Historia y Personajes
History of Venezuela: Third Part
7. Transition to democracy
Eleazar López Contreras
Medina Angarita
Marcos Pérez Jiménez
After the Gomez death, General Eleazar Lopez Contreras, who had been his War and Naval Minister, took over and began the transition towards democracy. Contreras remained in charge until 1941. On April 28th, 1941 the National Congress elected General Isaias Medina Angarita as president for the next period. His government promoted fundamental changes in political, social and economical structure. Being a democrat by nature, he ruled with totally open political criteria. Unfortunately, on October 18th, 1945 this mature, prudent and intelligent transition was to be brusquely interrupted by a coup planned by a newly formed political party and a group of young military.
This coup caused serious disarrangements and stumbles to the raising democracy. It brought back the violence, pugnacity and conspiracy; political imprisonment and exile, which had been abolished during Lopez and Medina governments, were back and the atmosphere of social and political uprightness vanished away. A quick glance at the events that followed can easily show the fragility and instability of the new regimen.
Beginning with Romulo Gallegos who won the 1948 elections summoned by the Governing Council (Junta de Gobierno), a series of overthrows and their typical "juntas" ended in the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez who ruled the country from 1952 until 1958.
8. Democracy
After the fall of Perez Jimenez, Venezuela resumed its pursuit for Democracy and on December 7th 1958, the Governing Council carried out free elections won by the social democrat Romulo Betancourt whose ruling elapsed amid a tumultuous and violent climate under the ever-present threat of communist guerrillas.
La Junta de Gobierno
His fellow party Raul Leoni, winner for the following presidential period, started the pacification of the guerrillas, which was successfully consolidated by next president the Christian democrat Rafael Caldera.
Rómulo Betancourt
Raúl Leoni
Rafael Caldera
TO BE CONTINUED...
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Luis Herrera Campins
Jaime Lusinchi
Hugo Chávez en su juramentación como presidente
