Venezuela After Gran Colombia: 1830
Study of the Republic of Venezuela (1830)
History of Gran Colombia
After the failure of the Second Republic of Venezuela and Simón Bolívar’s short stay in New Granada as military commander, he reflected on the causes of previous failures and how to achieve lasting independence. He concluded that the final defeat was due to Spanish efforts to prevent recapture, but creating a strong republic capable of challenging imperial powers was crucial.
Separation of Venezuela from Gran Colombia
With the national government in Bogotá, Venezuela became a department of Gran Colombia, governed by officials subordinate to Bogotá authorities. The adoption of centralism as Gran Colombia’s political regime contributed to Venezuela’s separation.
Gran Colombia comprised Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Its creation was crucial to the independence war, raising new strategic and political objectives and strengthening the independence cause. The union of Venezuela and New Granada expanded the theater of war and unified their efforts for independence.
Highlights of the 1830 Constitution
- Organized the republic under a central federal system.
- Adopted the principle of uti possidetis, establishing the national territory as that of the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1810.
- Assured Venezuelans civil liberty, personal safety, property, and equality before the law.
- Retained the traditional division of public power into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Venezuela’s Political Situation After Separation
Venezuela’s political life continued under José Antonio Páez, who organized the republic’s administration according to the Valencia Congress’s constitution. The political landscape was marked by struggles between warlords representing opposing groups, often resolved through civil wars. Key leaders included Páez and José Tadeo Monagas.
Venezuela’s Economic Situation After Separation
Venezuela’s economy declined after independence. Agriculture and livestock, the main sources of foreign trade, were in ruins. Tax revenues from coffee, cocoa, indigo, and nut exports were insufficient for administrative costs. The cattle population significantly decreased. The government also had to address the foreign debt inherited from Gran Colombia.
Páez’s First Government
Páez faced armed movements against his government, including those led by José Tadeo Monagas in the eastern provinces, aiming to restore Gran Colombia. Páez suppressed these insurrections. His government, a center-federal regime, conducted the first national census.
Structure of Venezuela (1830-1936)
During the colonial period, Venezuela’s economic and social life served the Spanish metropolitan society, which appropriated a significant portion of the colony’s product through taxes and royalties. This hindered national development by limiting investment and domestic consumption.
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution in Europe, particularly in England, influenced Venezuela’s economic potential. This technological, economic, and social development marked the transition from manufacture to industrial production. Socially, it accelerated capitalist production relations based on wage labor.
Consequences of the Industrial Revolution
- Increased demand for raw materials from abroad.
- Reduced food production and increased demand due to growing factory workforce, necessitating external food sources.
- Need for international markets to accommodate growing industrial production.
Venezuela’s Economic Structure
Land Ownership:
Labor: Fieldwork was done by slave labor and later by farmers working on foreign lands, paying rent in kind and cash to landowners. Despite legal freedom, peasants’ limited access to land tied them to landowners.
Means of Production: In agriculture, workers owned only personal tools, while higher-value facilities belonged to landowners. In other sectors like handicrafts, transport, and shops, workers owned their means of production.
Distribution of Product: Each class received income based on ownership of production factors. Landowners earned income from land, while workers earned from their labor and sales to retailers for domestic and foreign markets.