87-469: Rómulo Ángel del Monte Carmelo Gallegos Freire (2 August 1884 – 5 April 1969) was a Venezuelan novelist and politician. For a period of nine months during 1948, he governed as the first freely elected president in Venezuela's history. He was removed from power by military officers in the 1948 Venezuelan coup . Rómulo Gallegos is considered the most relevant Venezuelan novelist of the 20th century, and
174-429: A recession , and in 2015, had the world's highest inflation, surpassing 100%. In 2017, Donald Trump 's administration imposed more economic sanctions against PDVSA and Venezuelan officials. Economic problems, as well as crime, were the causes of the 2014–present Venezuelan protests . Since 2014, roughly 5.6 million people have fled Venezuela . In January 2016, Maduro decreed an "economic emergency", revealing
261-561: A 1999 constituent assembly to write a new Constitution. The Revolution refers to a left-wing populism social movement and political process led by Chávez, who founded the Fifth Republic Movement in 1997 and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela in 2007. The "Bolivarian Revolution" is named after Simón Bolívar . According to Chávez and other supporters, the "Bolivarian Revolution" sought to build
348-419: A clean slate and his political rights reinstated, allowing Chávez to win and maintain the presidency continuously from 1999 until his death in 2013. Chávez won the elections of 1998, 2000, 2006 and 2012 and the presidential referendum of 2004. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties led to Hugo Chávez being elected president in 1998 and the subsequent launch of a "Bolivarian Revolution", beginning with
435-620: A heavy dependence on agricultural exports. It prompted a boom that lasted into the 1980s; by 1935, Venezuela's per capita gross domestic product was Latin America's highest. Gómez benefited handsomely from this, as corruption thrived, but at the same time, the new source of income helped him centralize the state and develop its authority. Gómez remained the most powerful man in Venezuela until his death in 1935. The gomecista dictatorship (1935–1945) system largely continued under Eleazar López Contreras , but from 1941, under Isaías Medina Angarita ,
522-713: A la Iglesia venezolana" . El País . Archived from the original on 2021-03-26 . Retrieved 2021-08-21 . (in Spanish) List of First Ladies of Venezuela - Venciclopedia “Las Presidentas de Venezuela, Primeras Damas de la República en el siglo XIX”, Antonio Reyes, 1955 v t e First ladies of Venezuela Since 1830 Dominga Ortiz Orzúa Jacinta Parejo Alicia Pietri Gladys Castillo Blanca Rodríguez Marisabel Rodríguez de Chávez Cilia Flores Fabiana Rosales [REDACTED] Acting shown in italics , Disputed during
609-603: A large expeditionary force to come under general Pablo Morillo , with the goal to regain the lost territory in Venezuela and New Granada. As the war reached a stalemate on 1817, Bolívar reestablished the Third Republic of Venezuela on the territory still controlled by the patriots, mainly in the Guayana and Llanos regions. This republic was short-lived as only two years later, during the Congress of Angostura of 1819,
696-462: A large quantity of fresh water being inside and in such close proximity to salt water; the very mild temperateness also corroborates this; and if the water of which I speak does not proceed from Paradise then it is an even greater marvel, because I do not believe such a large and deep river has ever been known to exist in this world. Spain's colonization of mainland Venezuela started in 1522, establishing its first permanent South American settlement in
783-706: A longstanding dispute with Great Britain about the Essequibo territory, which Britain claimed as part of British Guiana and Venezuela saw as Venezuelan territory, erupted into the Venezuela Crisis of 1895 . The dispute became a diplomatic crisis when Venezuela's lobbyist, William L. Scruggs , sought to argue that British behavior over the issue violated the United States ' Monroe Doctrine of 1823, and used his influence in Washington, D.C., to pursue
870-566: A mass movement to implement Bolivarianism — popular democracy , economic independence, equitable distribution of revenues, and an end to political corruption. They interpret Bolívar's ideas from a populist perspective, using socialist rhetoric. This led to formation of the Fifth Republic of Venezuela , commonly known as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , that continues to the present day. Venezuela has been considered
957-486: A mechanism of political innovation. Venezuela decentralized its political system and diversified its economy, reducing the size of the state. COPRE operated as an innovation mechanism, also by incorporating issues into the political agenda, that were excluded from public deliberation by the main actors of the democratic system. The most discussed topics were incorporated into the public agenda: decentralization, political participation, municipalization, judicial order reforms and
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#17327826097891044-551: A prominent figure in Latin American literature. Rómulo Gallegos was born in Caracas to Rómulo Gallegos Osío and Rita Freire Guruceaga, into a family of humble origin. He began his work as a schoolteacher, writer, classical music enthusiast, and journalist in 1903. His novel Doña Bárbara was first published in 1929, and it was because of the book's criticisms of the regime of longtime dictator Juan Vicente Gómez that he
