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Rafael Caldera Rodríguez
54th President of Venezuela
In office March 11, 1969 – March 12, 1974
Preceded by	Raúl Leoni
Succeeded by	Carlos Andrés Pérez
60th President of Venezuela
In office February 2, 1994 – February 2, 1999
Preceded by	Ramón José Velásquez
Succeeded by	Hugo Chávez
Born	January 24, 1916 (1916-01-24) (age 91) San Felipe, Venezuela
Political party	Copei National Convergence
Spouse	Alicia Pietri de Caldera
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez (born January 24, 1916) was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.

Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party. He first ran for president unsuccessfully in 1946 and tried again every time it was possible until finally succeeding in 1968, winning by a relatively scant 33,000 votes against a recently divided Acción Democrática party. When he was sworn into office in 1969, it marked the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another in Venezuela's history. During his first presidency, Caldera was able to pacify the country by granting an amnesty that allowed guerrilla fighters, who had been operating clandestinely for almost a decade, to reincorporate to society and participate in politics.

In 1993, Caldera split from COPEI, the party he had founded, to form a new political party, Convergence, which, supported by a coalition of many small leftist parties (MAS, MEP, PCV) as well as some centre-right parties (URD, MIN), raised Caldera to the presidency in December 1993. This was a fatal blow to the traditional parties which, leaderless and demoralized, garnered few votes in the election. He won a very narrow victory in that year's presidential election. During his second presidential period, he pardoned Hugo Chávez, who would eventually succeed him in 1999.

Contents 1 Family and education 2 Political life 2.1 Foundation of several parties, and the beginning of COPEI 2.2 Presidential candidate 2.3 First term as president 2.4 Pacification of Venezuela 2.5 Active in the politics and his retire of COPEI 2.6 Second term as president 2.7 Economic Crisis 2.8 Amnesty to the Militaries of the 1992 rebellions 3 Later trajectory 4 Trivia 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Rafael Caldera, orphan of Spanish origin parents, was adopted by a wealthy Venezuelan Roman Catholic family, he married with Alicia Pietri de Caldera, with whom he has six children: Mireya, Juan José, Rafael Tomás, Alicia Helena, Cecilia, and Andrés Antonio Caldera Pietri.

Caldera studied at the San Ignacio school of the Society of Jesus, made his superior studies in Caracas, at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), 1931 - 1938, obtaining a doctorate in the Faculty of Right and Political Sciences, later was professor of sociology and law in several universities including the UCV, was a student leader, which took him to the political world.

Between his educative curriculum, Caldera dominates languages like the French, English, Italian, something of German and Portuguese. Also is a leading student of XIX Century humanist and educator Andrés Bello and has authored multiple books on politics, literature and Christian Democracy, and member of the Venezuelan Academy of the Language. As such, one of his achievements is the acceptance of millardo ("milliard", 10 ⁹) by the Royal Spanish Academy in 1995 as an alternative to mil millones (in English: one billion).

Caldera has participated in educative and political circles, like the direction of the Venezuelan Institute of Labor rights (1958-1966) and the presidencies of the Venezuelan Association of Sociology (1958-1967), the Christian Democratic Organization of Latin America (1964-1968) and the World-wide Christian Democratic Union (1967-1968).^[1]

Caldera was secretary of the Venezuelan Catholic Youths. In 1936 participated at the formation of the Student National Union, that on October 1, 1938 become a political party with the name of Electoral Action. This party, later integrated the National Action Movement, legalized on June 2, 1942, being one of the groups that originated on January 13, 1946 the social Christian party COPEI, being Caldera his founder. With this party, participated at the 1947 presidential elections, being elected the writer Rómulo Gallegos in representation of Acción Democrática (AD). Nevertheless Gallegos was overthrown a few months later, by a Military junta, headed by Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, and later the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez.^[2]

After the overthrow of Pérez Jiménez and the consequent constitution of a provisional government headed by Wolfgang Larrazábal, Caldera was elected Solicitor General of Venezuela, but let this position, to participate at the 1958 Presidential Elections, in which wins Rómulo Betancourt, of Acción Democrática. Nevertheless, Caldera had much influence for being his party at those moments the third political force of the country. He decided next to Betancourt, in addition to Jóvito Villalba (leader and founder of Unión Republicana Democrática (URD), and other political leaders, to elaborate and sign the Punto Fijo Pact, named thus for being that the name of Caldera's house, site chosen by the leaders to sign the document. There the bases of the democratic coexistence settle down that would stay in the 40 following years, laying the foundations principles as the free and transparent accomplishment of elections, the respect to the electoral results, the conformation of governments balances, with representation of independent political forces, and the application by those governments of a Common Minimum Program that guaranteed the democratic viability and the development of the country with the due internal consensus.

