Marcos Pérez Jiménez
| Marcos Pérez Jiménez | |
|---|---|
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| Official portrait | |
| 37th President of Venezuela | |
| In office 19 April 1953 – 23 January 1958 |
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| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Rómulo Gallegos |
| Provisional President of Venezuela | |
| In office 2 December 1952 – 19 April 1953 |
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| Preceded by | Germán Suárez Flamerich |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| 30th Commander-in-Chief of the Venezuelan Army | |
| In office November 1948 – August 1954 |
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| Preceded by | Carlos Delgado Chalbaud |
| Succeeded by | Hugo Fuentes |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 18 October 1948 – 1 January 1952 |
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| Preceded by | Carlos Delgado Chalbaud |
| Succeeded by | Jesús M. Castro León |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez 25 April 1914 Táchira,  Venezuela |
| Died | 25 September 2001 (aged 87) Alcobendas,  Spain |
| Nationality | Venezuelan |
| Spouse(s) | Flor María Chalbaud Cardona |
| Alma mater | Military academy of Venezuela |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Military officer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Venezuela |
| Service/branch | Venezuelan Army |
| Years of service | 1931–1958 |
| Rank | General Officer |
| Battles/wars | none |
Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (Michelena, Táchira, April 25, 1914 – Alcobendas, Spain, September 20, 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela, engineer and politician.
His period in charge of the country is characterized by a marked improvement and development, with the rise of oil prices due to conflicts like the Korean War, its ambitious policy of public works and building could be executed to perfection. Also achieved an imminent development of industries such as hydropower, mining, steel, real estate sector and of course the building itself, all these bases, the high level of economic prosperity that is lived in the country.
Not go unnoticed, the progress in the military, which included the final professionalization of the armed forces, and increased sophistication of equipment, raising the level of armaments, and in general, the modernized undertaken in the area, while in with regard to domestic policy, the country experienced a state of order, high safety standards, but the negative side, said highly repressive character, with the National Security (Seguridad Nacional, secret police) , as the spearhead and the almost complete concentration of power in his hands, turning his presidency into a dictatorial regime.
This period of dominance ended January 23, 1958, time that is deposed by a coup perpetrated by disgruntled sectors within the Armed Forces of Venezuela, which resulted in leaving the country en route to Dominican Republic , after which he settled in Spain under the Franco regime protection, meaning its end, the beginning of the democratic era in the country.
Then with the right-wing party National Civic Crusade was elected Senator in 1968 which was disabled by following the first amendment carried out to the Venezuelan Constitution of 1961 by the Democratic Action and COPEI parties, after which life definitely withdrawn national policy.
The period of Pérez Jiménez in power, is remembered historically as a government of nationalist roots, based on an ideological pragmatism that identified the essence of his government, as well as stating the Doctrine of National Well, that expressed in the New National Ideal would be the philosophical beacon to guide the actions of his government.
Promoted the immigration of foreign capital and people, mainly European communities such as Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. He also pushed a vast and ambitious infrastructure program, based on the policy of reinforced concrete, with the construction of buildings, large and modern highways linking and renewed ties between states and cities, bridges and other major works with the that modernized the country, under a harsh military dictatorship.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Career
Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez was born in Michelena, Táchira State. His father, Juan Pérez Bustamante, was a farmer; his mother, Adela Jiménez, a schoolteacher. Pérez Jiménez attended school in his home town and in Colombia, and in 1934, he graduated from the Academia Militar de Venezuela, at the top of his class. He subsequently studied at military colleges in Peru.