1131-464: A report documented enforced disappearances that occurred in 2018–19. 724 enforced disappearances of political detainees were reported. The report stated that security forces subjected victims to torture . The report stated the government used enforced disappearances to silence opponents and other critical voices. Maduro ran for a third consecutive term in the 2024 presidential election , while former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia represented
1218-467: A result of demonstrations by poor Chávez supporters and actions by the military. Chávez remained in power after an all-out national strike that lasted from December 2002 to February 2003 , including a strike/lockout in the state oil company PDVSA . Capital flight before and during the strike led to the reimposition of currency controls . In the subsequent decade, the government was forced into currency devaluations. These devaluations did not improve
1305-498: Is entirely located in the tropics over the Equator to around 12° N. Its climate varies from humid low-elevation plains, where average annual temperatures range as high as 35 °C (95.0 °F), to glaciers and highlands (the páramos ) with an average yearly temperature of 8 °C (46.4 °F). Annual rainfall varies from 430 mm (16.9 in) in the semiarid portions of the northwest to over 1,000 mm (39.4 in) in
1392-6259: Is the unofficial title traditionally held by the wife of the president of Venezuela . List of first ladies [ edit ] Image Name (lifespan) President Years as First Lady Notes [REDACTED] Dominga Ortiz (November 1, 1792 – December 31, 1875) José Antonio Páez 1830–1835 (1st term) [REDACTED] Encarnación Maitín José María Vargas 1835–1836 (only term) [REDACTED] Olalla Buroz Carlos Soublette 1837–1839 (1st term) [REDACTED] Dominga Ortiz (November 1, 1792 – December 31, 1875) José Antonio Páez 1839–1843 (2nd term) [REDACTED] Olalla Buroz Carlos Soublette 1843–1847 (2nd term) [REDACTED] Luisa Oriach José Tadeo Monagas 1847–1851 (1st term) [REDACTED] Clara Marrero José Gregorio Monagas 1851–1855 (only term) [REDACTED] Luisa Oriach José Tadeo Monagas 1855–1858 (2nd term) [REDACTED] María Nieves Briceño Julián Castro 1858–1859 (only term) [REDACTED] Encarnación Rivas Manuel Felipe de Tovar 1859–1861 (only term) [REDACTED] Dominga Ortiz (November 1, 1792 – December 31, 1875) José Antonio Páez 1861–1863 (3rd term) [REDACTED] Luisa Isabel Pachano Juan Crisóstomo Falcón 1863–1868 (only term) [REDACTED] Esperanza Hernández José Ruperto Monagas 1869–1870 (only term) [REDACTED] Ana Teresa Ibarra Antonio Guzmán 1870–1877 (1st term) [REDACTED] Belén Esteves Francisco Linares 1877–1878 (only term) [REDACTED] Ana Teresa Ibarra Antonio Guzmán 1879–1884 (2nd term) [REDACTED] Jacinta Parejo (August 16, 1845 – April 16, 1914) Joaquín Crespo 1884–1886 (1st term) [REDACTED] Ana Teresa Ibarra Antonio Guzmán 1887–1888 (3rd term) [REDACTED] María Josefa de la Concepción Báez Juan Pablo Rojas 1888–1890 (only term) [REDACTED] Isabel González Raimundo Andueza 1890–1892 (only term) [REDACTED] Jacinta Parejo (August 16, 1845 – April 16, 1914) Joaquín Crespo 1892–1898 (2nd term) [REDACTED] María Isabel Sosa Ignacio Andrade 1898–1899 (only term) [REDACTED] Zoila Rosa Martínez Cipriano Castro 1899–1908 (only term) [REDACTED] María Teresa Núñez Eleazar López 1936–1941 (only term) [REDACTED] Irma Felizola Isaías Medina 1941–1945 (only term) [REDACTED] Carmen Valverde Rómulo Betancourt 1945–1948 (1st term) [REDACTED] Teotiste Arocha Rómulo Gallegos 1948 (only term) [REDACTED] Lucía Devine Carlos Delgado 1948–1950 (only term) [REDACTED] Rosario Pérez Germán Suárez 1950–1952 (only term) [REDACTED] Flor María Chalbaud Marcos Pérez 1952–1958 (only term) Mercedes María Paláez (25 October 1933 – November 24, 2002) Wolfgang Larrazábal 1958 (only term) [REDACTED] Carmen Valverde Rómulo Betancourt 1959–1964 (2nd term) Carmen América Fernández Raúl Leoni 1964–1969 (only term) [REDACTED] Alicia Pietri (14 October 1923 – 9 February 2011) Rafael Caldera 1969–1974 (1st term) [REDACTED] Blanca Rodríguez (January 1, 1926 – August 5, 2020) Carlos Andrés Pérez 1974–1979 (1st term) Betty Urdaneta Luis Herrera 1979–1984 (only term) Gladys Castillo Jaime Lusinchi 1984–April 1988 (only term) President Jaime Lusinchi divorced First Lady Gladys in April 1988. [REDACTED] Blanca Rodríguez (January 1, 1926 – August 5, 2020) Carlos Andrés Pérez 1989–1993 (2nd term) [REDACTED] Ligia Betancourt (1920 – 14 July 2008) Ramón José Velásquez 1993–1994 (only term) Verónica Peñalver (21 July 1924 – ?) Octavio Lepage 1994 (only term) [REDACTED] Alicia Pietri (14 October 1923 – 9 February 2011) Rafael Caldera 1994–1999 (2nd term) [REDACTED] Marisabel Rodríguez (23 November 1964 – present) Hugo Chávez 1999–2004 (only term) [REDACTED] Cilia Flores (15 October 1956 – present) Nicolás Maduro 2013–present (1st term) Disputed with Fabiana Rosales (2019–2023) Non-spouse first ladies [ edit ] Name Relation to President Barbarita Nieves Sentimental partner of José Antonio Páez Dionisia Bello Sentimental partner of Juan Vicente Gómez Amelia Núñez Sentimental partner of Juan Vicente Gómez Cecilia Matos Sentimental partner of Carlos Andrés Pérez Blanca Ibáñez Sentimental partner and wife of Jaime Lusinchi from 1991 until his death María Gabriela Chávez Daughter of Hugo Chávez See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Wikimedia Commons has media related to First Ladies of Venezuela . First Lady Venezuela List of presidents of Venezuela Notes and references [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] ^ Cilia Flores recognized as First Lady of Venezuela by China, Russia, Cuba, South Africa, Palestine and other countries. Fabiana Rosales recognized as Acting First Lady of Venezuela by over 50 countries, including
