Title: Secretary General of OPEC

Born: 1937 Ejido, Venezuela

Education: 1961 Degree in law and economics from the Universidad Central de Venezuela; Doctorate in economics

Background information: It is quite a rare occurrence for an ex-guerrilla to get his hands on the levers of the world economy, but that's what Ali Rodriguez has done. He was the former Venezuelan oil minister responsible for helping to push through the understanding with Mexico and the Arab countries that encouraged oil's spectacular price rise. Rather oddly for someone who spent his youth as a gun-toting Marxist rebel in the Andes, the secret of his success was his warm relations with the Saudis - Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez even dubbed him "Ali Allah" for his success in the region.