History of Venezuela

The history of the modern Venezuela starts with the Spanish conquest, at the 16th century.

16th century: Spanish conquest

From what one knows, the installation of the man on the territory of Venezuela would go back approximately 16.000 years, result of the migration of populations of the South (Amazonia), of the West (the Andes) and of North (the Caribbean). The prehistoric site of Taima-Taima, located in the coastal region of the North-West of the Venezuela, is a place of hunting and demolition of a prehistoric méga-fauna (mastodons and mammoths). Many artefacts were found on the spot. Points of lance and tools lithic of the culture El Jobo which developed between 17.000 years and 12.000 years in the North-East of South America.

In 1498, Christophe Colomb “discovers” Venezuela whereas it is with its third voyage in America. Come to explore new grounds starting from the island of Cuba, it approaches on the peninsula of Araya and follows the coast towards the East to the gulf of Paria.
Découvrant of the indigenous lake cities, the crew compares these Amerindian villages with small " Venise". This new region and thus called Venezuela = Small Venice .

When the following year the Florentin Amerigo Vespucci and Spanish Alonso de Ojeda explore this area for the first time, they discover indigènes* (of which of the Caribbean, Arawaks and Cumanagatos), living mainly of agriculture and hunting, installed along the coast, of the Cordillière of the Andes and the river Orénoque. The population of the time is estimated at 500.000 inhabitants. The houses on Piloti S of the Indians of the gulf of Maracaibo make them think of small Venice, Venezuela. The family Welser, German elected by Charles Quint tests the first colonization. It is in Venezuela that the Spaniards found their first permanent colony of South America. It is about Nueva Cadiz created in 1522 and in 1556 Venezuela is attached to the Spanish crown. Caracas is founded in 1567. At XVIe and 17th centuries, Venezuela was neglected an enough colony, because the Spaniards concentrated especially on the extraction of the Or in other areas of South America.

* With the difference in powerful civilizations Aztec of Mexico or INCA of Peru, these companies précolombiennes left few traces of their culture.

19th century: independence

The greatest pre-indépendentiste movement is that of Francisco de Miranda. After having taken part in the War of Independence of the United States and the French revolution, Miranda, with the support of England and the United States, leaves New York in 1806.

The unloading on the coasts vénézuéliennes fails because the Spanish boats fight battle to him. It must flee towards Trinidad. With the assistance of the Governor of the island, it organizes the second forwarding and succeeds in unloading on August 3rd, 1806 in Vela of Coro. But it is not well accommodated by the colonists and turns over some time after to England.

It takes again the fight in 1810. The April 19th 1810, with Caracas, a municipal council declares independence with the assistance of the commander of the army, Miranda. In spite of that, independence is not really concretized and the country remains under the Spanish domination.

Ten years later, Simon Bolivar (El Libertador), carries out a new army and inflicts a severe defeat with the loyal supporters (Bataille of Carabobo). Venezuela becomes thus a state with whole share. The General Jose Antonio Paez, who carried out the war in Llanos becomes president of the republic.

Various rebellions are to be noted of 1858 to 1863.

Venezuela is one of the three countries having emerged of the collapse of the Grande Colombia, declared in 1830 by the general Jose Antonio Páez (two other countries being the Colombia and the Ecuador).

20th century: dictatorships, oil and democracy

Dictatorships and Oil

During first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was directed by military governments which promoted oil industry.

At the beginning of the XXe century, the discovery of crude oil reserves indeed led Venezuela to pass from an economy based to 96% on the Cacao and the Café, with an oil economy .

The dictator Juan Vicente Gómez, known as the barbarian , directed the country of 1908 to 1935, oil allowed him to refund the Foreign debt completely in 1930. From 1936 to 1941, the country is directed by Eleazar López Contreras, then 1941 with 1945 by Isaías Medina Angarita

Become president by Coup d'etat, Rómulo Betancourt of 1945 with 1948.

This period ends in the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, of 1952 with 1958.

Pact of Punto Fijo: end of the military dictatorship

The fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958 gives place to the Pacte of Punto Fijo, which specifies the new political system. The governments are then elected democratically.

Rómulo Betancourt is president of 1959 with 1964. Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic, tries to assassinate it the June 24th 1960.

The principal parties of this time are the democratic Action (AD, social democrat Acción Democratica ), the COPEI (social-Christian) and the democratic republican Union ( Unión Republicana Democrática ), which were combined to draw aside the Communist party of Venezuela. The development is built around the operating profits of oil Venezuelan, helping with the industrialization of the country.

The Caracazo

During two days, the February 27th and February 28th 1989, the people is raised in Caracas and the neighborhoods, following an explosion of the tariffs, in particular of public transport and the economic reforms inspired by the Néolibéralisme, following agreements with the Fonds international currency.

