History of Venezuela

8/8/2019 History of Venezuela

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HISTORY OF VENEZUELA

New Granada: AD 1740-1810

The modern nations of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador are

grouped together, from 1740, as the Spanish viceroyalty of New

Granada with its capital at Bogot.

The second half of the 18th century is a time of considerable

progress in the region. Spain relaxes the long-

standingmercantilist restrictions on trade with its colonies,

resulting in a rapid increase in prosperity. An educated and

professional class of Creoles begins to emerge, self-confident

and increasingly resentful of the privileges of thepeninsulares.

In these circumstances New Granada is a natural region for the

first resistance to imperial rule. There is a brief uprising in

Ecuador as early as 1809. But sustained opposition begins

elsewhere a year later.

Bolvar and Gran Colombia: AD 1810-1822

Simn Bolvar, Venezuelan by birth and the central figure in the

story of the independence movements of Latin America, is a

young officer in Caracas in 1810. He is part of the conspiracy by

which a junta expels the Spanish governor of the province of

Venezuela, on April 19, and takes control. For the next twelve

years Bolvar's efforts are directed single-mindedly towards

liberating the whole of New Granada from Spanish rule. There

are many reverses on the way.

The optimism of July 1811, when a national assembly in Caracas

formally declares Venezuela's independence, is followed by a

complete reversal a year later. The Spanish authorities rally,

recover a military initiative, and by July 1812 regain control of

the entire province.

Bolvar escapes to Cartagena, the main seaport of neighbouring

Colombia. The city is in rebel hands, and here he pens a

powerful political pamphlet, the Manifesto de Cartagena,

addressed to the citizens of New Granada. In it he offers the

inspiring vision of a united effort to expel the Spaniards.

He soon proves his own abilities in this great enterprise. In 1813,at the head of an army of liberation, he returns to Venezuela

and wins six successive engagements against Spanish forces. On

6 August 1813 he enters Caracas. Welcomed as the Liberator, he

takes political control with dictatorial powers.

Again success is short-lived. By July 1814 Bolvar has once more

lost Caracas. He marches instead to Bogot, which he succeeds

in recapturing from the Spanish. He makes this capital city his


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base for a while, but soon the Spanish recover it yet again.

Bolvar flees into exile, in Jamaica and Haiti. But by the end of

1817 he is back in Venezuela, building up a new army in an

inaccessible region on the Orinoco river.

Here he conceives a bold plan. He will not make another

attempt on Caracas. Instead he will strike at the capital city of

New Granada by a route which is considered impossible - along

the waterlogged plain of the Orinoco and then over the Andes

for a surprise attack on Bogot.

In 1819 Bolvar's small force, of only about 2500 men, uses

cowhide boats to cross a succession of flooded tributaries of the

Orinoco (one of his men claims later that for seven days they

marched in water up to their waists). This ordeal is followed by

one even worse, a mountain crossing during which a

considerable number of the rebel band die of cold.

But the surprise holds. They descend from the high passes uponan unsuspecting enemy. In an engagement at Boyac, on 7

August 1819, the Spanish army surrenders. Three days later

Bolvar enters Bogot. On December 17 the Republica de

Colombia is proclaimed. It covers the entire region of modern

Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

As yet the republic is little more than a notion, for Venezuela

and Ecuador are still securely in Spanish hands. But the Liberator

soon puts this right. In Venezuela on 24 June 1821 he wins a

battle at Carabobo which yields to him once again his native city

of Caracas. And in Ecuador on 24 May 1822 Bolvar's favourite

general, the young Antonio Jos de Sucre, wins a victory atPichincha and brings the patriots into Quito.

With this liberation of Ecuador, the Republica de Colombia

becomes a reality as a free republic. (To avoid confusion with

later republics of Colombia, Bolvar's pioneering state has

subsequently been given the name Gran Colombia by historians,

and this now common anachronism is followed here.)

Gran Colombia: AD 1822-1830

Gran Colombia only has eight years as a functioning state, and

they are increasingly turbulent. Bolvar technically remainspresident even during the period (1823-6) when he is away

controlling the campaign in Peru. In his absence the acting

president is one of his trusted commanders, Francisco de Paula

Santander, a native of Colombia.

Unfortunately another close colleague of Bolvar's is increasingly

discontent with the attempted rule of the entire region of Gran


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Colombia from the capital at Bogot. The Venezuelan patriot

Jos Antonio Pez leads a rebellion in 1826 demanding

independence for Venezuela.

The crisis of 1826 brings Bolvar back from Peru to Gran

Colombia. He appeases Pez, allowing him a degree of

autonomy in Venezuela, but in doing so he provokes opposition

in Colombia - where he assumes dictatorial powers in 1828 (and

later in the same year is lucky to survive an assassination

attempt).

