Title: Venezuela: Introduction to the Political Environment
1Venezuela Introduction to the Political
Environment
2(No Transcript)
3(No Transcript)
4Nineteenth Century Independence the Federal
Wars
- Simón BolÃvar and South American Independence
- Venezuela splits from Gran Colombia (1830)
- Jose Antonio Paez Conservative Ascendency
- The Federal Wars 1858-63
- Desire for a more democratic society
- Anti-clericalism
- Personalism
- Caracas vs. Interior
5Dawn of Liberal Hegemony?
- Victorious Liberals
- fail to restore order
- Instability leads to rule of Guzmán Blanco Blanco
- Liberal Enlightenment (1870 1888)
- Centralization of power in Caracas
- Economic development
- Modernization
6Characteristics of the Liberal Enlightenment
(1870 1888)
- Guzmán Blanco
- Hands on rule initially
- Exercised power behind the scenes subsequently
- Holiday in Paris (1884-1886Accomplishments
- Centralization of power in Caracas
- Economic development
- Infrastructure construction
- Modernization of Caracas
7Political Chaos Ends Liberal Era
- 1890 Guzmán Blancos heirs divide into factions
- 1899 clash among political factions leads to
violence - Return of revolutionary chaos opens the way for
Andean domination.
8THE ANDEAN DICTATORSHIPS BEGIN
- Cipriano Castro and the Táchira Revolutionaries
- October 22, 1899 Victorious Andeans enter
Caracas - Castro in power 1899-1908
- Four years of intermittant fighting
- Default on foreign debts leads to blockade (1902)
- U.S. role as negotiator
- Castro becomes nationalist hero by resisting
demands for debt payment by North Atlantic
nations - November 1908 to Europe for an operation
9Juan Vicente Gómez (1908-1935
- Style of governing
- Political unification
- Economic transformation
- Runs Venezuela like his ranch
- Cattle deals used to build the state
- Force and economic incentives ensure loyalty of
the inner circle
10December 1935Outburst of hatred against Gómez
clan upon the passing of the dictator
11Heirs of Gomez Modernization and Oligarchic
Democracy (1935-1945
- López Contraras
- Medina Angarita (1940-45)
- Continuing modernization
- Nationalism and petroleum
- Politics of the aborted 1945 presidential
election campaign - Revolution of October 18, 1945
12A DECADE OF REVOLUTIONARY MODERNIZATION BEGINS
- Trienio (1945-48)
- Rapid modernization of peasants
- AD takes control of organized labor
- Marxist cast of AD governments antagonizes the
church - Incorporation of provincial middle class
- Constitution of 1947
- Universal suffrage
- Representative democracy
13Elections of December, 1947
- ADs Rómulo Gallegos wins more than 2/3 of vote
- Opposition parties frustrated
- COPEI (Christian Democrats)
- PCV (Communists)
- URD (Democratic Republican Union)
14Coup November 28, 1948
- AD divided paralyzed
- Opposition believes they have been treated
unfairly - Church fears Marxist impact on Catholic education
- Military succumbs to pressure from opponents of
the government
- Provisional President Gen. Carlos Delgado Chalbaud
15General Pérez Jiménez and the New National Ideal
- Andean militarism with a new twist
- Populism
- Physical development
- Reliance on petroleum income
- Nationalism
- Infrastructure development
- Loved by the U.S. business community?
16Decay of the military regime (1956-57)
- Increasing persecution of opponents
- Fall in oil prices
- Corruption
- All work and no play makes Marcos a dull boy
17Fall of the Pérez Jiménez Dictatorship (1957-58)
- Mid 1957
- Democratic Forces - meet in New York City to
coordinate efforts against the dictatorship - November 1957
- Plebiscite on another term for the dictator
- January 23 1958 Democratic Revolution
- Return of exiles
- Pact of Punto Fijo (shares power)
- Much of territory remains under-populated
18CARACAS ( late 1950s)
19TRANSITION TO REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
- National Elections December 1958
- Results (Presidential)
- AD Rómulo Betancourt (49)
- URD, PCV Admiral Wolfgang Larrazabal (35)
- COPEI Rafael Caldera (16)
- January 1, 1959
- Punto Fijo democracy begins