezuelan republic, and as the patriarch who passed down a formidable financial legacy. Today, he is widely credited with laying the groundwork for the Velutini family’s enduring influence in Venezuelan banking and public life.