Raúl Leoni Otero (26 April 1905 – 5 July 1972) was the
president of Venezuela
The president of Venezuela (), officially known as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the executive head of state and head of government of Venezuela. The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan go ...
from 1964 until 1969. He was a member of the
Generation of 1928 and a charter member of the
Acción Democrática
Democratic Action (, AD) is a Venezuelan social democratic and centre-left political party established in 1941. The party played an important role in the early years of Venezuelan democracy, leading the government during Venezuela's first democ ...
party, and the first Labor minister of Venezuela (during
El Trienio Adeco
El Trienio Adeco was a three-year period in Venezuelan history, from 1945 to 1948, under the government of the popular party Democratic Action (Venezuela), Democratic Action (, its adherents ''adecos''). The party gained office via the 1945 Ven ...
, 1945–48).
Background
Leoni was born in El Manteco,
Bolívar State, son of Clement Leoni Scribani, born in
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
. He graduated at the
Central University of Venezuela
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
in
Caracas
Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
as a lawyer. He was a member of the
Generation of 1928, and the first Labor minister of Venezuela (during
El Trienio Adeco
El Trienio Adeco was a three-year period in Venezuelan history, from 1945 to 1948, under the government of the popular party Democratic Action (Venezuela), Democratic Action (, its adherents ''adecos''). The party gained office via the 1945 Ven ...
, 1945–48).
Presidency
Leoni took control of the presidency on 13 March 1964, succeeding
Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 – 28 September 1981; ), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was a Venezuelan politician who served as the president of Venezuela, from and again from Second presidency of Rómulo ...
; both were members of the
Acción Democrática
Democratic Action (, AD) is a Venezuelan social democratic and centre-left political party established in 1941. The party played an important role in the early years of Venezuelan democracy, leading the government during Venezuela's first democ ...
.
One of the pillars of a political consolidation in Venezuela, the
''Pacto de Punto Fijo'', was underestimated by Leoni, since in his opinion it reduced the "coherence and organization of the regime". Strictly, the pact mandated that the composition of the executive cabinet be limited to representatives of three of the more important political parties:
Acción Democrática
Democratic Action (, AD) is a Venezuelan social democratic and centre-left political party established in 1941. The party played an important role in the early years of Venezuelan democracy, leading the government during Venezuela's first democ ...
(AD),
COPEI and
Unión Republicana Democrática
The Democratic Republican Union (, URD) is a Venezuelan political party founded in 1945.
History
When the party appeared on course to win the 1952 Venezuelan presidential election, 1952 election for a constituent assembly, then-dictator Marc ...
(URD). Leoni initially formed a cabinet with a few members of his party and a good number of independents. Later, in November 1964, Leoni initiated conversations with leaders of the involved parties to rescue the spirit of the pact. A new cabinet was formed, but it lasted for only 16 months.
During his government, Leoni carried out important structural projects in Venezuela, specifically the development of heavy industry in Guayana (hydroelectric, iron and steel), inauguration of the Bank of the Workers, and construction of road infrastructure (highways, freeways, and bridges – the most important of which crossed the
Orinoco
The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...
). Important changes to labor and social programs also occurred; unions gained force and the Social Security law was modified. Leoni made an attempt at reforming tax structure, but was restrained by a coalition of left and right that openly served the interests of oil companies.
During Leoni's presidency the conflict with the leftist guerrilla movement
Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN) intensified. Leoni's government was unexceptional, but it was Leoni who had to liquidate the remnants of the communist insurrection for which he put the army in charge of the country with full powers to be as ruthless as needed.
However, unlike guerrillas all over the world, the communist guerrilleros themselves had no rural support to speak of and as such did not control any villages. They knew that they were no match for the army and avoided confrontations. Castro had been hoping that Venezuela would be the second act of the Latin American revolution, and he tried to supply the Venezuelan guerrillas. That was in keeping with the theory of what could be called the "permanent agrarian revolution", which the French intellectual
Régis Debray had expressed in the widely circulated book ''Revolution Inside the Revolution'' and
Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
had been trying to carry out first in Africa and later, fatally for him, in Bolivia. In 1966,
Castro selected a trusted officer,
Arnaldo Ochoa
Arnaldo Tomás Ochoa Sánchez (1930 – July 13, 1989) was a Cuban general who was executed by the government of Fidel Castro after being found guilty of a variety of crimes including drug smuggling and treason.
