1. Core of Punto Fijo - Peripheral to Bolivarianismo Venezuelan Political Venezuelan Party System (1958 - 2011):

2. Multi-Party System (1958 – 1973) — Acción Democrática — COPEI — Radical Left — PCV — Guerrillas — Personalistic Movements — URD — Larrazabal — Villalba — FND

3. ACCIÓN DEMOCRÁTICA — Impact of a decade in the Resistance — First round of divisions from the “Old Guard” — Calming impact of the Leoni coalition — The Split of December 1967

4. Rómulo Betancourt: Founder of AD

5. COPEI — The party grows under two AD governments — Party growth during the first Caldera government (1969-73) — Struggle to control COPEI — The Herrera Challenge — Rafael Caldera’s domination of the party

6. Rafael Caldera: Founder of COPEI

7. MILITANT LEFT — The Communists and their dance with the MIR (Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionario) — The Prague Spring leads to division and weakening of the PCV — Emergence of the MAS (Movimiento hacia el Socialismo) — CAUSA R

8. Personalistic Movements — Admiral Larrazabal — Truncated association with URD — Popular Democratic Force in 1963 — Arturo USLAR Pietri and the National Democratic Front — Opportunistic candidacy of Miguel A. Burelli Rivas Military Junta: January 1958

9. Multi-Party System ends with the elections of 1973 Polarization of Electorate COPEI seen as viable alternative to AD — Petroleum income increases distributive capability of democratic political parties — AD & COPEI benefit from use of patronage — Prospect of a Petro-bonanza dampens revolutionary ardor on the left Carlos Andres Perez: Este hombre; Si camina!

10. Political Parties during the Petro- bonanza — AD — AD (under C.A. Perez, 1974-79) promises fifty years of progress in five — Resource abundance revives mentality of 1950’s — Split between Perez & Betancourt leads to defeat — COPEI — Skillful conduct of opposition to C.A. Perez — Herrera wins presidential elections of 1978 — Corruption reaches unprecedented levels

11. Political Parties during the Petro- bonanza – more — Militant Left — MAS (co-opted) gets crumbs — Other leftist movements almost invisible — PCV — Causa R

12. LAST HURRAH Of the Extended Bi- Party System The Lusinchi Administration (1984-89) Merger of party and government is unprecedented — International price of petroleum continues declining — Heavy borrowing based on assumption that petroleum prices will recover — Manipulation of foreign reserves insures a victory by the AD candidate in December 1988 1983 Presidential Campaign

13. Decline and Collapse of the Extended Bi-Party System I — The second C.A. Perez Government (1989-93) — Electoral returns — Urban riots of February 1989 — General strike of May 1989 — Neo-liberal Privatization Programs Undermine AD and COPEI — Military coups of 1992 — February 4: Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarians — Eduardo Fernandez’s support for C.A. Perez fractures COPEI — Second coup attempt (November 27), by Navy and Air Force — Elites decide that C.A. Perez must go — Impeachment of C.A. Perez (May,1993)

14. Decline and Collapse of the Extended Bi-Party System I I — Elections of December 1993 — COPEI squanders its opportunity — Resistance to leadership over backing for CAP — Generational clash — Finishes third in presidential balloting — Ressurrection of Rafael Caldera — Convergencia — MAS signs on — AD moves to a new generation — CAUSA R finishes a strong fourth

15. Elections of 1998 and the Emergence of MVR — Caldera fails to establish a Christian Democratic alternative — Rise and decline of Irene Saez — International backing — COPEI’ S “kiss of death” — AD — Alfaro’s attempt to manipulate the electoral results backfires — AD abandons Alfaro for Enrique Salas Romer

16. Elections of 1998 and the Emergence of MVR — Hugo Chávez Frías becomes only viable opposition candidate — Caldera discredited — COPEI discredited — AD Discredited — MAS adds organizational backing AD — Chavez’s charisma increases as Miss Venezuela self- destructs — Chavez wins with 57% of the total vote.

18. A New Era Hugo Fries Chavez: The Fifth Republic Begins — Chavez supported by a “movement,” (MVR) rather than by an organized political party — AD and COPEI become progressively weaker — Mega-elections of August 2000 gives Chavez 60% of the popular vote

19. Opposition Political Parties undergo deinstitutionalization — Institutional structures of AD and COPEI decay — MAS destroyed by Chavez personally — New Alternatives relatively weak — Primera Justicia — Un Tiempo Nuevo — Regional political parties 38% of presidential vote in 2006

20. From MVR to Partido Socialista Unido de Venezolana (PSUV) — Bolivarian concerns over the existing constellation of political parties supporting the Bolivarian Revolution — MVR — Podemos — PPT — 2007-08 – Mixed progress in creating the PSUV