Second Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez
Encyclopedia
The Second Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez
(1989 - 1993) saw an economic crisis, a major riot in which hundreds were killed by security forces (Caracazo
, 1989), two coup attempts in 1992, and the 1993 impeachment of "CAP" for corruption. He was the first Venezuelan President to be impeached.
For the 1988 presidential election
Democratic Action
(AD) President Jaime Lusinchi
backed Octavio Lepage
as AD candidate, but in a primary election
the party chose Carlos Andrés Pérez
(previously president from 1974 to 1979
).
proposal known as the Washington consensus
. In return for accepting this proposal, the International Monetary Fund
offered Venezuela a loan for 4.5 billion US dollars. This cooperation with the IMF came about weeks after his victory in the 1988 presidential election
, and a populist, anti-neoliberal campaign during which he described the IMF as "a neutron bomb that killed people, but left buildings standing" and said that World Bank
economists were "genocide workers in the pay of economic totalitarianism". Poor economic conditions led to attempts to revolutionize the political and economic structure of Venezuela, but the implementation of the neoliberal reforms (and in particular the liberalisation of petrol prices, which caused an immediate increase in the cost of petrol to consumers and rises in fares on public transport) resulted in massive popular protests in Caracas
, the capital. Carlos Andrés Pérez crushed the protest with the national guard, causing a large number of deaths—estimates range from 500 to 3000, and resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency
. The protest is now referred to as the Caracazo
.
In 1992, his government survived two coup attempts. The first attempt took place 4 February 1992, and was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugo Chávez
, who was later elected president. With the attempt having clearly failed, Chávez was catapulted into the national spotlight when he was allowed to appear live on national television to call for all remaining rebel detachments in Venezuela to cease hostilities. When he did so, Chávez famously quipped on national television that he had only failed "por ahora"—"for now". The second, and much bloodier, insurrection took place on 27 November 1992.
. Pérez and his supporters claim the money was used to support the electoral process in Nicaragua
. On 20 May 1993, the Supreme Court
considered the accusation valid, and the following day the Senate voted to strip Pérez of his immunity. Pérez refused to resign, but after the maximum 90 days temporary leave available to the President under Article 188 of the 1961 constitution, the National Congress removed Pérez from office permanently on 31 August.
Pérez' trial concluded in May 1996, and he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
(1989 - 1993) saw an economic crisis, a major riot in which hundreds were killed by security forces (Caracazo
Caracazo
The Caracazo or sacudón is the name given to the wave of protests, riots and looting and ensuing massacre that occurred on 27 February 1989 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and surrounding towns. The riots — the worst in Venezuelan history — resulted in a death toll of anywhere between...
, 1989), two coup attempts in 1992, and the 1993 impeachment of "CAP" for corruption. He was the first Venezuelan President to be impeached.
Background
| Venezuelan Presidential election 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||
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For the 1988 presidential election
Venezuelan presidential election, 1988
General elections were held in Venezuela on 4 December 1988. The presidential elections were won by Carlos Andrés Pérez of Democratic Action, who received 52.9% of the vote, whilst his party won the most seats in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate...
Democratic Action
Democratic Action
Democratic Action is a centrist Venezuelan political party established in 1941. The party and its antecedents played an important role in the early years of Venezuelan democracy, and led the government during Venezuela's first democratic period...
(AD) President Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Ramón Lusinchi is a Venezuelan politician who was the President of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989. His term was characterized by an economic crisis, growth of the External debt, populist policies, currency depreciation, inflation and corruption that exacerbated the crisis of the political...
backed Octavio Lepage
Octavio Lepage
Octavio Lepage Barreto, was Acting President of Venezuela from 21 May 1993 to 5 June 1993....
as AD candidate, but in a primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
the party chose Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
(previously president from 1974 to 1979
First Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez
The First Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez coincided with the oil boom of 1974 which saw Venezuela's explode. "CAP" launched a program of rapid modernization. His first presidency also saw the nationalization of the oil industry...
).
