Jaime Lusinchi

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Lore & Background

In the 1983 election, the adecos chose Jaime Lusinchi, and he won with 56% of the vote—the highest margin ever in a Venezuelan election. Much of the campaign was taken up by an 'underground' debate about Lusinchi's mistress, Blanca Ibañez, with adecos insisting his legal wife had simply 'to bite the bullet'. The left, offering Teodoro Petkoff and José Vicente Rangel, together got 7% of the vote, a new high for them. Abstentions were 12%, significant because voting was compulsory in Venezuela. In his 1984 inauguration speech, Lusinchi announced a period of realism and economic austerity, aiming to end 'the era of the mirages of an oil country that filled much of the 20th century'. He spoke about economic situation, administrative corruption, unemployment, and the need for a social pact. Following Viernes Negro on 18 February 1983, 1984 closed with an economic recession of 6% of GDP. Between 1984 and 1986, there were three consecutive years of depreciation of the national currency, culminating in a 93% devaluation of the bolívar at the official exchange rate in 1986. The Barcelona Centre for International Affairs described Lusinchi's economic policy as a 'return to economic populism characteristic of previous Acción Democrática administrations'. During his government, the first phase of the San Agatón Hydroelectric Plant was completed, requiring the evacuation of the town of Potosí, which ended up under water. Broadcasting concessions were granted for new television channels, including Televen, Omnivisión and regional channels, as well as FM radio stations. In 1985, two hundred copies of the book 'Narcotráfico S. A.' by Lyndon LaRouche were seized by the DISIP. There were reports of disappearances associated with police forces; according to Revista SIC, 'Allegedly officials of the former Judicial Technical Police killed more than 50 people and later threw their bodies into wells'. In Zulia state, mass graves called 'Pozos de la muerte' were reported. In September 1984, the Tazón massacre occurred, where about 200 students heading to Caracas for a protest were attacked by members of the Bolivarian National Guard, leaving 35 injured. On 29 October 1988, the massacre of El Amparo occurred, in which 14 fishermen were killed by police officers after being mistaken for guerrillas. In 1987, an environmental scandal occurred when two ships carrying barrels of toxic waste from Italy arrived. In the 1988 elections, the two ruling parties got a total of 93% of the vote, abstentions went up to 18%, and the winner was Carlos Andrés Pérez for his second term.

Reader's Guide

Lusinchi's presidency is a case study in how corruption and economic mismanagement can dominate a term. Corruption became the main issue, with most Venezuelans considering it the root of all society's ills. His wife Blanca Ibañez was blamed for abuse of power and nepotism. The economy stagnated, and the country was reportedly bankrupt by the end. Despite this, in the 1988 elections, the two ruling parties got 93% of the vote, and Carlos Andrés Pérez won re-election. The enigma of Pérez's return is explained by several factors: pardos were still adecos, the opposition to bipolarity lacked a leader, and Venezuelans remembered that during Pérez's first term there had been a lot of money in circulation and things had not been so dismal. Lusinchi created the Presidential Commission for State Reform (COPRE) on 26 December 1984 to examine reform of the Venezuelan state, but he appointed all state governors from among the general secretaries of Acción Democrática at the state level, bypassing regional leadership. Human rights issues included the Tazón massacre (35 injured), the El Amparo massacre (14 fishermen killed), and reports of disappearances and mass graves. In 1984, Congress attempted to approve the Law on Provisional Release for Justifying Causes, which would have exempted officers who committed killings from responsibility, but protests prevented it. NGOs like Justicia y Paz and the Human Rights Commission of the Maryknoll Missionaries were founded. The first cases of HIV/AIDS led to discriminatory treatment and arbitrary detention, prompting the creation of Acción Ciudadana Contra el Sida (ACCSI) in 1987.

Did You Know?

• Lusinchi won the 1983 election with 56% of the vote, the highest margin ever in a Venezuelan election.
• During his campaign, there was an 'underground' debate about his mistress Blanca Ibañez, with adecos insisting his legal wife had to 'bite the bullet'.
• The bolívar was devalued by 93% at the official exchange rate in 1986.
• In 1985, two hundred copies of the book 'Narcotráfico S. A.' by Lyndon LaRouche were seized by the DISIP.
• The El Amparo massacre on 29 October 1988 saw 14 fishermen killed by police after being mistaken for guerrillas.