The Venezuelan Experience: 1958 and the Patriotic Junta.

Abstract

This d i s s e r ta ti o n 's an h isto ric a l a n a ly sis of the p o litic a l culture of the Republic of V enezuela. Em phasis is placed on the relatio ns betw een th e n a tio n 's m ilitary and c iv ilia n s e c to rs . For m ost of her e x isten c e a s a n a tio n -s ta te , V enezuela w as governed by individuals in m ilitary uniform . For th e la s t elev en y ears (1958 to the p resen t), c iv ilia n s have ruled V enezuela. U sing an h isto ric a l approach with minimal a s s is ta n c e from so c ia l sc ie n c e m ethodology, the burden assum ed by th is study is to ex p lain th e reaso n s w hich have allow ed th is transform ation to ta k e p la c e . M ilitarism is a predom inant featu re of Latin American p o litic s . It sig n ifies th e presence of armed fo rces in governm ent. In th e nine te en th cen tu ry , the m ost striking form of Latin American m ilitarism w as th e cau d illo -the b o s s , the le ad er, th e m an -o n -h o rseb ack , th e d ic ta to r. V enezuela w as no ex cep tio n . Some of th e most powerful d ic tato rs in th e history of Latin America were a ls o p resid en ts of V enezuela. To 1958, p o litic a l power in Venezuela w as controlled by the armed fo rc es. C ivilians in p o sitions of power were n o t to be fo u n d . Yet, sin ce 1958 and a t.th is w ritin g , c iv ilia n s are governing V enezuela. The country has experienced peaceful p o litica l cam paigns, h o n est ele c tio n s and p a rtie s in pow er, a ll w ithout m ilitary in terv en tio n . iv 20 49 and w riting of Latin America in term s of co n tin en tal g e n e ra litie s . T hese g en eral works have made a contribution in identifying and publicizing various im portant a s p e c ts of Latin American life , but many of the con clu sio n s reach ed in stu d ies of th is type are not holding up under in te n s iv e , s p ec ialize d exam ination. This is e s p e c ia lly v alid in the area of civ ilian -m ilitary ,, re la tio n s w hich, due to th e ubiquitous role of the V enezuelan m ilitary, com prises a s u b s ta n tia l'portion of th is e s s a y . "P rofessional L atin-A m ericanists, how ever, are becoming in c re asin g ly aw are of the d iv ersity of the area and the q u ite d is tin c t ch a ra cte r of so c ie tie s and in stitu tio n s of its com ponent n atio n al s ta te s . This d is s e rta tio n . The V enezuelan Experience; 1958 and th e P atrio tic Tunta, is an in te n -' siv e study of c iv ilia n -m ilita ry re la tio n s in Venezuela; it is th e sin cere w ish of the author th a t th is w ork, in some sm all w ay , w ill further the trend of encouraging Latin A m ericanists to speak "in rigorously com parative rath e r th an lo o sely g eneralizing te rm s. "5* In a l l fa irn e s s , it should be m entioned th a t in frequent c a s e s Latin A m ericanists have been forced from sp e c ia liz e d in q u iries due 49 Goldenburg. The Cuban Revolution, 7-8; and W illiam Donald B eatty, "Venezuela: A New Era, " C urrent H istory XXXVEI (M arch, I960), 144-145. 5McAlister, "Changing C o n c e p ts ," 95.