Republic of Venezuela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Republic of Venezuela
República de Venezuela (Spanish)
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| 1953–1999 | |||||||||
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Anthem: "Gloria al Bravo Pueblo"
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| Capital and largest city
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Caracas | ||||||||
| Official languages | Spanish | ||||||||
| Religion | None (around 92% Roman Catholic) | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Venezuelan | ||||||||
| Government | Federal presidential constitutional initially under a military dictatorship (1953–1958) | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
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• 1953–1958
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Marcos Pérez Jiménez | ||||||||
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• 1959–1964
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Rómulo Betancourt | ||||||||
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• 1964–1969
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Raúl Leoni | ||||||||
| Legislature | Bicameral Congress | ||||||||
| Senate | |||||||||
| Deputies | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Established
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11 April 1953 | ||||||||
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• Constitution adopted
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16 January 1961 | ||||||||
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• Bolivarian Republic established
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2 February 1999 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
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• Estimate
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8,142,838 | ||||||||
| HDI (1999) | 0.674 medium |
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| Currency | Bolívar | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | VE | ||||||||
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The Republic of Venezuela was a country in South America. It existed from 1953 to 1999. In 1999, it became the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Before 1958, Venezuela was ruled by a military dictatorship. This changed after a military overthrow in 1958. After this, Venezuela became a democracy. Important political parties signed an agreement called the Puntofijo Pact. This agreement helped them share power and keep the country stable.
During this time, Venezuela's oil industry became owned by the government in 1976. A new national oil company, PDVSA, was created. Venezuela also became a founding member of OPEC, a group of oil-exporting countries. The 1980s were a time when Venezuelan art and culture, especially television, became very popular.
Contents
- History of Venezuela's Republic (1953-1999)
- From Dictatorship to Democracy (1953–1958)
- Betancourt's Presidency (1959–1964)
- Leoni and Caldera's First Term (1964–1974)
- Carlos Andrés Pérez's First Term (1974–1979)
- Herrera Campins and Lusinchi's Presidencies (1979–1989)
- Carlos Andrés Pérez's Second Term (1989–1993)
- Caldera's Second Term (1994–1999)
- Territorial Organization
- Science and Technology
- Culture
History of Venezuela's Republic (1953-1999)
From Dictatorship to Democracy (1953–1958)
From 1948 to 1958, Venezuela was under military rule. In 1952, a leader named Marcos Pérez Jiménez took control. He became president after elections that were not truly fair. His government was overthrown in 1958.
After Pérez Jiménez left, a temporary government took over. Then, in December 1958, elections were held. Three major political parties agreed to work together. This agreement was called the Puntofijo Pact. It helped Venezuela start a new democratic era.
Betancourt's Presidency (1959–1964)
After the military leader was exiled in 1958, Rómulo Betancourt became president. His party, Acción Democrática, had been in power before. Betancourt's government made some big changes. They stopped giving special deals to foreign oil companies. They also created a Venezuelan oil company. In 1960, Venezuela helped start OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
In 1961, a new constitution was created. It divided the government into three parts: executive, legislative, and judicial. Betancourt's government also worked on land reform. They also said Venezuela would only recognize governments chosen by the people.
Not everyone agreed with these changes. In 1960, there was an attempt to assassinate Betancourt. Also, some left-wing groups started fighting the government. They were supported by Fidel Castro from Cuba.
Leoni and Caldera's First Term (1964–1974)
In 1963, Raúl Leoni was elected president. His government focused on public works and cultural projects. However, they also faced ongoing fighting from rebel groups.
Rafael Caldera won the next election and became president in 1969. Before he took office, there was a border issue with neighboring Guyana. This problem was solved peacefully in 1970. Caldera also made peace with the rebel groups, allowing them to join political life again.
Carlos Andrés Pérez's First Term (1974–1979)
Carlos Andrés Pérez became president in 1974. This was during a time when oil prices were very high. Venezuela used this money to take control of its industries. In 1975, the government took over the iron industry. The next year, in 1976, they also took over the oil industry.
Herrera Campins and Lusinchi's Presidencies (1979–1989)
Luis Herrera Campins became president in 1979. At this time, Venezuela had a lot of debt. In 1983, the Venezuelan currency, the bolívar, lost a lot of its value. This day was called "Black Friday" and started an economic crisis.
The next president, Jaime Lusinchi, did not do much to fix the economic problems. There were also some issues with corruption. In 1987, a disagreement over a border area caused tension between Venezuela and Colombia.
Carlos Andrés Pérez's Second Term (1989–1993)
Pérez was elected president again in 1988. To fix the economy, he introduced new rules. These rules led to big protests, especially in 1989. These protests were known as the Caracazo.
In 1989, Venezuela also held its first direct elections for governors and mayors. This meant people could vote directly for their local leaders.
Coup Attempts in 1992
In February 1992, Hugo Chávez and other military officers tried to overthrow President Pérez. The plan was to take control of military bases and communication centers. They almost captured Pérez, but he managed to escape. Chávez was arrested, but he was allowed to speak on television. This made him famous across the country.
Later that year, in November 1992, other officers tried another coup. However, this attempt was quickly stopped.
Pérez's Removal and Transition
President Pérez faced legal problems because of how he used a special presidential fund. The Supreme Court and Congress went against him. Pérez was removed from office in 1993. He was held in a detention center and then under house arrest.
Ramón José Velásquez, a politician and historian, became interim president. He oversaw the elections held in 1993.
Caldera's Second Term (1994–1999)
Rafael Caldera ran for president again and won in 1993. He started a new political movement. When he took office in 1994, Venezuela was facing a big banking crisis. He put back controls on money exchange that Pérez had removed.
The economy continued to struggle because oil prices were falling. The government sold the steel company, Sidor, to private owners. Caldera also kept an election promise and released Hugo Chávez from prison. He pardoned all the military and civilian people involved in the coup attempts.
The economic problems continued. By the 1998 presidential election, people were unhappy with the traditional political parties. Hugo Chávez became very popular during this time. He was elected president in 1998. His government created a new constitution. This new constitution was approved by voters in December 1999. The adoption of this new constitution marked the end of the Republic of Venezuela and the beginning of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Territorial Organization
The 1961 constitution divided Venezuela into different areas. These included states, a capital district, and federal territories. Over time, some territories became states. For example, Delta Amacuro became a state in 1991, and Amazonas in 1992. Each state has its own governor and a legislative assembly.
Science and Technology
During this period, Venezuela made important progress in medical science. Jacinto Convit developed vaccines for diseases like leprosy. Baruj Benacerraf won a Nobel Prize in 1980 for his research on the immune system. In technology, Humberto Fernández Morán invented the diamond knife. He also helped develop the electron microscope.
Culture
The 1980s and 1990s were a great time for television in Venezuela. Many Venezuelan soap operas, called telenovelas, became famous around the world. Some popular ones included Leonela (1983), Cristal (1984), and Kassandra (1992).
Several Venezuelan women also won international beauty pageants. These included Maritza Sayalero (1979) and Irene Sáez (1981). Venezuelan musicians like Franco de Vita and Ricardo Montaner also became well-known internationally.
