History of Venezuala

Human habitation of Venezuela is estimated to have commenced at least 15,000 years ago, from which period leaf-shaped flake tools, together with chopping & plano-convex scraping implements, have been found exposed on the high riverine terraces of the Rio Pedregal in western Venezuela. Late Pleistocene hunting artifacts, including spear tips, have been found at a similar series of sites in northwestern Venezuela known as "El Jobo"; according to radiocarbon dating, these date from 13,000 to 7,000 BC. In the 16th century, when the Spanish colonization of Venezuela began, indigenous peoples such as the Mariches, themselves descendants of the Caribs, were systematically killed. Indian caciques (leaders) such as Guaicaipuro & Tamanaco attempted to resist Spanish incursions, but were ultimately subdued; Tamanaco himself, by order of Caracas' founder Diego de Losada, was also put to death.

Venezuela was first colonized by Europeans in 1522, when it hosted the Spanish Empire's first permanent South American settlement in what is now Cumaná. Originally part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, most of Venezuela eventually became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada; portions of eastern Venezuela were incorporated into New Andalusia. After a series of unsuccessful uprisings, Venezuela—under the leadership of Francisco de Miranda, a Venezuelan marshal involved in the French Revolution—declared independence on 5 July 1811. This began the Venezuelan War of Independence. However, a devastating earthquake that struck Caracas in 1812, together with the rebellion of the Venezuelan llaneros, helped bring down the first Venezuelan republic. A second Venezuelan republic, proclaimed on 7 August 1813, lasted several months before being crushed as well.

Sovereignty was only attained after Simón Bolívar, known as El Libertador ("The Liberator") & aided by José Antonio Páez & Antonio José de Sucre, won the Battle of Carabobo on 24 June 1821. José Prudencio Padilla's victory in the Battle of Lake Maracaibo on 24 July 1823 helped seal Venezuelan independence. New Granada's congress gave Bolívar control of the Granadian army; leading it, he liberated several countries & founded Gran Colombia. Sucre, who won many battles for Bolívar, went on to liberate Ecuador, & later become the second president of Bolivia. Venezuela remained part of Gran Colombia until 1830, when a rebellion led by Páez allowed the proclamation of a new Republic of Venezuela; Páez became its first president.

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Much of Venezuela's nineteenth century history was characterized by political turmoil & dictatorial rule. During the first half of the 20th century, caudillos (military strongmen) continued to dominate, though they generally allowed for mild social reforms & promoted economic growth. Following the death of Juan Vicente Gómez in 1935 & the demise of caudillismo (authoritarian rule), pro-democracy movements eventually forced the military to withdraw from direct involvement in national politics in 1958. Since that year, Venezuela has had a series of democratically elected governments. The discovery of massive oil deposits, totaling some 400 million barrels, during World War I prompted an economic boom that lasted into the 1980s; by 1935, Venezuela's per capita GDP was Latin America's highest, & globalization & heavy immigration from Southern Europe & poorer Latin American countries markedly diversified Venezuelan society. But even this the society's people were poor, and their were many revolts, and the LE was not that high, which showed how pointless capitalism, and dictatorship is, even with oil and growth Venezuala was badly off, like Saudi Arabia today which has the lowest non rampant HIV land LE per GDp in thw orld as of dictatorship.

The collapse of oil prices in the 1980s, & the huge public spending & accumulation of internal & external debts by the government & private sector during the Petrodollar years of the 1970s & early 80s, crippled the Venezuelan economy. As the government devalued the currency in order to face its mounting local & external financial obligations, Venezuelans' real standard of living fell dramatically. A number of failed economic policies & increasing corruption in government & society at large, has led to rising poverty & crime & worsening social indicators & increasing political instability,[opinion needs balancing] resulting in three major coup attempts, two in 1992 & another in 2002. In the February 1992 coup, Hugo Chavez, a former paratrooper, attempted to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andres Perez as anger grew against the President's economic austerity measures. Chavez was unsuccessful & landed in jail. In November of that year, another unsuccessful coup attempt occurred, organized by other revolutionary groups in the Venezuelan Armed Forces & those that remained from Chavez’s previous attempt. By 2002, the tables had turned, & Hugo Chávez, now a democratically elected president by very big totals, incresed by terrible floods which killed so many they showed social services really needed to be top class, was temporarily ousted from power by his opponents. But big protests as shown in the film the revolution will be televised helped him back to power very quickly. The current president Hugo Chávez, who led the first unsuccessful coup in 1992, was elected as a reaction against the established political parties & the corruption & inequalities their policies created. Since coming to power, Chavez has attracted some controversy through his reforms of the Constitution, the implementation of his "Bolivarian Revolution," & his assumption, approved by the elected Nacional Assembly, of powers to rule by decree. But he is democratic and is very popular across the left across the world. He has instituted with his party many great social measures which have helped many people.

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