Word: betancourts
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...other lands, the assurance might have been regarded as unnecessary-or impertinent. But in Venezuela it mattered. As outgoing President Rómulo Betancourt and President-elect Raul Leoni reviewed an air force anniversary parade recently, Colonel Francisco Miliani Aranguren, the air force commander, stepped forward. The military, promised Aranguren, "will remain loyal to the 3,000,000 compatriots who went to the polls to choose our next President...
Polishing Brass. Venezuela's tigers may be changing their stripes. In his nearly five years in office, Betancourt has become that most unusual of Latin American politicians: a moderate leftist who gets along with the conservative colonels and generals. With luck, his successor, Leoni, should be able to continue the arrangement...
...Betancourt learned his lesson when he first came to power in 1945, as provisional President after a coup by junior officers. He tried to ram through drastic economic and social reforms, but his successor paid too little attention to the military. Within three years, his Action Democrática party was turned out by another coup that led to the brutal, ten-year rule of Dictator Marcos Pérez Jimènez, a general. His next chance at office, Betancourt went all out to convince the small (33,000 men) but powerful armed forces that they had nothing...
...inauguration speech, Betancourt promised that no Communists would be allowed in his government. He held the military to 10% of Venezuela's budget, yet still managed to buy new arms and jet trainers. Officers were promoted on merit, not a dictator's whim. Military personnel were extended easy credit for off-post housing. On trips to the backlands, Betancourt called first on local garrisons. He visited army engineers on remote road-building projects, dropped in for Christmas caroling with the troops, and always had time for a little brass polishing at regimental anniversary celebrations...
...Majority. Yet if the election was a personal triumph for Betancourt, it was considerably less of a political victory. As expected, the winner was Raul Leoni, 57, the shrewd, dour president of Betancourt's Accion Democrdtica party. A founder of A.D., Leoni served as Venezuela's Labor Minister while Be tancourt was provisional President from 1945 to 1948, later took over the party leadership in 1958 when Dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez was overthrown and Betancourt elected President. Leoni campaigned on a promise to continue Betancourt's successful economic and social reforms. But he lacks Betancourt...