1479-461: The 1947 Venezuelan presidential election (the first free and fair elections in Venezuela). Gallegos governed until overthrown by a military junta led by the triumvirate Luis Felipe Llovera Páez [ es ] , Marcos Pérez Jiménez , and Gallegos' Defense Minister, Carlos Delgado Chalbaud , in the 1948 Venezuelan coup d'état . The most powerful man in the military junta (1948–58)
1566-648: The 1948 Venezuelan coup d'état . He took refuge first in Cuba and then in Mexico. Gallegos returned to his country after the fall of the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958. While he was named a senator for life , he no longer took an active role in politics. Gallegos was awarded the National Literature Prize (1958, for La doncella ), and elected to the Venezuelan Academy of
1653-589: The 1968 election for COPEI, the first time a party other than Democratic Action took the presidency through a democratic election. The new democratic order had its antagonists. Betancourt suffered an attack planned by the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1960, and the leftists excluded from the Pact initiated an insurgency by organizing themselves into the Armed Forces of National Liberation, sponsored by
1740-702: The 2018 election with 68% of the vote. The result was challenged by Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, France and the US who deemed it fraudulent and recognized Juan Guaidó as president. Other countries continued to recognize Maduro, although China, facing financial pressure over its position, began hedging by decreasing loans, cancelling joint ventures, and signaling willingness to work with all parties. In August 2019, Trump imposed an economic embargo against Venezuela. In March 2020, Trump indicted Maduro and Venezuelan officials, on charges of drug trafficking, narcoterrorism , and corruption. In June 2020,
1827-537: The Caribbean Sea . It comprises an area of 916,445 km (353,841 sq mi), and its population was estimated at 29 million in 2022. The capital and largest urban agglomeration is the city of Caracas . The continental territory is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean , on the west by Colombia , Brazil on the south, Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east and on
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#17327826097891914-594: The Essequibo area and with Colombia concerning the Gulf of Venezuela . In 1895, after years of diplomatic attempts to solve the border dispute, the dispute over the Essequibo River border flared up. It was submitted to a "neutral" commission (composed of British, American, and Russian representatives and without a direct Venezuelan representative), which in 1899 decided mostly against Venezuela's claim. Venezuela
2001-772: The Indigenous inhabitants . Native caciques (leaders) such as Guaicaipuro ( c. 1530–1568 ) and Tamanaco (died 1573) attempted to resist Spanish incursions, but the newcomers ultimately subdued them. In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization, indigenous peoples such as the Mariches , themselves descendants of the Kalina, were converted to Roman Catholicism . Some resisting tribes or leaders are commemorated in place names, including Caracas, Chacao and Los Teques . The early colonial settlements focused on
2088-631: The Maracaibo lowlands in the northwest, the northern mountains extending in a broad east–west arc from the Colombian border along the northern Caribbean coast, the wide plains in central Venezuela, and the Guiana Highlands in the southeast. The northern mountains are the extreme northeastern extensions of South America's Andes mountain range. Pico Bolívar , the nation's highest point at 4,979 m (16,335 ft), lies in this region. To
2175-631: The National Assembly as "interim president" during the Venezuelan presidential crisis until 2023 Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Lady_of_Venezuela&oldid=1256188948 " Categories : First ladies of Venezuela Lists of political office-holders in Venezuela Lists of spouses of heads of state Lists of Venezuelan women Hidden categories: Commons category link
2262-506: The Unitary Platform ( Spanish : Plataforma Unitaria Democrática ; PUD), the main opposition political alliance. Polls conducted before the election indicated that González would win by a wide margin. After the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) announced partial results showing a narrow Maduro victory on 29 July, world leaders predominantly expressed skepticism of the claimed results and did not recognize
2349-698: The Venezuela Crisis of 1902–1903 , in which Britain, Germany and Italy imposed a naval blockade before international arbitration at the new Permanent Court of Arbitration was agreed. In 1908, another dispute broke out with the Netherlands, which was resolved when Castro left for medical treatment in Germany and was promptly overthrown by Juan Vicente Gómez (1908–35). The discovery of massive oil deposits in Lake Maracaibo during World War I proved pivotal for Venezuela and transformed its economy from
2436-598: The Venezuelan presidential crisis List of presidents of Venezuela v t e Spouses of national leaders Republican leaders First ladies and gentlemen (may include non-spouses) Albania Argentina Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Benin Botswana Brazil list Bulgaria Cameroon Cape Verde Chile Bolivia Colombia list Democratic Republic of
2523-480: The aftermath of the announcement of results by the election authorities, protests broke out across the country . Venezuela is located in the north of South America; geologically, its mainland rests on the South American Plate . It has a total area of 916,445 km (353,841 sq mi) and a land area of 882,050 km (340,560 sq mi), making Venezuela the 33rd largest country in
