Politics in Caracas: From Punto Fijo to CHAVEZ

1. Politics in Caracas: From Punto Fijo to CHAVEZ

3. CARACAS

4. Panoramic View of Caracas

5. The Emergence of a Primate City • General Juan Vicente Gómez (1908-1935) rules from a distance • Accelerating Growth with a new generation • Elitist democrats initiate modernization • Revolutionaries carry on with planned development

6. The Emergence of a Primate City: General Marcos Pérez Jimémez • New National Ideal (1952-1958) • Pérez Jiménez intensifies investment in Caracas • Up to 80% of all national investment in some years • Focused on physical infrastructure • Freeways • Housing blocs • Urban renewal • Improvised investment destabilizes the country

7. Caracas During Consolidation of Punto Fijo Democracy: 1958-69 • Heavy Migration from countryside • Proliferation of shantytowns • Public services stressed • Lack of personal security

8. Caracas Votes Against Accion Democratica: 1958, 1963 • Failed efforts to control growth • Return to countryside not feasible • Half measures and self-help housing fail to win support for the dominant political parties (AD & COPEI)

9. Caracas Reasserts Itself • Ruling political elite becomes comfortable in the capital city • Electoral weight leads to massive investment • Urban renewal again • Subway • Subsidized services

11. Elections in Caracas • 1973 elections – consolidation of two-party dominance nationally • Caracas elections at the same time as national elections • Caracas electorate comes to resemble the rest of Venezuela (1973-1993)

12. Transforming Local Government in Caracas (1978 – 94) • Failure to institutionalize city managers • Rioting in February 28, 1988 opens the door to institutional reforms • Elected mayors of Libertador (Federal District) • Splintering of Eastern Caracas • Separation into four municipalities • Liquidation of metropolitan area city planning

13. Consequences of Urban Political Reforms • More decentralization • More accountability to local constituents • Economic downturn trumps political gains

14. 1998 – Support for something different: Hugo Chávez • Caracas leads the electoral revolution • AD vote falls below 19% • COPEI almost ceases to exist • Most important offices captured by allies of Hugo Chávez • Middle class areas elect mayors from small political parties

15. Former army paratrooper 1992 failed coup attempt Appeal to the poor Anti-corruption promises Charismatic leader Hugo Chávez

16. Metropolitan Government in the Fifth Republic • Creation of the Capital District and the Bolivarian Revolution • 1999 Constitution and creation of the Capital District • Genesis of the attempt to create a capital district • Demonstrations at the Constituent Assembly weaken the attempt • The compromise

17. Struggle between President and “High ” Mayor • Peña had support of Chávez in mega election of 2000 • Metropolitan Police transferred to Alcaldia Mayor • Peña becomes a foe of the Bolivarian Revolution

18. Struggle between President and “High ” Mayor • Freddy Bernal, a support of President President Chávez is mayor of Libertador • Contest over control of patronage- institutions between Peña / Bernal • Rival views of guarding the political order intensify clashes between the two mayors • Violence that led up to coup of April 11, 2002 illustrates differing loyalties of Peña & Bernal

19. Caracas Middle Class Attempts to Remove the Government through Demonstrations • December 2002 – February 2003 • City paralyzed • President uses oil reserves to frustrate strikers • Middle class dispirited

20. Caracas Poor: conditional loyalty to Chávez • Slum dwellers left behind • Desire for revenge • Pro-Chavez graffiti suggests grass roots support