Career
Ever since its creation ...
, to assess the Venezuelan guerrillas. Ochoa with the Venezuelan guerrilla commander
Luben Petkoff, took a boat to the shores of Falcon, Venezuela, one of his most secretive expedition. Along with 15 other members of the Cuban military went to Coro Sierra mountains to strengthen
Douglas Bravo guerrillas who were fighting the government troops that ended in a major strategic loss at large human cost.
In 1967, the
invasion of Machurucuto occurred with 12 Cubans and Venezuelans revolutionaries attempted to help Venezuelan guerrillas in the Venezuelan Andes. Soon afterward, Leoni suspended constitutional guarantees and, in a press conference, denouncing Cuban aggression against Venezuela and showed two captured Cubans: Manuel Gil Castellanos, and Pedro Cabrera Torres. Cuba was denounced by Venezuela to the
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...
. Cuba did not recognize his action even if the investigation of the
AK 47 in possession of the guerrillas had serial numbers matching weapons sold by the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
to Cuba. The government of Venezuela broke off relations with Cuba them until 1974. That effectively ended Cuba's intervention in Venezuelan affairs. By then, Venezuelan leftists had given up on violence and were seeking legalisation, but Leoni did not offer it. Ochoa was later tried and executed by Castro on an unlikely charge of drug-smuggling.
Meanwhile, Leoni signed the Cartagena Agreement. The precursor to the
Andean Community
The Andean Community (, CAN) is a free trade area with the objective of creating a customs union comprising the South American countries (Andean states) of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The trade bloc was called the Andean Pact until 1 ...
, it was a
trade bloc
A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where barriers to trade (tariffs and others) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.
Trade blocs can be stand-alo ...
in
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
between Venezuela,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, and
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
.
On 11 March 1969, Leoni transferred power to
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez ( ; 24 January 1916 – 24 December 2009) was a Venezuelan politician and academician who was the 46th and 51st president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999, thus becoming the longest se ...
, a member of the Christian Democratic Party
COPEI and a signatory of the
Pacto de Punto Fijo. That transfer definitively instituted the alternation of power between the important parties until the late 20th century in Venezuela.
Personal life and death
His father was descendant from a "massone" escaped to
Murato, a village in Corsica that then was under the Republic of Genova
[some historians -like Della Volpe and D'Ambrosio- claim that Raul Leoni has italian roots because descendant from a refugee born italian, under the Republic of Genoa (that owned Corsica until 1770)]
Raúl Leoni was married to Carmen América Fernández, who served as
First Lady of Venezuela from 1964–1969 and has one son named Álvaro.
Leoni died on 5 July 1972 when he was 67 years old, at the
Cornell Medical Center
Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Ne ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where he was recovering from medical treatment after suffering a
hemorrhage
Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, ...
.
See also
*
Presidents of Venezuela
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
*
Political prisoners in Venezuela
References
Polar FoundationInterview to Raúl Leoni by Miguel Otero SilvaPDF format.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leoni, Raul
Raúl Leoni
People from Bolívar (state)
20th-century Venezuelan lawyers
Presidents of Venezuela
Venezuelan life senators
Venezuelan democracy activists
Venezuelan people of French descent
Venezuelan people of Corsican descent
1905 births
1972 deaths
Presidents of the Senate of Venezuela
Labour ministers of Venezuela
Democratic Action (Venezuela) politicians
Political prisoners during the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez
Generation of 1928
Rómulo Gallegos ministers
Rómulo Betancourt ministers
Exiled Venezuelan politicians
Venezuelan prisoners and detainees