Word: betancourts
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...five years in office, Romulo Betancourt proved that democracy could work in Venezuela. He tamed the military, subdued the Communists, won the confidence of business, and embarked on a successful program of social and economic reform. This week, as Venezuela's first president in 134 years to complete his term, Betancourt will turn over the red, blue and yellow sash of office to a freely elected successor: Raul Leoni, 57, a member of his own Acción Democrática Party. Yet Leoni has lost his first political battle before he even begins, and Venezuela seems headed...
...Failure. One of the strengths of Betancourt's government, especially in the first years, was its partnership with the country's second-ranking COPEI, a middle-road Social Christian party that is ably led by Caracas Lawyer Rafael Caldera. In last December's elections, A.D. slipped to 33% of the vote (from 49% in 1958) while COPEI increased its share from...
...unlike Betancourt, Leoni and other A.D. leaders were in no hurry to bring Caldera into a new coalition. Jealous of COPEI's rapid growth, A.D. leaders offered Caldera's party only a few governorships and some minor Cabinet posts...
...negotiations dragged on, Betancourt himself argued for a bigger role for COPEI. He arrived at a party meeting with a tape recorder. "I know what I'm going to say here now will prove historic," he said, and then proceeded to read the riot act. "My government would not have survived without COPEI's support. Yours will not either. So get that support." Then he left, promising to play back the tape at a future date...
...overthrow the democratic government of Venezuela through terrorism, sabotage, assault and guerrilla warfare." Venezuela's documented evidence included a three-ton cache of smuggled Cuban arms and a fantastic battle plan for the capture of Caracas by Castro-directed local Communists. Later, Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt summoned the ambassadors of England, Spain and France and warned them to choose between trade with Cuba-about $100 million as presently proposed-and trade with Venezuela, worth some $400 million annually. Betancourt also threatened to expropriate Venezuela's Shell Oil Co., owned jointly by British and Dutch interests...