In 1945, Pérez Jiménez participated in a coup that helped install left wing Democratic Action party founder, Rómulo Betancourt, as President of the Revolutionary Government Junta. After a constitutional change providing universal suffrage, elections were held in 1947 which resulted in the election of party member, Romulo Gallegos. Fears of cuts in pay for military men, reduction and lack of modernization of army equipment led Pérez Jiménez and Lt. Colonel Carlos Delgado Chalbaud to stage another coup in 1948, the 1948 Venezuelan coup d'état (Chalbaud has always been incorrectly referred to by his father's last names. Carlos Chalbaud's name was Carlos Roman Chalbaud Gomez). Betancourt and Gallegos were exiled, political parties were suppressed, and the Communist Party was once again banished by the Military Junta headed by Delgado Chalbaud, and included Pérez Jiménez. After a clumsily arranged kidnaping that ended in the murder of Delgado Chalbaud, the Military Junta changed its name to a Government Junta, and reorganized itself with Pérez Jiménez pulling the string of puppet President, Germán Suárez Flamerich. Results of the much anticipated 1952 elections were showing signs of rejection of the military government; it is widely believed that the junta fixed the results to show Pérez Jiménez as the winner.
[edit] Presidency
The junta called an election for 1952. When early results showed that the opposition leader was ahead and would win, the junta suspended the election and made Pérez provisional president on 2 December 1952. He became president on 19 April 1953. Soon afterward, he enacted a constitution that gave him dictatorial powers.
Pérez Jiménez (widely known as "P.J.") changed the name of the country, which had been "United States of Venezuela" since 1864, to "Republic of Venezuela". This name would remain until 1999, when it was changed it to Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by a Constitutional referendum. (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela.)
During his government, Pérez Jiménez undertook many infrastructure projects, including construction of roads, bridges, government buildings, large public housing complexes and the symbolic Humboldt Hotel overlooking Caracas. The economy of Venezuela developed rapidly during his term. Like most dictators, Pérez was not tolerant of criticism and his government ruthlessly pursued and suppressed the opposition. Opponents of his regime were painted as communists[1] and often treated brutally.[2] While Pérez was president of Venezuela, the government of the United States awarded him the U.S. Legion of Merit.
Pérez Jiménez was up for reelection in 1957, but dispensed with these formalities. Instead, he held a plebiscite in which voters could only choose between voting "yes" or "no" to another term for the president. Predictably, Pérez Jiménez won by a large margin, though by all accounts the count was blatantly rigged.
[edit] Pérez Jiménez cabinet (1952–1958)
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[edit] Post-Presidency
In January 1958, there was a general uprising and, with rioting in the streets, Pérez left the country. He moved to the United States, where he lived until 1963, when he was extradited to Venezuela on charges of embezzling $200 million during his presidential tenure. The 1959–63 extradition of Perez, related to Financiadora Administradora Inmobiliaria, S.A., one of the largest development companies in South America, and other business connections, is considered by academicians to be a classic study in the precedent for enforcement of administrative honesty in Latin American countries.[4]
Upon arrival in Venezuela he was imprisoned until his trial, which did not take place for another five years. Convicted of the charges, his sentence was commuted as he had already spent more time in jail while he awaited trial. He was then exiled to Spain. In 1968, he was elected to the Senate of Venezuela, but his election was contested, and he was kept from taking office. A quick law was passed whereby former prisoners were excluded from participating in the governmental process.
Pérez had four daughters with his wife, Flor Chalbaud, and one daughter with Marita Lorenz. He died in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, at the age of 87.
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marcos Pérez Jiménez |
[edit] References
- ^ Adolf A. Berle, Jr., "Latin America: The Hidden Revolution," Reporter, 28 May 1959.
- ^ Time, 23 August 1963, as cited in John Gunther, Inside South America, p. 492-493
- ^ Mendoza & Mendoza Editores (1956). Presidency of Venezuela. “Así progresa un pueblo.”
- ^ “The Extradition of Marcos Perez Jimenez, 1959–63: Practical Precedent for Administrative Honesty?”, Judith Ewell, Journal of Latin American Studies, 9, 2, 291–313, [1]
- (Spanish) Marcos Pérez Jiménez – Official biography.
- (Spanish) Marcos Pérez Jiménez
| Preceded by Germán Suárez Flamerich |
President of Venezuela 1952–1958 |
Succeeded by Wolfgang Larrazábal |
