|
Venezuela National Security
![[GIF]](http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/venezuela/ve05_00a.gif)
Venezuelan Weaponry: F-16 fighter,
Constitution-class attack craft, and AMX-13 light tank
BY 1990 VENEZUELA REPRESENTED one of the few Latin
American
countries where a democratic system had produced a
military
institution that exerted little or no direct influence on
the
government. When civilian government returned in 1958, the
military had been thoroughly discredited in the eyes of
the
public by the performance of the venal and reactionary
regime of
Marcos Pérez Jiménez. This rejection of the military
strengthened
the appeal of civilian politicians, raised the profile of
reformist officers within the armed forces, and deterred
coup
plans by isolated sectors of the officer corps. In short,
the
return to democracy symbolized a social consensus that
supported
the concept of civilian control over an apolitical
military.
Until Rómulo Betancourt's 1959 inauguration, with the
exception of the brief
trienio (see Glossary)
period of
1945-48, Venezuela had been ruled by a succession of
militarybased caudillos stretching back to "The Liberator"
himself, Simón
Bolívar Palacios. The nation exhibited all the
characteristics of
a traditional society--an agricultural economy, a small
economic
and political elite, and militarism--until the oil
industry
developed in earnest after World War II. The changes
wrought by
the influx of oil revenue eventually altered the military
institution as much as the society as a whole.
Under a succession of democratically elected
presidents, the
military has improved its capabilities and expertise. It
has also
enhanced its public image. Although defense ministers and
other
leaders still felt compelled to deny occasional rumors of
coup,
such rumors appeared to have no serious basis. And despite
popular disillusionment with the economic performance of
civilian
administrations, there was no indication that Venezuelans
would
support a return to military rule. Democracy in Venezuela
was
institutionalized, and no serious threats to its survival,
from
within or without, were evident.
Data as of December 1990
|
