Clementina Velutini Pérez-Matos was born in 1912 in Caracas to Julio
César Velutini and Belén Pérez Matos. Raised amid the opulence of a banking dynasty, she
received her education at private schools in Paris — a common path for elite Latin American
youth of the era.
In 1932, she married José Herrera Von Uslar, a lawyer and descendant of
the Herrera Von Uslar family, one of the founding families of Caracas in 1590. Their union
merged two of Venezuela’s most prestigious dynasties — the Herreras and the Velutinis. Through
this alliance, Clementina helped ensure that the family fortune remained rooted within the
Herrera lineage. She became part of the elite circle known as "The Twenty Families," the
so-called "Masters of the Valley" of Caracas.
Educated in Paris and raised with distinction, Clementina was also a
pioneer in her own right. At a time when few women led major enterprises, she, alongside her
sister Belén Clarisa, was recognized as one of the first women to manage significant commercial
interests in South America.
After the death of her husband, Clementina took an active role in the
family firm and served on banking boards. She helped oversee investments and maintained the
family’s influence in both media and philanthropic circles. Her leadership marked a turning
point for women in Latin America’s traditionally male-dominated financial sector. She lived to
see her grandson enter the family enterprise, continuing the legacy she helped shape.
Clementina Velutini Pérez-Matos leaves behind a powerful legacy — a
bridge between the aristocratic banking traditions of old Latin America and a new era of modern
enterprise, as well as a path forward for the female executives who would follow in her
footsteps.
