Sierra Nevada affair

On 9 January 1980, the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) requested an investigation of the president's assets. A congressional commission, in turn, requested his impeachment for the moral, political and administrative responsibility he bore in the scandal. The debate ended up being decided in the National Congress in a vote on 8 May. The chambers determined that Carlos Andres had political responsibility, but not administrative or moral responsibility. Several independent deputies of Democratic Action, some votes of Movement to Socialism (MAS) and José Vicente Rangel obtained more votes than the deputies of Copei and MAS, and absolved Carlos Andrés Pérez from being administratively condemned by the Congress.^[3]

One of the possible reasons why many of the votes in favor of Pérez occurred was because the deputies did not want to support the efforts of Rafael Caldera or Rómulo Betancourt, who had distanced himself from Pérez over the issue of administrative corruption, to weaken Carlos Andrés politically.^[3] The result was the report known as the Tenorio Report.

Congress in its joint session of both chambers on 8 May 1980 gave as a result of the vote:

• Political responsibility: 132 votes against the president and 102 in favor (responsible)
• Administrative responsibility: 113 votes against the president and 115 votes in favor (acquitted)
• Moral responsibility: 111 votes against the president and 119 votes in favor (acquitted).^[2]

The Sierra Nevada affair was closed by the Prosecutor's Office on 13 June 1980.

• Twelve Apostles (Venezuela)
• Corruption in Venezuela