Venezuela Military Dictatorship

1948 – 1958

Michelle Fan

Roseanne Lim

Cindy Zhou

Block E

16 May 2008

Word Count: 1,806

Table of Contents

Part A         Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….2

Part B        Summary…………………………………………………………………………………..3

Part C        Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………6

Part D        Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………8

Part E        Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….11

Part F        Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..12

Appendix I……………………………………………………………………………………….13

Part A         Introduction

This investigation seeks to determine whether the military regime in Venezuela post World War II in 1948-1958 had impacted the country positively or negatively. To answer this question, political, social, and economic developments starting from the military coup of November, 1948 up until the fall of the military dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958, shall be evaluated. The analysis will then attempt to establish whether the military regime had indeed improved the national state. Two sources will be evaluated in depth: an interview with Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan president from 1969 to 1974, as written in Robert J. Alexander’s book entitled The Bolivarian Presidents, and Winfield J. Burggraaff’s The Venezuelan Armed Forces in Politics 1935 – 1959.

Part B: Summary

A. Background Information on the Military Regime

  • Was preceded by Acción Democrática until 1848 coup d’état
  • Acción Democrática was popular with the people but not with the military
  • Military was displeased with the amount of civilian involved in politics
  • Reluctant to restore democracy because military men thought they had superior organization and expertise, thus more fit to govern

B. Benefits from the Military Regimes

1. Social Benefits

  • Incentive to private and foreign businesses; increased labor demands for women from 17% to 22%
  • Only 7% of unemployment rate under Jiménez’s regimes; 13% under democracy rule
  • Jiménez’s public projects pushed society forward. Caracas became a glittering, modern city.
  • finished the irrigation projects and schools that were started by Acción Democrática

2. Economic Benefits

  • Companies were happy with the government’s good policies on steel and oil with U.S.; generated increasingly steady income         (see Appendix I)  
  • US exports to Venezuela: 1.5 billion dollars in 1949

3. Political Benefits

  • political parties still functional but with less power except outlawed Acción Democrática
  • called for the election of 1952 while under military dictatorship
  • convinced many people that military regime was not desirable, even those who benefited from it
  • allowed political parties to exist showing signs of pluralist democracy

      4. National Defense

  • Army, navy and air force were modernized; strongly increased soldiers’ morale

C. Misfortunes Caused by the Military Regimes

      1. Social Issues

  • abandoned social works (eg: agrarian reform, school construction)
  • employed Seguridad Nacional (Secret police) to ensure everyone followed the dictatorship
  • Jiménez’s public infrastructures had little social utility (ie. Officers Clubs)
  • corruption in public works alienated businesses and stimulated public criticisms
  • More than 20 prominent political/organizational leaders were arrested and tortured; many were exiled to Trinidad
  • Strikes were calmed by extreme forces; (ie. government depriving workers’ water and electricity, invading houses, taking away food and blocking the roads)
  • Newspaper: no anti-government report; violation resulted in suspension and confiscation of the press
  • Political prisoners were not allowed to see a judge
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2. Economical Issues

  • prosperity is only on the surface; considerable unemployment rate although no exact statistics released due to censorship
  • a great share of oil revenues were extracted for government insiders
  • Minimized Labor Unions; 1053 unions before military regime; 1950 only 387
  • Because of the focus on petroleum industries, other trades (ie. Dairy, vegetable, sugar, meat, fish) suffered; textile production decreased by an average of 10% annually

3. Political Issues

  • Jiménez jailed many political leaders (especial AD party) to create fear and force people to ...

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