Local Government & Elections Venezuela

Structure of the Venezuelan Municipality Analogous to the county in the United States Includes both urban and rural areas In early times the boundaries of the municipality’s built environment accommodated more than one city Now a single urban built environment often spills over into several municipalities

Venezuelan Municipal Government: The Tradition Colonial Period Playground for the Criollo elite Role in independence movement Post Independence decline Centralization Violence Recentralization under “dictatorship light” of Guzman Blanco (1870 – 1888) General José Antonio Guzmán Blanco

Juan Vicente Gómez (1908-1935 Personalistic Dictatorship Centralization of Political Power Distrito – unit of local government Distrito officials appointed by the president Economic transformation Runs Venezuela like his ranch Cattle deals used to build the state Force and economic incentives ensure loyalty of the inner circle

Struggle to Consolidate Post-1958 Democracy Keeps Local Government Weak Leftist insurgents threaten democratic governments Centralized political parties resist decentralization Party slates and proportional representation Centralized political parties AD (Social Democrats) COPEI (Christian Democrats)

Struggle to Consolidate Post-1958 Democracy: Federal District Government in Caracas Federal District includes part of Caracas with most centers of national government power Federal District Governor named by the president Close confidant of president Controls budget Controls police through office of prefect Municipal Council weaker than in rest of the country

Municipal Reforms of 1978 Separate municipal elections Soon after national elections Retention of party slates and proportional representation Creation of the role of city manager President of Municipal Council as municipal executive The situado Hierarchical political parties marginalize the city manager

Decentralization Reforms 1989-1990 (Local Level) Impetus: economic downturn of “Black Friday The Caracazo February 27, 28, 1989 Demands to participate Demands for accountability Increasing sophistication in “the interior” Reduction in petroleum revenue Two days of rioting in ten cities 200 + dead Dissatisfaction with rule by centralized political parties

Caracazo: Wake Up Call for Punto Fijo Democracy

Municipal Reforms of 1988/1990: Creation of office of popularly elected mayor Strengthening of tax powers of municipio Creation of elected neighborhood organizations (Juntas Parochiales) Centralized political parties retain significant influence Parties themselves not decentralized Party dominated national political institutions retain great capabilities to allocate resources

Consequences of Municipal Reforms Fragmentation of the system of political parties National State & local Government of Rafael Caldera bypasses municipio governments in distributing resources Local political machines take shape Political bosses are only marginally more responsible to local interest groups than were their centrally controlled predecessors Corruption remains a major problem With the exception of Caracas – no efforts to develop metropolitan political institutions

Local Government and the Constitution of 1999 Government of President Hugo Chávez hostile to the decentralization reforms of 1989 – 90 Mechanism to coordinate and respond to demands from local governments not created Following the failed coup of April 2004 President Chavez favors Communal Councils as an alternative to traditional forms of local government

Territorial Reforms: Constitutional Referendum of December 2007 Territorial reform as a component of transformation to “Twenty-First Century Socialism” Division of the territory into five regions Missions based in national government distribute resources directly to the Communal Councils Traditional structures of local government wither away.