2610-455: The arepa , a staple in Venezuelan cuisine . After the conquest, the population dropped markedly, mainly through the spread of infectious diseases from Europe. Two main north–south axes of pre-Columbian population were present, who cultivated maize in the west and manioc in the east. Large parts of the llanos were cultivated through a combination of slash and burn and permanent settled agriculture. In 1498, during his third voyage to
2697-471: The "Revolutionary Government Junta" to power, in the period known as El Trienio Adeco . In the 1947 general election he ran for the presidency of the republic as the Acción Democrática candidate and won in what is generally believed to be the country's first honest election. He took over 74 percent of the vote, still a record for a free election in Venezuela. He took office on 15 February, and
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2784-599: The Americas, Christopher Columbus sailed near the Orinoco Delta and landed in the Gulf of Paria . Amazed by the great offshore current of freshwater which deflected his course eastward, Columbus expressed in a letter to Isabella and Ferdinand that he must have reached Heaven on Earth (terrestrial paradise): Great signs are these of the Terrestrial Paradise... for I have never read or heard of such
2871-476: The Bolivarian Republic following the adoption of the new Constitution of 1999 . Following Chávez's election, Venezuela developed into a dominant-party system , dominated by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela . In April 2002, Chávez was briefly ousted from power in the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt following popular demonstrations by his opponents, but Chavez returned after two days as
2958-558: The CNE claims with only some exceptions. Both González and Maduro proclaimed themselves winners of the election. The results of the election were not recognized by the Carter Center and Organization of American States due to the lack of granular results, and disputed by the opposition, which claimed a landslide victory and released access to vote tallies collected by poll watchers from a majority of polling centers as proof. In
3045-680: The Communist Party and Fidel Castro . In 1962 they tried to destabilize the military corps, with failed revolts. Betancourt promoted a foreign policy, the Betancourt Doctrine , in which he only recognized elected governments by popular vote. The 1973 Venezuelan presidential election of Carlos Andrés Pérez coincided with an oil crisis , in which Venezuela's income exploded as oil prices soared; oil industries were nationalized in 1976. This led to massive increases in public spending, but also increases in external debts, until
3132-4397: The Congo Republic of the Congo Costa Rica Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Djibouti Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Georgia Ghana Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Israel Ivory Coast Kazakhstan Kenya Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Lithuania Madagascar Malawi Maldives Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nicaragua Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Pakistan Palau Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka Suriname Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Greece Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine United States list Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe Spouses or companions China Estonia Finland France Germany Hong Kong Iceland Ireland Italy Philippines Singapore Soviet Union Vietnam Monarchs Andorra Bhutan Belgium Denmark Japan Jordan Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Monaco Netherlands Norway Oman Spain Sweden Tonga Thailand United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms Commonwealth governors-general Australia Belize Canada New Zealand Heads of government Armenia Australia Belize Cambodia Canada Croatia Germany India Iran Ireland Israel Japan Malaysia Mauritius New Zealand Sweden Thailand United Kingdom v t e President of Venezuela ( list ) Since 1830 Páez Narvarte Vargas Carreño Vargas Narvarte Carreño Soublette Páez Soublette J. T. Monagas J. G. Monagas J. T. Monagas Gual J. Castro Gual Tovar Gual Páez Falcón Bruzual Villegas J. R. Monagas Villegas Guzmán Linares Valera Guzmán Crespo Guzmán H. López Rojas Andueza Villegas Villegas Pulido Crespo Andrade C. Castro Gómez Gil Fortoul Márquez Gómez J. Pérez Gómez López Contreras Medina Betancourt Gallegos Delgado Chalbaud Suárez Flamerich Pérez Jiménez Larrazábal Sanabria Betancourt Leoni Caldera C. Pérez Herrera Lusinchi C. Pérez Lepage Velásquez Caldera Chávez Cabello Chávez Maduro Guaidó [REDACTED] Acting / interim / caretaker presidents shown in italics Recognized by
3219-525: The Granadian army; leading it, he liberated several countries and founded the Republic of Colombia ( Gran Colombia ). Sucre went on to liberate Ecuador and become the second president of Bolivia . Venezuela remained part of Gran Colombia until 1830, when a rebellion led by José Antonio Páez allowed the proclamation of a newly independent Venezuela, on 22 September; Páez became the first president of
3306-884: The Language (the correspondent agency in Venezuela of the Spanish Royal Academy ). From 1960 to 1963, he was a Commissioner of the newly created Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (created by OAS in Washington on 18 August 1959), and he was also its first President (1960) a position he held until 1963. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1960, largely due to the efforts of Miguel Otero Silva , and gained widespread support in Latin America, but ultimately lost out to Saint-John Perse . The Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize
