4.  Simón Bolívar and South American Independence  Venezuela splits from Gran Colombia (1830)  The Federal Wars 1858-63  Desire for a more democratic society  Anti-clericalism  Personalism  Caracas vs. Interior

5.  Victorious “Liberals” fail to restore order  Three more years of instability lead to victory of Antonio Guzmán Blanco and Liberal Enlightenment (1870 – 1888)  Centralization of power in Caracas  Economic development  Modernization

6.  Rules directly or behind the scenes  Holiday in Paris (1884-1886 Autocratic, but a modernizer  Centralization of power in Caracas  Economic development  Modernization

7.  1890 Guzmán Blanco’s heirs divide into factions  1899 – clash among political factions leads to violence  Return of revolutionary chaos opens the way for Andean domination.

8.  Cipriano Castro and the Táchira Revolutionaries  October 22, 1899 – Victorious Andeans enter Caracas  Castro in power 1899-1908  Four years of intermittant fighting  Default on foreign debts leads to blockade (1902)  U.S.: role as negotiator  Castro becomes nationalist hero by resisting demands for debt payment by North Atlantic nations  November 1908 – to Europe for an operation

9.  Juan Vicente Gómez (1908-1935)  Political unification  Economic transformation  Primitive style – runs Venezuela like his ranch  Cattle deals used to build the state  Force and economic incentives ensure loyalty of the inner circle  Outburst of hatred against Gómez clan upon the passing of the dictator

10.  López Contraras  Medina Angarita (1940-45)  Continuing modernization  Nationalism and petroleum  Politics of the aborted 1945 presidential election campaign  Revolution of October 18, 1945

11.  Trienio (1945-48)  Rapid modernization of peasants  AD takes control of organized labor  Marxist cast of AD governments antagonizes the church  Incorporation of provincial middle class  Constitution of 1947  Universal suffrage  Representative democracy

12.  AD’s Rómulo Gallegos wins more than 2/3 of vote  Opposition parties frustrated  COPEI (Christian Democrats)  PCV (Communists)  URD (Democratic Republican Union)  Sectarianism leads to revolution of November 28, 1948

13.  Dictablanda (1948-52)  Pérez Jiménez and the New National Ideal  Populism  General Pérez Jiménez and the New National Ideal  Physical development  Reliance on petroleum income  Decay of the military regime  Increasing persecution of opponents  Corruption  All work and no play makes Marcos a dull boy

14.  Orinoco River  Democratic Forces meet in New York City to coordinate efforts against General Pérez Jiménez (Fall of 1957)  Plebiscite on another term (November 1957)  Democratic Revolution of January 23, 1958  Return of exiles  Pact of Punto Fijo (shares power)

15.  National Elections: December 1958  Results (Presidential)  AD: Rómulo Betancourt (49%)  URD, PCV: Admiral Wolfgang Larrazabal (35%)  COPEI: Rafael Caldera (16%)  January 1, 1959 – Punto Fijo democracy begins