Venezuelan Foreign Policy Background, Institutions, Policy Toward OPEC and USA.
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Transcript of Venezuelan Foreign Policy Background, Institutions, Policy Toward OPEC and USA.
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 – Exhaustion of the Pérez
policy under Lusinchi– Price spike from first Gulf
war is temporary– Reduced Importance of
OPEC During the Second Pérez government (1989-93)
Second Caldera government (1994-99) exceeded Venezuela’s OPEC quota
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)