Dictatorship Of Juan Vicente Gómez

The dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez (also known as ''Gomecismo'' and self-named ''Rehabilitación'') refers to the presidency of Juan Vicente Gómez and his subsequent puppet governments in Venezuela. It began after Gómez, then vice president, betrayed and overthrew Cipriano Castro in a 1908 coup d'état, ending Castro's dictatorship. The regime lasted 27 years until Gómez's death in 1935, following his fourth reelection.

Initially presenting itself as a government with democratic tendencies, Gómez abandoned this facade when faced with the possibility of losing the 1914 elections. He fabricated claims of a foreign invasion led by Castro and launched a crackdown on political opponents, solidifying his authoritarian rule by 1913.

The government was marked by severe repression. In Táchira alone, an estimated 20,000 people fled into exile. State security forces carried out widespread torture and forced disappearances, though the exact number remains unknown. Nationwide, hundreds of political prisoners were subjected to forced labor, including the construction of highways and public works.

Gómez's government resolved the Dutch–Venezuelan crisis of 1908 and restored diplomatic relations with the United States. Venezuela remained neutral during World War I, with Gómez maintaining this stance throughout the conflict.

1908 Venezuelan coup d'état

Towards the end of Cipriano Castro's dictatorship, Venezuela became embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with the Dutch Crown, which had blockaded Venezuelan coasts. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt requested congressional authorization to invade Venezuela, prompting Castro to sever diplomatic relations with the United States. During this period, Vice President Juan Vicente Gómez established secret communications with the U.S. government, seeking support for a planned conspiracy against Castro.

When Castro traveled to Berlin for health-related reasons, Gómez, who was acting president in Castro's absence, orchestrated a coup d'état with the assistance of , whom he later appointed to his cabinet.

Domestic policy

Legislative policy

Upon assuming power, Juan Vicente Gómez chose not to dissolve the Congress, maintaining the existing legislative structure. As a conciliatory measure, he ordered the release of 164 political prisoners detained under Cipriano Castro's regime and issued invitations for exiled dissidents to return to Venezuela.

Judicial policy

Judge Abreu was imprisoned for upholding a 15-year prison sentence against , the dictator's cousin, after Gómez was convicted of murdering Governor .

Torture

Eustoquio Gómez was later appointed warden of the San Carlos prison, where abuses became rampant. According to Colonel Rogelio Benavídez Pacheco, "The terror, torture, and even poisonings with crushed glass grew so extreme that the prisoners revolted, forcing Eustoquio to flee."

Defense policy

Tomás Funes' de facto rule in Amazonas

On May 8, 1913, Colonel and his accomplices carried out the assassination of Governor , his wife, and his children, as well as the massacre of dozens or even hundreds of people in what became known as the " Night of the Machetes." They also stormed the Government House of the Federal Territory of Amazonas in San Fernando de Atabapo, the state capital at the time. Gómez allowed these events, marking the beginning of Funes' bloody de facto rule over Amazonas for seven years. According to Funes' records, at least 480 murders were committed during this period, and indigenous inhabitants of the region were enslaved. Additionally, Funes' repressive actions led to the deaths of at least 2,000 Makiritare indigenous people. Funes' de facto rule in Amazonas lasted seven years until Gómez facilitated his capture by Emilio Arévalo Cedeño. Funes was subsequently tried, sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad, allowing Gómez to regain control over Amazonas.

Economy

During the Gomecismo period, Venezuela restored its foreign credit, which had been nonexistent due to the policies of his predecessor, Cipriano Castro. Investment was centralized and directed toward the petroleum industry. The country transitioned from an agricultural export economy to an oil-based one. In 1930, Gómez unilaterally ordered the full repayment of the country's external debt.

Energy

Oil concessions, previously revoked under Castro, were reinstated and granted to international oil monopolies. These companies received vast portions of national territory and operated under favorable conditions ensured by the dictatorship's repressive policies against dissent.

Gómez held absolute authority to administer and grant oil concessions without congressional approval. During his regime, four major concessions were issued for exploration, production, and refining—primarily intended for resale to foreign investors. By the late 1920s, Venezuela became the world's top oil exporter and the second-largest oil producer globally.

Education

In December 1908, a Chair of Dermatology and Syphilography was established at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). However, in 1912, the UCV was closed by the government, and by 1914, the General Association of Students was banned.

Health

The 1918 Spanish flu reached Venezuela in October 1918 during its second global wave. The outbreak caused between 25,000 and 80,000 deaths nationwide.

The Gómez administration responded with minimal healthcare investment and implemented information censorship policies, restricting public reporting on the pandemic's severity.

Transportation

In 1930, the Línea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV) was established, commencing operations in 1931.

Foreign policy

The William Howard Taft administration in the United States promptly recognized Juan Vicente Gómez's government in 1908, providing critical support that prevented Cipriano Castro from regaining power.

One of Gómez's first actions was reversing Castro's tariff policies on 21 December 1908. This diplomatic shift yielded immediate results: within two days, the Netherlands withdrew its warships from Venezuelan waters, ending the naval blockade.

Ideology and symbology

Juan Vicente Gómez's motto when he took power was "Unión, Paz y Trabajo" (Union, Peace and Work).

Anti-partisanship

The interested literature of the Gómez regime presented the conservatives and liberals as those responsible for the civil wars, and the political parties as those responsible for the backwardness, instability and corruption.

Anticommunism

The regime was anti-communist, establishing in the 1909 Constitution the prohibition of communist propaganda.

Cult of Simón Bolívar

Gómez continued and deepened the cult of Simón Bolívar, inaugurating his monuments, such as the one in the Plaza Bolívar in Mérida. In addition, he changed his date of birth so that it coincided with Bolívar's date of birth, and made this supposed coincidence public knowledge, announcing that he would also die on the same day as him, which was announced on December 17, 1935, which, in effect, was the anniversary of Bolívar's death.

Change of the national flag

Through a decree of July 15, 1930 issued by the National Congress, the country's flag was modified, changing the arrangement of the seven stars in the shape of a circumference to another in the shape of an arc.

See also

* 1908 Venezuelan coup d'état
* La Sagrada

References

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Juan Vicente Gómez