Transcript Venezuelan Foreign Policy

Venezuelan Foreign Policy
Background, Institutions, Policy
Toward OPEC and USA
Caribbean Basin
After Independence
• Bolivarian dream
– Gran Colombia plus
– Death of the dream
• Nineteenth century
chaos
• Recentralization &
fleeting order under
Gen. Antonio Guzmán
(1870-1884)
Historic Goals
• Better prices for exports to North Atlantic
• Attract foreign investment to facilitate
development
• Minimalize political autonomy enjoyed by
North Atlantic interests inside of Venezuela
• Protect territorial integrity
– Colombia (Guajira peninsula)
– Guyana
– Brazil and the Amazon
Tactics
• Venezuela generally assumed a defensive
posture in pursuing its historic goals
• Why?
Early Twentieth Century
• The Andeans
– Cipriano Castro
– Gen. Juan Vicente
Gómez (1908-35)
– Transitional
Andeans (1935-45)
• Military presidents
• Supported the
United States in
World War II
• Gómez & López – 1935
Gen. Pérez Jiménez and the
Rationalization of Foreign Policy
• Events leading to the Pérez Jiménez
government
• Beginning of professional foreign service
• Petroleum policy
• Support for the United States in the Cold
War
Institutions and Actors in the
foreign policy process of Venezuela
• President
– overall coordinator
– Names the foreign minister
– Personality important in determining how
much attention the president devotes to
foreign policy
Gen. Pérez Jiménez and the
Rationalization of Foreign Policy
• Events leading to the Pérez Jiménez
government
• Beginning of professional foreign service
• Petroleum policy
• Support for the United States in the Cold
War
Military
• Role unclear
• Utility as defense force limited in view of the military
power of the United States
• Developing a capability to defend the state of Zulia
against a Colombian invasion
• Navy purchased Vietnam era swift-boats frontier
defense.
Fifth Republic
• Much of pro-USA military purged after
unsuccessful coup of April 2002
• Chavez has involved the military to a greater
extent in policy making and policy
implementation
Instituto de Comercio Exterior
• Created by COPEI to increase “non-traditional”
Venezuelan exports to South America and the
Caribbean
• Tensions with the Chancillería
Business and Labor
• Both groups lobbied against entry into the Andean
Pact in early 1970’s
• Business can usually count on subsidies to offset
economic difficulties that derive from presidential
decisions
• 1958-1998: ties of union to the political parties
meant that workers would usually accept the party
line on foreign policy decisions.
Venezuela and the Formation of OPEC
• Pérez Alfonso; a founding father
• Less aggressive than most Arab states
throughout the 1960’s
• Venezuela benefited from OPEC decisions
following the Yon Kippur War.
Carlos Andrés Pérez and
Venezuela´s new militancy within
OPEC
• Pushed for high prices
• Venezuelan liquid reserves not as large as
middle eastern reserves
• Venezuelan identification with OPEC
became more important that membership
in the Andean Bloc
• Luis Herrera Campins presides over the
second petroleum bonanza
Declining influence of OPEC
Mandates Changes in
Venezuela’s OPEC Policy
• Exhaustion of the Pérez policy under
Lusinchi
• Reduced Importance of OPEC During the
Second Pérez government (1989-93)
• Second Caldera government to exceed
Venezuela’s OPEC quota
Business and Labor
• Both groups lobbied against entry into the Andean
Pact in early 1970’s
• Business can usually count on subsidies to offset
economic difficulties that derive from presidential
decisions
• 1958-1998: ties of union to the political parties
meant that workers would usually accept the party
line on foreign policy decisions.
Venezuela and the Formation of OPEC
• Pérez Alfonso; a
founding father
• Less aggressive than
most Arab states
throughout the 1960’s
• Venezuela benefited
from OPEC decisions
following the Yon
Kippur War.
Democratic Venezuelan militancy
within OPEC
• President Carlos
Andrés Pérez takes
advantage of high
prices
• Venezuelan liquid
reserves not as large
as those of Middle
East
• Identification with
OPEC became more
important that
membership in the
Andean Bloc
• Luis Herrera Campins
presides over second
petroleum bonanza
• Changes in Venezuela’s
OPEC Policy
Second Caldera
government (1994-99)
exceeded Venezuela’s
OPEC quota
– Exhaustion of the Pérez
policy under Lusinchi
– Price spike from first Gulf
war is temporary
– Reduced Importance of
OPEC During the Second
Pérez government (198993)
Hugo Chávez Reinvigorates OPEC
Changes in Attitude toward USA
by Hugo Chávez
• Visiting U.S.S Yorktown
in Netherland Antilles
• UN – Smell of Sulfur
• impact of April 2002
coup
Chavez Policy Toward U.S.
• Determination to reduce
global influence of USA
• Use of other powers to
balance U. S. influence in
South America
– Iran
– China
– Brazil
• Opposition to NATO/USA
Libyan actions
Support for Fidel Castro
(100,000 barrels a month)