History of Venezuela

Captaincy General of Venezuela, 1777–1823 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Captaincy General of Venezuela was an administrative district of colonial Spain, created on September 8, 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of 1777, to provide more autonomy for the provinces of Venezuela. It established a unified government in political (governorship), military (captaincy general), fiscal (intendancy), ecclesiastical (archdiocese) and judicial (audiencia) affairs. Its creation was part of the Bourbon Reforms and laid the groundwork for the future nation of Venezuela, in particular by orienting the province of Maracaibo towards the province of Caracas. Cocoa plantations were established along the littoral valleys, which resulted in large importations of slaves.

Seat of power: Caracas

State of Venezuela, 1830–1864 Draft, not yet reviewed

The State of Venezuela was the official name of Venezuela adopted by the constitution of 1830, during the government of José Antonio Páez. Although the 1830 Constitution prescribed democracy, tradition and practical difficulties militated against the actual working of a republican form of government, and in practice an oligarchy governed the nation. Three days after José Tadeo Monagas' resignation, Julián Castro seized the Presidency in a coup d'état. In the Constitution of 1864, the United States of Venezuela was established.

Seat of power: Caracas

Rulers

• José Antonio Páez, President of Venezuela, 1830–1835
• José María de los Dolores Vargas Ponce, President of Venezuela, 1835–1836
• Santiago Mariño, President of Venezuela, 1835–1835
• Andrés Narvarte, President of Venezuela, 1835–1835
• Carlos Soublette, President of Venezuela, 1837–1839
• José Antonio Páez, President of Venezuela, 1839–1843
• Carlos Soublette, President of Venezuela, 1843–1847
• José Tadeo Monagas, President of Venezuela, 1847–1851
• José Gregorio Monagas, President of Venezuela, 1851–1855
• José Tadeo Monagas, President of Venezuela, 1855–1858
• Pedro Gual, President of Venezuela, 1858–1859
• Julián Castro, President of Venezuela, 1858–1859
• Manuel Felipe de Tovar, President of Venezuela, 1859–1861
• José Antonio Páez, President of Venezuela, 1861–1863
• Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, President of Venezuela, 1863–1868

United States of Venezuela, 1864–1953 Draft, not yet reviewed

The United States of Venezuela was the official name of Venezuela, adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitution of that year renamed it the Republic of Venezuela. The 1864 constitution established the borders of the United States of Venezuela to be the same of those of the 1810 Captaincy General of Venezuela. Because of a long-running territorial dispute between the United States of Venezuela and the United Kingdom over the Essequibo region, several countries called for an international court of justice to settle the matter, which was held in Paris in 1899, and ruled in the UK's favour.

Seat of power: Caracas

Rulers

• Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, President of Venezuela, 1863–1868
• Guillermo Tell Villegas, President of Venezuela, 1868–1870
• Antonio Guzmán Blanco, President of Venezuela, 1870–1877
• Joaquín Crespo, President of Venezuela, 1884–1886
• Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl, President of Venezuela, 1888–1890
• Joaquín Crespo, President of Venezuela, 1892–1898
• Cipriano Castro, President of Venezuela, 1899–1908
• Juan Vicente Gómez, President of Venezuela, 1908–1913
• Juan Vicente Gómez, President of Venezuela, 1922–1929
• Juan Bautista Pérez, President of Venezuela, 1929–1931
• Juan Vicente Gómez, President of Venezuela, 1931–1935
• Eleazar López Contreras, President of Venezuela, 1935–1941
• Isaías Medina Angarita, President of Venezuela, 1941–1945
• Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela, 1945–1948
• Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, President of Venezuela, 1948–1950

Republic of Venezuela, 1953–1999 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic of Venezuela was a democratic bipartidist republic first established in 1953, and replaced in 1999 by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Venezuela was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1948 to 1958. A triumvirate of military personnel controlled the government until 1952, when it held presidential elections that produced results unacceptable to the government, leading them to be falsified and to Marcos Pérez Jiménez assuming the Presidency. This period was characterised by the alternation of political power established in the Punto Fijo Pact; by the nationalisation of the oil industry in 1976 and the creation of PDVSA, the national oil and gas company; and by the rise of new social elites.

Seat of power: Caracas

Rulers

• Marcos Pérez Jiménez, President of Venezuela, 1953–1958
• Raúl Leoni, President of Venezuela, 1964–1969
• Carlos Andrés Pérez, President of Venezuela, 1974–1979
• Luis Herrera Campins, President of Venezuela, 1979–1984
• Jaime Lusinchi, President of Venezuela, 1984–1989
• Carlos Andrés Pérez, President of Venezuela, 1989–1993
• Ramón José Velásquez, President of Venezuela, 1993–1994
• Octavio Lepage, President of Venezuela, 1993–1994
• Rafael Caldera, President of Venezuela, 1994–1999

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 1999 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Confidence in the existing political parties collapsed during the 1998 Venezuelan presidential election, in which Hugo Chávez was elected and which became the catalyst for the Bolivarian Revolution. During the 1999 Constituent Assembly, a new Constitution of Venezuela was written and ratified. The 2013, 2018 and 2024 presidential elections were all widely disputed, with opposition candidates being arrested or exiled. In 2026, U.S. forces captured Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president.

Seat of power: Caracas

Rulers

• Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela, 1999–2013
• Pedro Carmona, President of Venezuela, 2002–2002
• Diosdado Cabello, President of Venezuela, 2002–2002
• Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela, 2013–2026
• Juan Guaidó, President of Venezuela, 2019–2023
• Delcy Rodriguez, President of Venezuela, 2026 to today