3393-550: The Orinoco Delta of the far east and the Amazonian Jungle in the south. The precipitation level is lower in the period from August through April. These periods are referred to as hot-humid and cold-dry seasons. Another characteristic of the climate is this variation throughout the country by the existence of a mountain range called "Cordillera de la Costa" which crosses the country from east to west. The majority of
3480-869: The Spanish conquest; it has been estimated at one million. In addition to Indigenous peoples known today, the population included groups such as the Kalina (Caribs), Auaké , Caquetio , Mariche , and Timoto–Cuicas . The Timoto–Cuica culture was the most complex society in Pre-Columbian Venezuela, with pre-planned permanent villages, surrounded by irrigated, terraced fields. Their houses were made of stone and wood with thatched roofs. They were peaceful and depended on growing crops. Regional crops included potatoes and ullucos . They left behind art, particularly anthropomorphic ceramics, but no major monuments. They spun vegetable fibers to weave into textiles and mats for housing. They are credited with having invented
3567-699: The United States, most of the European Union, and by the National Assembly of Venezuela, until the end Venezuelan presidential crisis on 5 January 2023. References [ edit ] ^ R., Nahem (2021-03-26). "Gladys Castillo de Lusinchi: el adiós de la médica y ex primera dama" . El Diario (Venezuela) . Archived from the original on 2021-08-21 . Retrieved 2021-08-21 . ^ Vinogradoff, Ludmila (1988-04-15). "La sentencia de divorcio de Lusinchi indigna
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3654-677: The Vespucci and Ojeda crew, gave a different account. In his work Summa de geografía , he states that the crew found Indigenous peoples who called themselves the Veneciuela. Thus, the name "Venezuela" may have evolved from the native word. Previously, the official name was Estado de Venezuela (1830–1856), República de Venezuela (1856–1864), Estados Unidos de Venezuela (1864–1953), and again República de Venezuela (1953–1999). Evidence exists of human habitation in
3741-462: The Welsers the right to explore, rule and colonize the territory, as well as to seek the mythical golden town of El Dorado . The first expedition was led by Ambrosius Ehinger , who established Maracaibo in 1529. After the deaths of first Ehinger (1533), then Nikolaus Federmann , and Georg von Speyer (1540), Philipp von Hutten persisted in exploring the interior. In absence of von Hutten from
3828-481: The area now known as Venezuela from about 15,000 years ago. Tools have been found on the high riverine terraces of the Rio Pedregal in western Venezuela. Late Pleistocene hunting artifacts, including spear tips, have been found at a similar series of sites in northwestern Venezuela; according to radiocarbon dating , these date from 13,000 to 7,000 BC. It is unknown how many people lived in Venezuela before
3915-636: The bipartisanship governments, used the growing anger at economic austerity measures to justify a coup attempt in February 1992 ; a second coup d'état attempt occurred in November . President Carlos Andrés Pérez (re-elected in 1988) was impeached under embezzlement charges in 1993, leading to the interim presidency of Ramón José Velásquez (1993–1994). Coup leader Chávez was pardoned in March 1994 by president Rafael Caldera (1994–1999, his second term), with
4002-530: The capital of the province, the crown of Spain claimed the right to appoint a governor. On Hutten's return to the capital, Santa Ana de Coro , in 1546, the Spanish governor Juan de Carvajal had Hutten and Bartholomeus VI. Welser executed. Subsequently, Charles V revoked Welser's concession. The Welsers transported German miners to the colony, in addition to 4,000 African slaves to plant sugar cane plantations. Many German colonists died from tropical diseases, to which they had no immunity , or through wars with
4089-518: The collapse of oil prices during the 1980s crippled the economy. As the government started to devalue the currency in 1983 to face its financial obligations, standards of living fell dramatically. Failed economic policies and increasing corruption in government led to rising poverty and crime, worsening social indicators, and increased political instability. In the 1980s, the Presidential Commission for State Reform (COPRE) emerged as
4176-419: The early 18th century, and was then reorganized as an autonomous Captaincy General starting in 1777. Caracas, founded in the central coastal region in 1567, was well-placed to become a key location, being near the coastal port of La Guaira and in a valley, in a mountain range, providing defensive strength against pirates and a more fertile and healthy climate. After unsuccessful uprisings, Venezuela, under
4263-413: The early years of the regime. However, poverty began to rapidly increase in the 2010s. The 2013 Venezuelan presidential election was widely disputed leading to widespread protest , which triggered another nationwide crisis that continues to this day. Venezuela has experienced democratic backsliding , shifting into an authoritarian state . It ranks low in international measurements of freedom of
4350-524: The east by Guyana . Venezuela is a presidential republic consisting of 23 states , the Capital District and federal dependencies covering Venezuela's offshore islands. Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north and in the capital. The territory of Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 amid resistance from Indigenous peoples. In 1811, it became one of
