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Carlos the Jackal
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Black and white portrait of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal, wearing large dark glasses, a collared shirt, and a leather jacket. Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, Magdalena Kopp, and their young daughter Rosa Kopp sit closely together, smiling, in an outdoor setting with a blurred background. Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal, stands surrounded by riot police as he arrives at the Paris courthouse, wearing a dark suit and looking forward.
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Black and white portrait of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal, wearing large dark glasses, a collared shirt, and a leather jacket.
Carlos the Jackal, c. 1970

Carlos the Jackal

Venezuelan militant
Also known as: Ilich Ramírez Sánchez
Written by
Michael Ray
Michael Ray is an assistant managing editor who has worked at Britannica since 2003. In addition to leading the Geography and History team, he oversees coverage of European history and military affairs....
Michael Ray
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Carlos the Jackal (born October 12, 1949, Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan militant who orchestrated some of the highest-profile terrorist attacks of the 1970s and ’80s. He was arrested in 1994 and ultimately received three life sentences. Ramírez was born into an upper-class Venezuelan family; his father operated a lucrative law practice. Ramírez’s father was a committed Marxist, and Ramírez received an education that emphasized communist political theory and revolutionary thought. Ramírez also traveled extensively,...

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