Carlos the Jackal

Lore & Background

Ramírez Sánchez was born in Michelena, Venezuela, to a Marxist lawyer father who named him after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. He joined the Venezuelan Communist Party youth movement in 1959, attended guerrilla training in Cuba, and later studied at Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow before being expelled in 1970. He then traveled to Beirut and volunteered for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), receiving training in Jordan and Iraq. He was given the code name 'Carlos' by a PFLP recruiting officer, and the nickname 'The Jackal' originated from a Guardian reporter spotting Frederick Forsyth's novel in an apartment where Sánchez had stashed weapons.

In 1973, Sánchez conducted a failed assassination attempt on Joseph Sieff. He admitted responsibility for a failed bomb attack on Bank Hapoalim in London and car bomb attacks on French newspapers. In 1975, he led the OPEC raid in Vienna, taking 42 hostages and killing three people. After the raid, he was expelled from the PFLP for failing to execute two senior hostages and allegedly keeping a large sum of money for personal use. He later detonated bombs in France after his wife's arrest, killing 11 and injuring more than 100.

Reader's Guide

Carlos the Jackal represents a key figure in late 20th-century international terrorism, embodying the intersection of Marxist–Leninist ideology, Palestinian militancy, and state sponsorship from Eastern Bloc intelligence agencies. His 1975 OPEC raid demonstrated the vulnerability of international institutions and the ability of small, well-armed groups to seize global attention. His subsequent bombings in France, motivated by personal grievances, highlighted the blurred line between political terrorism and criminality. His capture by extrajudicial means in Sudan and transfer to France set a precedent for counterterrorism operations that bypassed formal extradition processes. His multiple life sentences, including convictions for the murder of French agents and informants, as well as attacks killing 11 and injuring 150, underscore the long reach of French justice. The controversy over the OPEC ransom money—whether it was $20–50 million and where it went—remains unresolved, adding to his mystique. His legacy is that of a mercenary-turned-icon, whose notoriety was amplified by media and popular culture, yet whose actual effectiveness was marred by failures and internal disputes.

Did You Know?

• His father named him Ilich after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin; his younger siblings were named Lenin and Vladimir.
• He was expelled from Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow in 1970.
• The nickname 'The Jackal' came from a Guardian reporter who saw Frederick Forsyth's novel in an apartment where Sánchez had stashed weapons.
• He was captured by extrajudicial means in Sudan and transferred to France.