Last updated Cipriano Castro and his cabinet in 1902.
The dictatorship of Cipriano Castro (self-proclaimed "Liberal Restoration")[1] is the term used to refer to the military dictatorship in Venezuela under Cipriano Castro that began after he seized power by force in the Restorative Liberal Revolution.
According to historian Elías Pino Iturrieta, it was a personalistic dictatorship plagued by corruption problems that came to dominate the political power elite.[1] It was characterized by a strong national army and a centralized, statist administration.[2]
It played an important role in the end of caudillismo in Venezuela, according to historian Inés Quintero.[2] In 1908, Juan Vicente Gómez, Castro's Vice President, conspired to overthrow him in a coup d'état,[3] initiating the period known as Gomecismo.
Background
When former President Joaquín Crespo died in combat and the country fell into political instability, Castro invaded Venezuela from the border with Táchira at the head of about sixty men, with the aim of restoring the influence of Antonio Guzmán Blanco, who died shortly thereafter. This began a period known as the "Andean Hegemony" under the influence of Juan Vicente Gómez.
In October 1900, Cipriano Castro convened a Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution for a "new republic", which was approved in 1901.[5] The subsequent 1904 Constitution of Venezuela extended the presidential term from 4 to 6 years, reduced the number of federal states to 13, and legalized divorce.[6]
Defense
Manuel Antonio Matos and several other bankers were forced to march in chains through Caracas.
In 1901, Castro announced to the National Constituent Assembly that he had increased the National Force to thirty battalions and augmented the arms reserves to forty thousand European-made rifles. He also decreed the creation of a Naval and Military School to train military personnel.[7]
Cipriano Castro tasked Juan Vicente Gómez with confronting the multiple uprisings against him. The national budget allocated to the war increased to 22%. From 1899 to 1903, there were 372 battles with a total death toll of 20,000.[8]
Electoral policy
During Castro's dictatorship, the system of direct voting was dismantled.[9]
Health
Tuberculosis was a primary public health issue that significantly affected Venezuela. Historical records from the era indicate that during the dictatorship of Cipriano Castro, the mortality rate was approximately 700 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in cities with populations of fewer than 50,000 residents.[10]
Education
In 1904, Castro ordered the closure of the University of Zulia (LUZ).[11] Subsequently, in 1905, the University of the Andes (ULA) was restricted to offering only the schools of Political Sciences and Ecclesiastical Sciences under the Public Instruction Code.[12]
Media policy
Castro's government carried out a harsh crackdown on critical and independent press outlets.[13]
Inmigration
In 1906, the Constitution was amended to prohibit the immigration of black people to Venezuela, the first time racist policies were added to the Constitution.[14]
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