Fabiana Rosales speaking by video hook-up at the Oslo Freedom Forum in May 2019. At left is Karena Halvorssen, who translated. In the right foreground is Jackson Chiappinelli, of the Human Rights Foundation. (Jay Nordlinger)

Part II of my journal on the Oslo Freedom Forum is here. I begin with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader in Venezuela. To many, Fabiana is the actual First Lady of Venezuela — because Guaidó is recognized as the legitimate president by many, including the U.S. government.


I remark in my journal that, to me, Fabiana Rosales looked impossibly young — like a college student. But she handles herself with great poise. She is an excellent spokesman for her cause, i.e., democracy in Venezuela, and an end to the longstanding (20-plus years) chavista dictatorship.

Fabiana (as one feels like calling her, once one has interacted with her) is 27 years old. This morning, I got to thinking, Who was the youngest First Lady of the United States? Jacqueline Kennedy was the second-youngest, age 31. The youngest was Frances Folsom Cleveland, age 21. She married President Cleveland in the White House. They went on to have five children. Cleveland had known her all her life, having been a friend of her father’s.

Interesting story, which you can glance at courtesy of Wikipedia, here.