4437-472: The existing parties saw the 1998 Venezuelan presidential election , the catalyst for the Bolivarian Revolution , which began with a 1999 Constituent Assembly , where a new Constitution of Venezuela was imposed. The government's populist social welfare policies were bolstered by soaring oil prices, temporarily increasing social spending, and reducing economic inequality and poverty in
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#17327826097894524-581: The exportation of oil, with crude accounting for 86% of exports, and a high price per barrel to support social programs. Beginning in 2014 the price of oil plummeted from over $ 100 to $ 40. This placed pressure on the economy, which was no longer able to afford vast social programs. The Government began taking more money from PDVSA , the state oil company, resulting in a lack of reinvestment in fields and employees. Production decreased from its height of nearly 3 to 1 million barrels (480 to 160 thousand cubic metres ) per day. In 2014, Venezuela entered
4611-455: The extent of the crisis and expanding his powers. In July 2016, Colombian border crossings were temporarily opened to allow Venezuelans to purchase food and basic health items. In September 2016, a study indicated 15% of Venezuelans were eating " food waste discarded by commercial establishments". 200 prison riots had occurred by October 2016. The Maduro-aligned Supreme Tribunal , which had been overturning National Assembly decisions since
4698-460: The first Spanish-American territories to declare independence from the Spanish and to form part of the first federal Republic of Colombia ( Gran Colombia ). It separated as a full sovereign country in 1830. During the 19th century, Venezuela suffered political turmoil and autocracy, remaining dominated by regional military dictators until the mid-20th century. From 1958, the country had a series of democratic governments, as an exception where most of
4785-443: The incumbent government led to the collapse of Venezuela's entire economy. The country struggles with record hyperinflation , shortages of basic goods , unemployment, poverty, disease, high child mortality, malnutrition , environmental issues , severe crime and corruption. These factors have precipitated the Venezuelan refugee crisis in which more than 7.7 million people had fled the country by June 2024. By 2017, Venezuela
4872-495: The independentist forces, launched his Admirable Campaign in 1813 from New Granada , retaking most of the territory and being proclaimed as El Libertador ("The Liberator"). A Second Republic of Venezuela was proclaimed on 7 August 1813, but lasted only a few months before being crushed by royalist caudillo José Tomás Boves and his personal army of llaneros . The end of the French invasion of homeland Spain in 1814 allowed
4959-676: The largest and most important river system of the country; it originates in one of the largest watersheds in Latin America. The Caroní and the Apure are other major rivers. Venezuela borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago , Grenada , Curaçao , Aruba , and the Leeward Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela has territorial disputes with Guyana, formerly United Kingdom, largely concerning
5046-594: The leadership of Francisco de Miranda , a Venezuelan marshal who had fought in the American and French Revolutions , declared independence as the First Republic of Venezuela on 5 July 1811. This began the Venezuelan War of Independence . A devastating 1812 Caracas earthquake , together with the rebellion of the Venezuelan llaneros , helped bring down the republic. Simón Bolívar , new leader of
5133-406: The marble and his remains. His granddaughter took Twitter to express her frustration: "Here in Venezuela, not even the remains of an ex-president can be kept away from the hands of crime." Venezuela Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America , consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in
5220-790: The matter. Then, U.S. president Grover Cleveland adopted a broad interpretation of the doctrine that declared an American interest in any matter within the hemisphere. Britain ultimately accepted arbitration, but in negotiations over its terms was able to persuade the U.S. on many details. A tribunal convened in Paris in 1898 to decide the issue and in 1899 awarded the bulk of the disputed territory to British Guiana. In 1899, Cipriano Castro , assisted by his friend Juan Vicente Gómez , seized power in Caracas. Castro defaulted on Venezuela's considerable foreign debts and declined to pay compensation to foreigners caught up in Venezuela's civil wars . This led to
5307-462: The most popular and accepted version, in 1499, an expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda visited the Venezuelan coast. The stilt houses in the area of Lake Maracaibo reminded the Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci , of the city of Venice , Italy, so he named the region Veneziola , or "Little Venice". The Spanish version of Veneziola is Venezuela . Martín Fernández de Enciso , a member of
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#17327826097895394-554: The new State of Venezuela . Between one-quarter and one-third of Venezuela's population was lost during these two decades of war (including about half the Venezuelans of European descent ), which by 1830, was estimated at 800,000. In the Flag of Venezuela , the yellow stands for land wealth, the blue for the sea that separates Venezuela from Spain, and the red for the blood shed by the heroes of independence. Slavery in Venezuela
