Republic of Venezuela
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
He became president in 1953 and instituted a constitution that granted him dictatorial powers. Under Pérez's rule, the rise of oil prices facilitated many public works projects, including roads, bridges, government buildings and public housing, as well as the rapid development of industries such as hydroelectricity, mining and steel. His government's secret police, the Dirección de Seguridad Nacional (National Security Service), suppressed criticism and imprisoned those who opposed his rule.
Portrait of Marcos Pérez Jiménez: Ministerio del Fomento (1957), Public domain, file
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Raúl Leoni
President of Venezuela, 1964–1969
Leoni took control of the presidency on 13 March 1964, succeeding Rómulo Betancourt; both were members of Acción Democrática (AD). One of the pillars of a political consolidation in Venezuela, the Pacto de Punto Fijo, was underestimated by Leoni, since in his opinion it reduced the "coherence and organization of the regime".
Portrait of Raúl Leoni: Government of Venezuela, Public domain, file
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Carlos Andrés Pérez
President of Venezuela, 1974–1979
His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to enormous income from petroleum exportation.
Portrait of Carlos Andrés Pérez: President (1977-1981 : Carter). White House Staff Photographers. (01/20/1977 - 01/20/1981), Public domain, file
Luis Herrera Campins
President of Venezuela, 1979–1984
As president, Herrera implemented cultural development programs, including the elaborate Teresa Carreño Theater. He won the 1978 election and was the second member of Copei elected to the presidency.
Portrait of Luis Herrera Campins: Michael Evans, Public domain, file
Jaime Lusinchi
President of Venezuela, 1984–1989
His term was characterized by an economic crisis, growth of the external debt, populist policies, currency depreciation, inflation and corruption that exacerbated the crisis of the political system established in 1958. Although accused of corruption after leaving office, Lusinchi was popular during his presidency, and was succeeded by a member of his Democratic Action political party, Carlos Andrés Pérez.
Portrait of Jaime Lusinchi: Grandmother of Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, Public domain, file
Carlos Andrés Pérez
President of Venezuela, 1989–1993
However, his second presidency saw a continuation of the economic crisis of the 1980s, a series of social crises, widespread riots known as the Caracazo and two coup attempts in 1992. In May 1993 he became the first Venezuelan president to be impeached by the Supreme Court on charges for the embezzlement of 250 million bolívars belonging to a presidential discretionary fund.
Portrait of Carlos Andrés Pérez: President (1977-1981 : Carter). White House Staff Photographers. (01/20/1977 - 01/20/1981), Public domain, file
Ramón José Velásquez
President of Venezuela, 1993–1994
He served as the president of Venezuela between 1993 and 1994.
Portrait of Ramón José Velásquez: Prensa Rafael Caldera, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Octavio Lepage
President of Venezuela, 1993–1994
He served as the acting president of Venezuela from 21 May 1993 to 5 June 1993.
Portrait of Octavio Lepage: Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Rafael Caldera
President of Venezuela, 1994–1999
His administration faced a severe banking crisis, recession, and falling oil prices, and implemented economic reforms while promoting anti-corruption initiatives and labour and social security reforms. His administration also included the pardon of participants in the 1992 coup attempts, including Hugo Chávez, who was elected president in 1998.
Portrait of Rafael Caldera: Archivo Rafael Caldera: http://rafaelcaldera.com/fotos/, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Culture
- The 1980s in particular were characterised by the flowering of art and culture and by the artistic development of the nation, especially in television.
- Pioneering media like RCTV made Venezuela famous with soap operas such as Kassandra.
- Internationally, Venezuela became a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Picture
The Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, founded in 1721, is the oldest university in Venezuela, and its main campus was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
Image: https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/145669/universidad-central-de-venezuela, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.