Caldera was COPEI's unsuccessful candidate for president in 1963. However, he won the 1969 elections, and was sworn in as president on March 11, 1969. It was the first time in Venezuela's 139 years of independence that an incumbent government peacefully surrendered power to an elected member of the opposition. However, COPEI still had a minority in the legislature.^[3]

Venezuelan Presidential election 1968

Results

Candidates Votes  % Rafael Caldera 1,083,712 29.13% Gonzalo Barrios 1,050,806 28.24% Miguel Angel Burelli 826,758 22.22% Luis Pietro Figueroa 719,461 19.34% Abstention: 135.311 3.27% Total votes: 3,999,617

Between Caldera's first government policies emphasizes, the end of Betancourt doctrine, which denied Venezuelan diplomatic recognition to any regime, right or left, that came to power by military force, Caldera decides to break the isolation of Venezuela with Latin America, recognizing the military governments of the region, makes a policy in defense of the insular territories, and the Gulf of Venezuela, also sings along with Guyana, the Port of Spain Protocol, for the zone of the Guayana Esequiba. At the economic aspect, reinforced the power in favor of the employer's association Fedecámaras undergoing his government by the period of North American economic crisi, that characterized the first period of Richard Nixon, with low prices of the oil barrel, which caused that the economic growth of Venezuela in that period was flat. Between his remarkable profits, is the pacification of the country, making a Ceasefire with the left armed groups, being integrated into the political life, in this aspect legalizes the Communist Party of Venezuela in spite of the AD opposition.

Also makes a reform of the 1961 Constitution, that prevents the election in a public charge, to people with a prison punishment of more than three years, specifically directed to politically disqualify General Marcos Pérez Jiménez, by means of its retroactive application. Caldera, closes the Industrial Technical School permanently, and the Central University of Venezuela, by a period of two years, due to the student manifestations against his government.

Caldera, elevated to 60% the tax on the rent to the oil companies, initiated the construction of El Tablazo petrochemical complex, in Zulia state, inaugurates the Caracas Polyhedron, and the Miguel Perez Carreño Hospital in Caracas, and concluded the demarcation of limits with Brazil. Rafael Caldera, end his first term as president, on February, 1974, being replaced by Carlos Andrés Pérez, from Acción Democrática, who wins at the 1973 elections.^[4]

In 1969, the new government receives a country with a urban and rural guerrilla, two important parties were banned and many political leaders were imprisoned and sentenced. From the beginning of Caldera's presidency, this practice is suspended and the constitutional guarantees are maintained.

The government arrives with an attitude of ideological pluralism and dialogue with all the ideologies, enters in conversation with the armed groups, legalizes left parties and release jailed politicians, demanding only the preservation of the Venezuelan law. Maintaining the democratic principles and the fight against those who insists at the use of violence like political weapon.

As result from this effort, when the government finishes, for the first time in many years, no significant political organization in Venezuela plans to take the government by the arms. At the 1973 elections, leaders of the old guerrilla, are elected senators and deputies.^[5]

Caldera spend ten years of constitutional period, of no immediate re-election, and participates again at the 1983 Presidential Elections with the COPEI support, being defeated by Jaime Lusinchi of Acción Democrática. In 1987 competes at the internal elections of his party, fot the 1988 presidential candidature, being chosen Eduardo Fernández. In 1993 decides to retire from COPEI, partcipating at the presidential elections of the same year, with a new party founded by him, denominated National Convergence, with the support of historically antagonistic sectors to his figure, such as the left parties PCV, MAS, MEP.

Caldera arrives for the second time to the presidency, on February, 1994, this triumph its fruit of his speech to the National Congress, on February 4, 1992, date of the first Coup d'etat, against the second government of Carlos Andrés Pérez. On this speech Caldera says:

“

We cannot ask to people with hunger to immolate themself for the democracy, that has not been able to give them to eat

”

This phrase, next to his tacit support to the Caracazo in 1989, mark the beginning of his march to the Miraflores Palace (Official residence of the president of Venezuela), for his second period. Caldera went up with around 30% of votes, followed very close by other three candidates, but the absence was of 39.84%.^[6]

Venezuelan Presidential election 1993 [1]

Results

Candidates Votes  % Rafael Caldera 1,710,722 30.46% Claudio Fermín 1,325,287 23.60% Oswaldo Alvarez Paz 1,276,506 22.73% Andrés Velásquez 1,232,653 21.95% Abstention: 3,859,579 39.84% Total votes: 5,829,216

At his second period, Caldera integrates his cabinet with politicians that supported his candidature, like some representatives of the MAS party, Teodoro Petkoff at the Ministry of the Central Office of Coordination and Planning (Cordiplan), and Pompeyo Márquez at the Border Ministry, as well as some independent in other ministries. In any case the support of the MAS and other parties were fundamental to approve some laws at the National Congress in his first years of government, due to the few members of the parliament of his party National Convergence. On December 18, 1994 inaugurates the section Plaza Venezuela - El Valle, of the Caracas Metro, initiated in previous governments. In 1996, received the second visit of the Pope John Paul II, that decided to bless the prisoners of the Catia Prison, at the west side of Caracas (After this visit, the building was demolished).^[7] On October 12, 1997 received U.S. President Bill Clinton, in November of the same year is celebrated in Margarita Island the Seventh Ibero-American Conference. In June, 1998, is set in Caracas the Inaugural meeting of the XXVIII General Assembly of the Organization of American States.^[8]

In the first year of presidency, Caldera must handle a strong financial crisis, that begins with the intervention of the Latino Bank, that brokes in the temporary period of Ramón José Velásquez, continued with the intervention of more than ten banks, and culminated with the draining of deposits, by concept of financial aid granted by the government to the banks, it produces thousands of affected people and a serious imbalance at the Venezuelan economy.

