Unrest in Venezuela

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 8

Unrest in Venezuela

The successful crushing of the •hort-lived revolt in Venezuela does not mean the end of the troubles facing President Perez Jimenez; rather, it may signal the start of deeper unrest in the oil-rich republic. The President has maintained rigid control since 1952 when, at the head of a band of army officers, he overthrew a constitutional regime and assumed command of the country. The abortive revolt showed that his dictatorship, however it may silence its opponents, cannot hope to survive indefinitely without the consent of the people. His action last month in substituting a rigged plebiscite for a presidential election showed that he feared the people would fail to give their consent to his continued rule. This is not surprising'. Venezuela has impressive material prosperity, but shares in the new riches have not’ been widely spread. Only a few years ago, Venezuela was just another South American banana republic. Since then wealth has poured in on a fantastic scale, and it is now the largest oil-exporting country in 'the world and the second largest producer. The oil - revenue amounts to about £2OO million a year and some good use has been made of it. Caracas, the capita] of the republic, is a booming skyscraper city; there are magnificent highways, and there is 1 lavish spending, by South American standards, on publie works. -But President Jimenez could not expect to be taken seriously when he claimed recently that the suppression of political opposition was justified because the country’s tremendous economic prosperity had left the people no longer interested in politics. Even if all Venezuelans had their hands

full exploiting and enjoying the country’s resources, they would still seek to rid themselves of a regime that stays in office by subterfuge and the suppression of liberties. Since few of them do share the country’s riches, their desire is the greater.

The “ New York Times" reported recently that threequarters of the population have inadequate medical and welfare facilities, half the population is illiterate, nearly half the children cannot go to school because there are not enough schools and teachers, and the fancy estimates of wage rates in Caracas misrepresent the actual poverty of most Venezuelans. As a result, there are signs of a political swing left of centre, not only in Venezuela, but also in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, where other dictators are sitting on uncomfortable thrones. “This”, says the newspaper, “is the ideal “ direction for these countries “to take. The alternatives “ would be reactionary rightism, “ seeking to perpetuate social “ and economic injustices “ through the military, or an “ extreme leftism that the “Communists can use to their “ profit ”, Unfortunately, is little that can be done to hasten such a swing. The American State Department adheres rigidly to its policy of non-involvement, even against quasi-fascist regimes, in South America, and the companies exploiting Venezuela’s oil can- 1 not be expected to interest themselves in what is done with the money they pay for their concessions. Fortunately, however, there are signs that democracy will triumph in Venezuela sooner or later. Last week’s revolt is unlikely to be the last.