5481-640: The northern coast, but in the mid-18th century, the Spanish pushed farther inland along the Orinoco River . Here, the Ye'kuana organized resistance in 1775–76. Spain's eastern Venezuelan settlements were incorporated into New Andalusia Province . Administered by the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo from the early 16th century, most of Venezuela became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in
5568-419: The notable exception of the Communist Party of Venezuela ), signed the Puntofijo Pact power-sharing agreement. AD and COPEI dominated the political landscape for four decades. During the presidencies of Rómulo Betancourt (1959–64, his second term) and Raúl Leoni (1964–69), substantial guerilla movements occurred. Most laid down their arms under Rafael Caldera 's first presidency (1969–74). Caldera had won
5655-457: The opposition took control, took over the functions of the assembly, creating the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis . In August 2017, the 2017 Constituent National Assembly was elected and stripped the National Assembly of its powers. The election raised concerns of an emerging dictatorship. In December 2017, Maduro declared opposition parties barred from the following year's presidential vote after they boycotted mayoral polls. Maduro won
5742-431: The poor. Poverty began to increase into the 2010s. Nicolás Maduro was picked by Chavez as his successor, appointing him vice president in 2013. Maduro has been president of Venezuela since 14 April 2013, when he won the presidential election after Chavez' death, with 51% of the vote, against Henrique Capriles on 49%. The Democratic Unity Roundtable contested Maduro's election as fraud, but an audit of 56% of
5829-476: The poorest. Hugo Chávez's socioeconomic policies of relying on oil sales and importing goods resulted in large amounts of debt, no change to corruption in Venezuela and culminated into a crisis in Venezuela . As a result, the Venezuelan refugee crisis , the largest emigration of people in Latin America's history, occurred, with over 7 million – about 20% of the country's population – emigrating. Chávez initiated Bolivarian missions , programs aimed at helping
5916-501: The population lives in these mountains. List of First Ladies of Venezuela (Redirected from List of First Ladies of Venezuela ) First Lady of Venezuela [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Incumbent Cilia Flores since 2013 Residence La Casona Term length 6 years Inaugural holder Dominga Ortiz Formation 1830 First Lady of Venezuela ( Spanish : Primera Dama de Venezuela )
6003-471: The present-day city of Cumaná . In the 16th century, the king of Spain granted a concession to the German Welser family . Klein-Venedig became the most extensive initiative in the German colonization of the Americas from 1528 to 1546. The Welsers were bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of Charles V , Holy Roman Emperor , who was King of Spain and had borrowed heavily from them to pay bribes for his Imperial election . In 1528, Charles V granted
6090-431: The press and civil liberties and has high levels of perceived corruption . Venezuela is a developing country having the world's largest known oil reserves and has been one of the world's leading exporters of oil . Previously, the country was an underdeveloped exporter of agricultural commodities such as coffee and cocoa, but oil quickly came to dominate exports and government revenues. The excesses and poor policies of
6177-402: The region was ruled by military dictatorships, and the period was characterized by economic prosperity. Economic shocks in the 1980s and 1990s led to major political crises and widespread social unrest, including the deadly Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992 , and the impeachment of a President for embezzlement of public funds charges in 1993. The collapse in confidence in
6264-513: The role of the state in a new economic strategy. The social reality made the changes difficult to apply. Economic crises in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis. Hundreds of people were killed by security forces and the military in the Caracazo riots of 1989, during the second presidential term of Carlos Andrés Pérez (1989–1993) and after the implementation of economic austerity measures. Hugo Chávez , who in 1982 had promised to depose
6351-430: The situation of the people who rely on imported products or locally produced products that depend on imported inputs, while dollar-denominated oil sales account for the majority of exports. The profits of the oil industry have been lost to "social engineering" and corruption, instead of investments needed to maintain oil production. Chávez survived further political tests, including an August 2004 recall referendum . He
6438-547: The south, the dissected Guiana Highlands contain the northern fringes of the Amazon Basin and Angel Falls , the world's highest waterfall, as well as tepuis , large table-like mountains. The country's center is characterized by the llanos , which are extensive plains that stretch from the Colombian border in the far west to the Orinoco River delta in the east. The Orinoco, with its rich alluvial soils , binds
6525-456: The union of Venezuela with New Granada was decreed to form the Republic of Colombia. The war continued until full victory and sovereignty was attained after the Battle of Carabobo on 24 June 1821. On 24 July 1823, José Prudencio Padilla and Rafael Urdaneta helped seal Venezuelan independence with their victory in the Battle of Lake Maracaibo . New Granada's congress gave Bolívar control of