The confidence and credibility of Venezuelans and foreigners at the Financial institutions were affected seriously. More than seventy thousand medium and small companies broke, fundamentally by the Exchange rate regime imposed by the government, who makes difficult obtaining the currency to acquire Intermediate goods. The food, clothes, transport, that affects the common citizen raised without control, impoverishing a greater number of Venezuelans.

Caldera also had to handle a vertiginous inflationary spiral and a parallel reduction of the Forex reserves, employees generously for the support of the bolívar in front of the U.S. dollar. On June 27, announced the temporary suspension of some constitutional guarantees, fundamentally related to the private property and the free economic activity, for the control of the exchange market, the banking system and the prices, by the State. The financial organizations in bankruptcy by the draining of deposits and the affected by speculative practices, went to be adjusted by the State, in fact the Central Bank of Venezuela announced the suspension of all its operations of transaction of dollars. This economic measures were tolerated by the mass media and the international community, but not by the Venezuelan people.

Although Caldera promised during his campaign to never accept the help of the International Monetary Fund, his government had to make it, because of the economic crisis and the incapacity of management. The effect of the interventionist practice in the economy of Venezuela, causes that Caldera announces the program Agenda Venezuela that promised to restore the macroeconomic balance and to beat the inflation. Applying measures labeled by his opponents as Neoliberalism, in agreement with the recommendations of the IMF, that until then had resisted to adopt. The Venezuelan currency (Bolívar) was devalued in a 70%, the Exchange rate regime was imposed, the fuel price increased a 800%, liberalized the types of interest, was continued the process of privatization. This program was welcomed by the IMF, but not by the country. In where the manifestations and disturbances of the Venezuelan population were frequent.

In 1997, a tripartite commission, conformed by industrialists, workers and the Government, assumed the reform of the regime of social benefits, and the deep revision of the Labour law. The tripartite commission creates a system of social benefits that anticipated, among other things, the annual payment and the cease of the labor performance, at the same time, five subsystems of social security with the purpose of improving the Government's activity, at the resolution of the basic problems of the Venezuelan workers.

Also at the Government of Caldera, the process of Apertura Petrolera began, it was carried agglutinating efforts of the private sector, national and international, for the operation, exploration and refinement of the petroleum and natural gas. The world-wide oil market crisis, influenced negatively at this process.

Due to differences with parties of the governmental coalition like the MAS, Caldera looked for the support of the main legislative force party AD, where some of their members entered at the Ministerial cabinet.^[9]

During the government of Caldera, the military figures involved in the 1992 coup were liberated, who grouped in the political party MVR, directed by Hugo Chávez, to obtain the support of left groups for his government of parliamentary minority. We can say that the government of Caldera laid the foundations for the ascent of Hugo Chávez to the national magistrature. Caldera gained the presidential elections after his separation of COPEI, creating a populist movement (National Convergence) with the support of the groups before mentioned. This period was the finally defeat of Acción Democrática and COPEI, that alternated the government during 35 years (from 1959 to 1994), losing their influence at the political panorama of Venezuela. The fall of the traditional parties and the movement initiated by Caldera, gave the bases to Chávez to initiate his own movement, which was crystallized with the legalization of the MVR, winning at the 1998 presidential elections.^[10]

On February 2, 1999, Rafael Caldera concluded his second term as president, and was succeeded by Hugo Chávez. Although Caldera liberated Chávez from prison (in March 1994), the new president did not exclude him from criticisism in his inaugural speech. After the parliamentary elections of July 30, 2000, National Convergence remained with a single representative at the new unicameral National Assembly until 2005 (After the retire of the opposition from the 2005 elections).

In the first years of the XXI century, Caldera has undergone diverse decays and diseases due to his age, and has retired definitively of the political life of his country.^[11]

• Caldera is famous by his hairstyle, and for the use of Hair gel.
• During Rafael Caldera's first government, a new style of official communication starts, with the television program Habla el Presidente, the head of the Venezuelan state informs about his projects and policies.
• In 1996, the astrologer José Bernardo Gómez, predicts the death of Caldera, and the non culmination of his period, later arrested by the Venezuelan Political Police (DISIP), this astrologer decides to abandon his career.
• During his second presidency, because of his age and nonunderstandable speeches, Caldera was imitated by many Venezuelan comedians, one of them Laureano Márquez.

• Venezuela
• Presidents of Venezuela

• (Spanish) Rafael Caldera — Official biography.
• (Spanish) Rafael Caldera — Biography from National Convergence webpage.
• (Spanish) Speeches and Biography

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