Second presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez

The second presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez (1989–93) 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.

Background

Venezuelan Presidential election 1988

Results

Candidates Votes % Carlos Andrés Pérez 3,868,843 52.76% Eduardo Fernández 2,955,061 40.40% Teodoro Petkoff 198,361 2.71% Abstention: 1,660,887 18.08% Total votes: 7,524,760

For the 1988 presidential election Democratic Action (AD) President Jaime Lusinchi backed Octavio Lepage as AD candidate,[1] but in a primary election the party chose Carlos Andrés Pérez[2] (previously president from 1974 to 1979).

Presidency

In February 1989, at the beginning of his second term as President, he accepted an International Monetary Fund 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".[3] 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[4]) 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 from the Venezuelan Army, 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, and this time, civilians and military personnel from both the Venezuelan Air Force and the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela were involved. 172 died during the second coup attempt.

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 Rangel. 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.[5] 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.[5]

Pérez' trial concluded in May 1996, and he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.[5]

Second presidency cabinet (1989-1993)

Ministries [6] 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 Planchart 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 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 1990–1992   Fernández Martínez Mótola 1992–1993 Justice Luis Beltrán Guerra 1989–1992   Alfredo Ducharme 1992–1993   Armida Quintana Matos 1992-1993 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 1992–1993 National Council of Culture José Antonio Abreu 1989–1993 CVG Leopoldo Sucre Figarella 1989–1993 Presidential Commission for the Reform of the State Carlos Blanco 1989–1992

See also

• Carlos Andrés Pérez
• First Presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez
• Presidents of Venezuela

References

1. New York Times, 28 June 1987, In Venezuela, Ex-President Seeks Old Job
2. Los Angeles Times, 12 October 1987, The World
3. Ali, Tariq (9 November 2006). "A beacon of hope for the rebirth of Bolívar's dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
4. Joquera, Jorge (2003). "Neoliberalism, the erosion of consensus and the rise of a new popular movement". Venezuela: The Revolution Unfolding In Latin America. Chippendale, New South Wales: Resistance Books. p. 10. ISBN 1-876646-27-6. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
5. Kada, Naoko (2003), "Impeachment as a punishment for corruption? The cases of Brazil and Venezuela", in Jody C. Baumgartner, Naoko Kada (eds, 2003), Checking executive power: presidential impeachment in comparative perspective, Greenwood Publishing Group
6. Presidency of Venezuela (1989). “Gabinete Ejecutivo y Altos Funcionarios del Gobierno del Presidente Carlos Andrés Pérez”