Presidency of Rómulo Gallegos
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The presidency of Rómulo Gallegos in 1948 was the second and final government of El Trienio Adeco, and the first elected Democratic Action government in history, succeeding the Junta Revolucionaria de Gobierno presided over by Rómulo Betancourt. Gallegos was the first president in the country's history to assume office through universal, direct, and secret suffrage, following the 1947 election.
Governing with an absolute legislative majority held by his party, Democratic Action, Gallegos' energy policy was characterized by the "Fifty-fifty" Law, which mandated that foreign oil companies and the Venezuelan state split profits equally. In agrarian policy, his administration enacted the Agrarian Reform Law.
In foreign policy, Gallegos fostered closer ties with the Unión Panamericana, personally leading efforts that contributed to its transformation into the Organization of American States (OAS).
His government was marked by disputes between Presidents Gallegos and Betancourt as well as conflicts with other political sectors, landowners, business leaders, and the Catholic Church.[1] Although constitutionally mandated to last six years,[2] his presidency ended after just over nine months. In the same year he took office, President Gallegos was arrested and overthrown in a coup d'état led by his own Minister of Defense, Carlos Delgado Chalbaud. This coup initiated a ten-year military dictatorship, forcing Gallegos into exile; he chose Cuba as his destination.
Following the 1961 Constitution, Rómulo Gallegos and other former presidents were designated as senators for life, a position Gallegos held until his death.
The 1947 general elections were the first with secret and direct universal suffrage since 1897. Writer Rómulo Gallegos, representing Democratic Action, was elected president with 871,752 votes, competing against Rafael Caldera (COPEI) and Gustavo Machado (Communist Party of Venezuela).[3][4]
This was a period of high political tension. The headquarters of Democratic Action in Caracas was bombed on May 18, 1948.[4] Rafael Caldera, leader of COPEI, was targeted in an attack where six tear gas bombs were thrown at his car as he was leaving Congress on May 20, 1948.[4]
Cabinet
| Cabinet of Rómulo Gallegos[5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ministry | Name | Períod |
| Internal Relations | Eligio Anzola Anzola | February – November, 1948 |
| External relationships | Andrés Eloy Blanco | |
| Treasury | Manuel Pérez Guerrero | |
| Defense | Carlos Delgado Chalbaud | |
| Development | Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo | |
| Public Works | Edgar Pardo Stolk | |
| Education | Luis Beltrán Prieto Figueroa | |
| Jobs | Raúl Leoni | |
| Communications | Leonardo Ruiz Pineda | |
| Agriculture & Livestock | Ricardo Montilla | |
| Health & Social Care | Edmundo Fernández | |
| Office | Gonzalo Barrios | |
Domestic policy
Legislative policy
Following the 1947 elections, Democratic Action secured the majority of seats in Congress, guaranteeing itself an absolute majority.
Land reform
In October 1948, the Agrarian Reform Law was approved.[4]
Energy
On November 12, the "Fifty-fifty" Law was approved, targeting transnational oil companies.[4] This law mandated that foreign companies and the Venezuelan state would split profits equally.
Labor
During the government of Rómulo Gallegos, the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers was strengthened.[4]
Foreign policy
Relations with the Unión Panamericana were strengthened, with Gallegos leading the delegation to transform the body into the Organization of American States (OAS).[4] President Gallegos visited the United States from July 1 to 5, 1948, meeting with President Harry S. Truman.[4][6][7]