Meanwhile Ecuador, the third part of Gran Colombia, has been

in political turmoil since independence was first achieved in

1823; and its valuable southern port ofGuayaquil has remained

a bone of contention with Peru. The Peruvians invade in 1829.

They are only driven back when Sucre emerges from his recent

retirement and defeats them, against heavy odds, on the plain

of Tarqui.

By 1830 Bolvar is isolated, ineffective and increasingly ill.Santander has been exiled after the 1828 attempt on Bolvar's

life (in which he was not directly implicated). And in 1829 Pez

has launched a renewed separatist movement demanding

Venezuelan independence.

In May 1830 Bolvar decides to leave Bogot, resigning as

president and planning to retire to Europe. He only gets as far as

Santa Marta, on the Atlantic coast of Colombia, where he dies of

tuberculosis - but not before hearing of two final blows. In

September both Ecuador and Venezuela secede formally from

Gran Colombia. And June has brought news of a more personalloss.

Of his many devoted followers Bolvar has always favoured the

talented but unassuming Antonio Jos de Sucre, treating him

almost as a son and seeing him as his likely successor. Early in

1830 Bolvar asks Sucre to preside over a congress in Bogot, in

a final attempt to hold Gran Colombia together. When the

congress fails, Sucre sets off to ride home to Quito. He is

assassinated on his journey, probably by agents of a political

rival.

Bolvar and his associates have won independence for the

nations of Spanish America. But the republics begin their

separate histories in a lethal atmosphere of mistrust and

political gangsterism.

A republic of caudllos: AD 1830-1945

The newly independent republic of Venezuela is profoundly

affected, from the earliest decades of its existence, by the Latin


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American tradition of caudllos. First of these caudllos, and one

of the most efficient in his rule, is the man who has done more

than anyone to win Venezuela's final independence, Jos

Antonio Paez.

Paez is elected president in 1831 and remains the real power in

the country until 1848. He is seen as acting in the conservative

interest, though his policies are far from conventional in that

respect (under his rule the church loses both its tax immunity

and its monopoly of education). When an opposition group is

founded in 1840, it calls itself the Liberal party.

By 1848 the liberal cause is strong enough to force Paez into

exile, but the country never settles into the lastingLiberal and

conservative clash which characterizes other nations in Latin

America.

Instead it is the caudllo tradition which prevails for nearly a

century, with a succession of corrupt dictators seizing power.Local strong men, anarchistic and uncontrollable, reflect the

same pattern at a provincial level. Their ability to do so is

increased by the extremely violent Federalist Wars of 1858-63,

in which the liberal side eventually prevails. It is thus able to

insist on the principle of greater local autonomy, which

coincidentally gives carte blanche to the regional warlords.

With its long coastline on the Caribbean, Venezuela has more

developed foreign contacts than other south American

countries. Its connection with European bankers involves the

nation in an international crisis in 1902. In that year Venezuela

defaults on interest payments due to British, German and Italiancreditors. It also fails to pay compensation for property

damaged in local riots. The three countries send warships to

threaten Venezuela, prompting in turn the intervention of

President Theodore Roosevelt.

Twelve years later, in 1914, there is even more significant

foreign involvement. The British and the Dutch, in the form of

Royal-Dutch Shell, begin to pump oil near Lake Maracaibo.

The Maracaibo region proves to be one of the world's richest oil

resources. By the end of the 1920s Venezuela exports more oil

than any other nation, and is second only to the USA as a

producer.

As yet this unexpected gush of wealth enriches mainly the

foreign oil companies (working in large numbers in the region

from 1918) and the ruling military clique. The dominant caudllo

in the early 20th century is Juan Vicente Gmez, a particularly

ruthless and rapacious dictator who is in power from 1908 until

his death in 1935. Known in his time as the 'tyrant of the Andes',


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Gmez is unusual among caudllos in being an almost full-

blooded American Indian.

Oil revenues help Venezuela through the depression years of the

1930s. After the death of Gmez, in 1935, they also allow his

successors in the presidency to undertake extensive investment

in the infrastructure of transport, water supplies and electricity.

During this period Gmez's many political enemies are allowed

to return from exile. They begin to organize political parties. The

result is a major turning point in the modern history of

Venezuela. In 1945 civilian politicians and the military join forces

to overthrow the government. They put in its place an interim

junta, with the promise of elections to follow.

Mainly democracy: from AD 1945

When democracy comes to Venezuela, the leading political

party is Accin Democrtica. Left-wing but anti-Communist, it is

founded in 1941 by Rmulo Betancourt. After the coup of 1945

Betancourt becomes provisional president.

During his presidency Betancourt introduces moderate reforms

but concentrates on preparing a new democratic constitution. It

is adopted in 1947. Elections at the end of that year bring Accin

Democrtica into full democratic power, whereupon a

thoroughgoing programme of left-wing measures is introduced.