Presidency
In February 1989, at the beginning of his second term as President, he accepted an International Monetary FundInternational Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
proposal known as the Washington consensus
Washington Consensus
The term Washington Consensus was coined in 1989 by the economist John Williamson to describe a set of ten relatively specific economic policy prescriptions that he considered constituted the "standard" reform package promoted for crisis-wracked developing countries...
. In return for accepting this proposal, the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
offered Venezuela a loan for 4.5 billion US dollars. This cooperation with the IMF came about weeks after his victory in the 1988 presidential election
Venezuelan presidential election, 1988
General elections were held in Venezuela on 4 December 1988. The presidential elections were won by Carlos Andrés Pérez of Democratic Action, who received 52.9% of the vote, whilst his party won the most seats in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate...
, and a populist, anti-neoliberal campaign during which he described the IMF as "a neutron bomb that killed people, but left buildings standing" and said that World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
economists were "genocide workers in the pay of economic totalitarianism". Poor economic conditions led to attempts to revolutionize the political and economic structure of Venezuela, but the implementation of the neoliberal reforms (and in particular the liberalisation of petrol prices, which caused an immediate increase in the cost of petrol to consumers and rises in fares on public transport) resulted in massive popular protests in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, the capital. Carlos Andrés Pérez crushed the protest with the national guard, causing a large number of deaths—estimates range from 500 to 3000, and resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
. The protest is now referred to as the Caracazo
Caracazo
The Caracazo or sacudón is the name given to the wave of protests, riots and looting and ensuing massacre that occurred on 27 February 1989 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and surrounding towns. The riots — the worst in Venezuelan history — resulted in a death toll of anywhere between...
.
In 1992, his government survived two coup attempts. The first attempt took place 4 February 1992, and was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, who was later elected president. With the attempt having clearly failed, Chávez was catapulted into the national spotlight when he was allowed to appear live on national television to call for all remaining rebel detachments in Venezuela to cease hostilities. When he did so, Chávez famously quipped on national television that he had only failed "por ahora"—"for now". The second, and much bloodier, insurrection took place on 27 November 1992.
Corruption charges
On 20 March 1993, Attorney General Ramón Escovar Salom, introduced action against Pérez for the misappropriation of 250 million bolivars belonging to a presidential discretionary fund, or partida secreta. The issue had originally been brought to public scrutiny in November 1992 by journalist José Vicente RangelJosé Vicente Rangel
José Vicente Rangel Vale is a Venezuelan leftist politician. He ran for President three times in the 1970s and 1980s and later supported Hugo Chávez, successively becoming Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and Vice President in Chávez's government.-Political activism:His political activism began...
. Pérez and his supporters claim the money was used to support the electoral process in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. On 20 May 1993, the Supreme Court
Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Venezuela)
The Supreme Tribunal of Justice is the highest court of law in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and is the head of the judicial branch.The Supreme Tribunal may meet either in specialized chambers or in plenary session...
considered the accusation valid, and the following day the Senate voted to strip Pérez of his immunity. Pérez refused to resign, but after the maximum 90 days temporary leave available to the President under Article 188 of the 1961 constitution, the National Congress removed Pérez from office permanently on 31 August.