6612-511: The unrest between Chavistas and opposition protesters and opposition leaders, including Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma were arrested. Human rights groups condemned the arrest of López. In the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election , the opposition gained a majority. Venezuela devalued its currency in February 2013 due to rising shortages, which included milk and other necessities. This led to an increase in malnutrition, especially among children. The economy had become dependent on
6699-529: The vote showed no discrepancies, and the Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled Maduro was the legitimate president. Opposition leaders and some international media consider Maduro's government a dictatorship. Since February 2014, hundreds of thousands have protested over high levels of criminal violence, corruption, hyperinflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods due to government policies. Demonstrations and riots have resulted in over 40 fatalities in
6786-472: The world . The territory it controls lies between latitudes 0° and 16°N and longitudes 59° and 74°W . Shaped roughly like a triangle, the country has a 2,800 km (1,700 mi) coastline in the north, which includes numerous islands in the Caribbean and the northeast borders the northern Atlantic Ocean. Most observers describe Venezuela in terms of four fairly well defined topographical regions:
6873-458: Was Pérez Jiménez and he was suspected of being behind the death of Chalbaud, who died in a bungled kidnapping in 1950. When the junta unexpectedly lost the 1952 presidential election , it ignored the results and Jiménez was installed as president Jiménez was forced out on 23 January 1958. In an effort to consolidate a young democracy, the three major political parties ( Acción Democrática (AD), COPEI and Unión Republicana Democrática (URD), with
6960-600: Was abolished in 1854. Much of Venezuela's 19th-century history was characterized by political turmoil and dictatorial rule, including the Independence leader José Antonio Páez, who gained the presidency three times and served 11 years between 1830 and 1863. This culminated in the Federal War (1859–63). In the latter half of the century, Antonio Guzmán Blanco , another caudillo , served 13 years, between 1870 and 1887, with three other presidents interspersed. In 1895,
7047-571: Was created in his honor on 6 August 1964 by a presidential decree, enacted by Venezuelan president Raúl Leoni. The declared purpose of the prize is to "perpetuate and honor the work of the eminent novelist and also to stimulate the creative activity of Spanish language writers." It is awarded by the government of Venezuela, through the offices of the Rómulo Gallegos Center for Latin American Studies (Celarg). The first prize
7134-422: Was declared to be in default regarding debt payments by credit rating agencies . The crisis in Venezuela has contributed to a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation. The 2024 presidential election were not recognized by the Carter Center and Organization of American States due to the lack of granular results, and disputed by the opposition, leading to protests across the country . According to
7221-611: Was elected for another term in December 2006 and for a third term in October 2012. However, he was never sworn in due to medical complications; he died in March 2013. The presidential election that took place in April 2013, was the first since Chávez took office in 1999 in which his name did not appear on the ballot. Under the Bolivarian government, Venezuela went from being one of the richest countries in Latin America to one of
7308-491: Was forced to flee the country. He took refuge in Spain, where he continued to write: his acclaimed novels Cantaclaro (1934) and Canaima (1935) date from this period. He returned to Venezuela in 1936 and was appointed Minister of Public Education. In 1937 he was elected to Congress and, in 1940–41, served as Mayor of Caracas. In 1945, Rómulo Gallegos was involved in the coup d'état that brought Rómulo Betancourt and
7395-407: Was given in 1967. It was awarded every five years until 1987, when it became a biannual award. The award includes a cash prize of €100,000 making it among the richest literary prizes in the world. Gallegos was married to Teotiste Arocha Egui, who served as First Lady of Venezuela in 1948. Rómulo Gallegos Freire died in Caracas on 5 April 1969. In 2016 his grave was desecrated by thieves, who stole
7482-550: Was noted for raising the state's tax revenue for oil profits increase from 43% to 50%, a tax scheme known as "fifty / fifty" and which was subsequently replicated in several oil producing countries such as Saudi Arabia. President Gallegos initiated the implementation of an "open-door" policy, which sparked an influx of Italians, eventually becoming the largest European population group within Venezuela. Nevertheless, army officers Carlos Delgado Chalbaud , Marcos Pérez Jiménez and Luis Felipe Llovera Páez, threw him out of power November in
7569-526: Was relaxed. Angarita granted a range of reforms, including the legalization of all political parties. After World War II, immigration from Southern Europe and poorer Latin American countries markedly diversified Venezuelan society. In 1945, a civilian-military coup overthrew Medina Angarita and ushered in a period of democratic rule (1945–1948) under the mass membership party Democratic Action , initially under Rómulo Betancourt , until Rómulo Gallegos won
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