The result is a military coup in 1948 by alarmed conservatives.

Betancourt escapes again into exile.

The renewed military dictatorship lasts for nearly ten years,

most of them under the rule of the spectacularly oppressive andcorrupt Marcos Prez Jimnez. When he is finally toppled, in a

coup in 1958, he escapes to the United States with an estimated

$200 million as his personal fortune (he is subsequently

extradited, in 1963, and serves five years in a Venezuelan gaol).

Betancourt returns and is elected president for a five-year term

in 1958. His term places Venezuela securely back on the

democratic track. Power has changed hands peacefully every

five years since then. In 1968 a Christian Democrat candidate

wins for the first time. He is Rafael Caldera, who is again

successful, twenty-five years later, in 1993.The elections of 1998, however, bring a dramatic new change of

direction. Hugo Chavez, a charismatic former paratrooper who

has served two years in gaol for his part in a failed military coup

in 1992, wins the presidency with a large popular majority on a

nationalist left-wing programme.

Chavez, who sees himself as leading a new revolution, borrows


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the mantle of the liberator of Venezuela,Bolvar. He renames

the country the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and appears

on platforms with Bolvar's jewel-encrusted ceremonial sword as

a prop.

Using army officers to run his administration, Chavez sets out to

reverse the free-market economic policies of the 1990, so as to

benefit of the millions of Venezuelans living in poverty.

Under a new constitution, limiting presidents to two six-year

terms, he is re-elected in 2000 and again in 2006. By now - to

the alarm of many who see ominous signs of a return to the

plague of Latin America, military dictatorship - he is proposing a

change to the constitution to allow a president unlimited terms

of office. But when these proposals are put to a referendum in

December 2007, they are narrowly defeated (with 51% of the

votes against).

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Education in Venezuela is compulsory up to high school. Classes are conducted in Spanish in non-

sectarian schools. Education is free for all, and every citizen has the right to attend public schools. The

educational system in Venezuela is highly centralized. For this reason, changes or innovations that occur

will affect the whole country. Public and private schools are subject to supervision by the Ministry of

Education, Culture and Sports. Private schools must meet the same standards as those required in the

public schools. For all levels of education there are public and private institutions. The structure of the

whole educational system is comprised of Basic Education (Educacin Bsica), which lasts nine years

(from 5 to 14 years); Diversified Secondary Education (Educacin Media Diversificada), which lasts 2

years (14 to 16); and Specialized Secondary Education (Educacin Media Profesional), which lasts three

years (from 14 to 17), after which the student is awarded a technical degree. Secondary education

(Educacin media) is divided into two cycles: Diversified and Professional. Training for bachilleres in

science, arts, or humanities lasts two years, and training for professional or mid-level

technicians tcnicos medios lasts three years.

The educational system includes preprimary through higher and professional education. There are also a

number of technical and trade schools for those who prefer a less formal education or for those whoneed to enter the labor market at a faster rate. The country has 900 high schools and 17 public

universities. Venezuela is a very young country; the average age is 33 years. The last census showed a 91

percent literacy rate; the remaining 9 percent includes mostly minorities or deeply impoverished people.

Higher education is provided by universities, institutes, university colleges, and university institutes.

There are two ecclesiastic university institutes and three military university institutes. These institutions

are grouped in two sub-systems: Institutes and University Colleges, mainly for short courses of study (2

1/2 to 3 years) and Universities, mainly for long courses of study (five or six years), leading to the award

of the Licenciado or to an equivalent professional title such as Engineer. Courses of study are Basic

Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Health Sciences, Social

Sciences, Education, Humanities, Art and Letters, and Military Sciences. Public universities areIndependent (with autonomy) and Experimental. Access to higher education is carried out through

the Oficina de Planificacin del Sector Universitario(OPSU). Students generally take a national test

before they are selected to a particular university or career. Some departments offer independent

admission tests beyond the national test,prueba de aptitud acadmica. The grading system is on a scale

from 1 to 20. The minimum passing mark is 10, and the maximum is 20. Some experimental institutions

have a 1 to 5 grading scale, others a 1 to 9 grading scale.

The academic year for public education starts in September and ends in June. Examinations are given

nationally each year. At the end of the year, students who have done poorly have the opportunity to

pass the course by passing a make-up exam. Although education is generally free, less than 15 percent

of the university age population attends the university on a full-time basis. Books, transportation, and

daily expenses still remain the main burdens for the majority of the population. The current educational

and economic reforms in Venezuela seek to address these issues of inequality and discrimination. The

government faces the challenge of bettering the lives of a large number of uneducated people, while

addressing the need for jobs in a country where unemployment hovers at 20 percent.


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History of Venezuela