Pérez' trial concluded in May 1996, and he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
Second presidency cabinet (1989-1993)
| Ministries | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| President | Carlos Andrés Pérez | 1989–1993 |
| Home Affairs | Alejandro Izaguirre | 1989–1992 |
| Virgilio Ávila Vivas | 1992 | |
| Carmelo Lauría Lesseur | 1992 | |
| Luis Piñerúa Ordaz | 1992–1993 | |
| Jesús Carmona | 1993 | |
| Foreign Relations | Enrique Tejera París | 1989 |
| Reinaldo Figueredo Planchar | 1989–1991 | |
| Armando Durán | 1991–1992 | |
| Humberto Calderón Berti | 1992 | |
| Fernando Ochoa Antich | 1992–1993 | |
| Finance | Egle Iturbe de Blanco | 1989–1990 |
| Roberto Pocaterra Silva | 1990–1992 | |
| Pedro Rosas Bravo | 1992–1993 | |
| Defense | Italo del Valle Alliegro | 1989 |
| Filmo López Uzcátegui | 1989–1990 | |
| Héctor Jurado Toro | 1990–1991 | |
| Fernando Ochoa Antich | 1991–1992 | |
| Iván Jiménez Sánchez | 1992–1993 | |
| Development | Moisés Naím Moisés Naím -External links:****... |
1989–1990 |
| Imelda Cisneros | 1990–1992 | |
| Pedro Vallenilla Meneses | 1992 | |
| Frank de Armas Moreno | 1992–1993 | |
| Education | Gustavo Roosen | 1989–1992 |
| Pedro Augusto Beauphertuy | 1992–1993 | |
| Health and Social Assistance | Felipe Bello González | 1989–1990 |
| Manuel Adrianza | 1990–1991 | |
| Pedro Páez Camargo | 1991–1992 | |
| Rafael Orihuela | 1992–1993 | |
| Agriculture | Fanny Bello | 1989 |
| Eugenio de Armas | 1989–1990 | |
| Jonathan Coles Ward | 1990–1993 | |
| Pedro Luis Urriola | 1993 | |
| Labor | Marisela Padrón Quero | 1989–1991 |
| Jesús Rubén Rodríguez | 1991–1993 | |
| Transport and Communications | Gustavo José Rada | 1989 |
| Augusto Faría Viso | 1989–1990 | |
| Roberto Smith Roberto Smith Roberto Smith Perera is a Venezuelan businessman and politician.-Early years & Education Activity:Roberto Smith was born in Barquisimeto, in Lara State in 1958. He attended Colegio La Salle in Barquisimeto and Instituto Escuela in Caracas. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from... |
1990–1992 | |
| Fernández Martínez Mótola | 1992–1993 | |
| Justice | Luis Beltrán Guerra | 1989–1990 |
| Jesús Moreno Guacarán | 1990–1991 | |
| Alfredo Ducharme | 1991–1992 | |
| Armida Quintana Matos | 1992 | |
| José Mendoza Angulo | 1992–1993 | |
| José Francisco Cumare Nava | 1993 | |
| Energy and Mines | Celestino Armas | 1989–1992 |
| Alirio Parra | 1992–1993 | |
| Environment | Enrique Colmenares Finol | 1989–1993 |
| Urban Development | Luis Penzini Fleury | 1989–1992 |
| Diógenes Mujica | 1992–1993 | |
| Family | Senta Essenfeld | 1989–1992 |
| Mabely de León Ponte | 1992 | |
| Teresa Albánez | 1992–1993 | |
| Secretary of Presidency | Reinaldo Figueredo Planchart | 1989 |
| Jesús Carmona | 1989–1990 | |
| Armando Durán | 1990–1991 | |
| Beatrice Rantel Mantilla | 1991–1992 | |
| Celestino Armas | 1992–1993 | |
| Office of Coordination and Planification | Miguel Antonio Rodríguez | 1989–1992 |
| Ricardo Hausmann Ricardo Hausmann Ricardo Hausmann is a former Venezuelan Minister of Planning and Head of the "Presidential Office of Coordination and Planning" and current Director of Harvard's Center for International Development and a Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at John F... |
1992–1993 | |
| National Council of Culture | José Antonio Abreu José Antonio Abreu José Antonio Abreu is a Venezuelan pianist, economist, educator, activist, and politician.-Politics and academics:... |
1989–1993 |
| CVG Corporación Venezolana de Guayana The Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana is a decentralized state-owned Venezuelan conglomerate, located in the Guayana Region in the southeast of the country. Its subsidiaries include the aluminium producer Alcasa.... |
Leopoldo Sucre Figarella Leopoldo Sucre Figarella Leopoldo Sucre Figarella , was a Venezuelan politician and engineer. A member of the Sucre family Sucre Figarella served as Governor, Minister and Senator during his long and eventful political career. He was nicknamed "The Builder" and "The Czar of Guayana".-Early career:He was born in Tumeremo in... |
1989–1993 |
See also
- Carlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
- First Presidency of Carlos Andrés PérezFirst Presidency of Carlos Andrés PérezThe First Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez coincided with the oil boom of 1974 which saw Venezuela's explode. "CAP" launched a program of rapid modernization. His first presidency also saw the nationalization of the oil industry...
- Presidents of Venezuela