The 2nd day, the president Carlos Andrés Pérez starts the Plan Avila and sends the army against the revolted population, killing between 300 and 3000 people according to the sources.

Presidencies of Hugo Chávez

In 1992, in a country where popular layers are ruined, occurs two attempts at Coup d'etat (in February and November), of which one directed by Hugo Chávez.

In 1998, elected president democratically, Hugo Chávez, tries to rebalance the relationship between classes rich and poor.

It sets up programs of Alphabétisation of the poorest classes. It also sets up a system of Participative democracy, in order to put at contribution the population to find solutions at the local level, and to thus leave the country poverty. It redistributes the grounds not cultivated with the poorest peasants, in order to increase the agro-alimentary culture of the country, and to reduce thus the foreign debt while diversifying the economy. It also tries to nationalize the oil companies.

Many structures Coopérative S are developed, from the associative local mediums are born, and the many services Médecin S Cuba ins (the cuban government trains more doctors than its health system does not require any) are exchanged against Pétrole to improve the health system quickly which has strong need for it.

Putsch of April 2002

That is not taste of the opposition, which tries a Coup d'etat the April 11th 2002 and reverses the government during less than 48 hours. During these hours, the transitory government abolishes all the systems of popular election and starts a violent repression against its opponents. This putsch is supported by the private media of the country. The government putschist is recognized at once by the IMF and the government of the the United States.

The population goes down massively in the street, which is occulted by the media putschists, and the following day, Hugo Chávez finds the capacity. He starts a dialog, is rejected by the opposition.

The government of Hugo Chávez carries felt sorry for, in March 2004, near the Organization of the American States (OAS) against the government of Washington, for its support for the putsch of 2002, affirming to have many evidence of its complicity.

In November 2004, at the time of the official visit of Hugo Chávez in Spain, the new elected government shows the old Spanish government, then directed by Jose Maria Aznar, to have supported this coup d'etat.

Burden with oil employers

A few months later, a massive strike is organized by the owners and the senior officials of the Pdvsa ( Petróleos of Venezuela ), principal oil company of Venezuela. This strike is a failure, following the passive resistance of most of the population, it results in the licensiment punitive one of a very great number of frameworks.

Prohibition of the GMO

The April 21st 2004, following an alarm of the international association Via Campesina, a country and rural association strong of 60 million members, Hugo Chávez announces that the transgenic seeds are from now on prohibited on the ground of Venezuela. It also stops a contract with Monsanto, which projected to plant 150.000 hectares of soya there transgenic. It used for that the respect of the sovereignty and the food safety of the Constitution bolivarienne. Its neighbor nearest, the Colombia, uses already the product of the Monsanto firm.

He proposes to replace the fields envisaged with this culture, by that of the Manioc, to create a large bank of the seeds, of which the goal would be to allow to the peasants of the Amerindian world and the S to supply itself there.

Internationalization of the Plane Colombia

The May 8th 2004, the security services of Venezuela capture 89 Paramilitaire S Colombia NS, on a total estimated at 150, being involved in a Hacienda close to Caracas, pertaining to Roberto Alonso, opponent of cuban origin. The majority of them are Colombian reservists. According to information given, the group was on the point of attacking a barracks of the national guard, in order to destabilize the government.

A few days before, the former president Venezuelan, Carlos Andrés Pérez, exiled in Colombia due to corruption, declared with the radio Colombian, Radio Caracol, that it was ready to reverse Chávez by the force, and that there would be deaths.

tank S French bought with the former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and resold in Colombia, are placed along the border between Venezuela and Colombia.

Demonstrations of support before the revocatory referendum

The August 8th 2004, with Caracas, takes place more the big demonstration ever seen in Venezuela, in support for Hugo Chávez. In parallel, the opposition succeeds in organizing a demonstration of very great width.

Demonstrations are organized in various parts of planet in support for the president the shortly after the referendum of the August 15th. Hugo Chavez is considered big winner at the same time by the surveys of institutes close to the movement bolivarien like those of the opposition.

Current problems

Conflicts related to drug, along the Colombian border;
Increase in the drug taking;
Surdépendance with respect to the oil industry and of the fluctuations of its value on the market;
anarchistic and outrageous Mining, which endangers the indigenous tropical forest and populations;
oligarchical, hostile Opposition to the government, which with the seizure on the great media, and tries to make conceal the associative media;
important Foreign debt, and pressure of OMC;
Will of the Colombia to reverse the government Venezuelan, thanks to the paramilitaries and with the hardly disguised support of the the United States;
Conflit enters the middle-class and the popular classes. The middle-classes which are impoverished (as in Argentina) make the president responsible for the crisis and form the mass of the anti-Chavez demonstrators.

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